Trail Blazers Applauded for Rebuilding Moves

Portland is embracing the tank at long last.

Jan 7, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe (17) controls the ball against Brooklyn Nets guard Cam Thomas (24) during the second quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The Portland Trail Blazers have finally, fully embraced the tank.

After two miserable, injury-riddled seasons with All-Star point guard Damian Lillard leading the charge where the club had to pivot late to ensure it made the lottery, Lillard finally begged his way out of town. Portland acquiesced, flipping him to the Milwaukee Bucks. 2023-24 finally marked the first time the Trail Blazers truly looked to lose from the jump. And lose it did. The Trail Blazers went a miserable 21-61, and finished with the West's No. 15 seed. The team landed the No. 7 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, which it used on promising 20-year-old center Donovan Clingan, a reigning two-time NCAA champion with the University of Connecticut Huskies.

Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report ranks Portland's rebuild as the third-best in the NBA, in terms of the club's assets and young pieces. Only the San Antonio Spurs (No. 1) and Detroit Pistons (No. 2) are regarded with more reverence.

Hughes notes that former No. 3 pick Scoot Henderson had a standout April run (i.e. when most teams had packed it in and were gearing up for the playoffs), averaging 19.4 points, 9.7 dimes and 3.4 boards. But overall, Henderson notched a league-worst true shooting percentage for players took 700 or more shots (116 did so). Hughes believes Henderson still has All-Star upside, but his erratic first season could give people pause.

In terms of the team's other guards, Hughes is excited about shooting guard Shaedon Sharpe's athleticism and scoring upside. 25-year-old guard Anfernee Simons, slated to start the season as Portland's starting point guard over Henderson, is similarly impressive, though Hughes cautions that Simons seems more like a probable trade asset than a long-term Blazer.

"On the whole, Portland's roster feels like it has a few spare parts to strip off. Donovan Clingan, Deni Avdija and Toumani Camara belong, but Jerami Grant, Deandre Ayton and Robert Williams III feel out of place. As the Blazers realize they might be the only team in the entire Western Conference without realistic play-in hopes, they'll look into jettisoning those vets for draft equity and financial flexibility," Hughes writes. "Lest there be any doubt about the Blazers' incentives this season, they owe a lottery-protected first-rounder to the [Chicago] Bulls in 2025. Keeping that pick is an absolute must, so expect the Portland front office to pull the ripcord in a hurry if Henderson finds his form and gets the team off to a hot start."

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