Portland No Longer Runs Solely on Lillard Time
For years, Portland lived and died with Damian Lillard. While he’s still as important as ever, the Blazers (may) have finally evolved.
For years, Damian Lillard was the only thing keeping Portland from the bottom of the Western Conference. After finally deciding to retool, new GM Joe Cronin knew he needed to build a team that was less reliant on Lillard, a player some thought was on the decline.
After an offseason full of change, nobody expected much from Portland. However, through four games, I don’t think anybody could have envisioned a better start.
The Past
For those of you who are unaware, let me give you a revisionist history of Blazers basketball in the Damian Lillard era;
- 2012-13: Bad
- 2013-14: Good and Promising
- 2014-15: Decent
- 2016-2021: All on Dame
For a six-year stretch that saw Portland make just one Conference Finals, the Blazers were a carbon copy of each other. Each season seemed to bleed into the other. Terry Stotts’ offense was devoid of creativity or variety. Portland’s defense often did their best-wet cardboard impersonation for years on end. It was maddening.
It was an anti-egalitarian offense in every sense of the world. In the middle of Damian Lillard’s prime, we were relying on Evan Turner, Al-Farouq Aminu, Mo Harkless, and Meyers Leonard. That’s historical mismanagement.
Neil Olshey’s non-aggressive approach got the team nowhere. Portland rarely traded the future for the present. They never swung big for real stars in free agency. Instead, they just banked all their hopes on Lillard being able to take them to around 45 wins each season. And he did.
Heading into this offseason and beyond, Joe Cronin knew he needed to make changes. Chauncey Billups was just the tip of the iceberg. For a franchise immune to change, they were about to get an overdose very, very quickly.
The Retool
The Portland Trail Blazers ended the 2021-22 season with one of the best tanks seen west of the Mississippi. After the All-Star break, the Blazers had a 2-21 record, housing a -21.3 net rating, by far the worst in the NBA. It was depressing, almost like a funeral of a bygone era. I didn’t even watch most nights.
The fruit of Portland’s labor was an unknown luxury to them; a high draft pick. A top-ten selection represents a boom or bust chance to accelerate a team’s title ambitions. It’s the best chance for small market teams to get star talent.
With the 7th pick, the Portland Trail Blazers selected Shaedon Sharpe. I wasn’t happy at the time, given Sharpe’s developmental needs, but his upside was second to none. The Blazers were betting that Sharpe’s potential would come to fruition in Portland.
(So far, so good, on that end).
After the draft, Cronin went to work. Jody Allen helped tag-team a Jerami Grant trade back to his hometown. Gary Payton II, Golden State’s unsung postseason hero, was signed to a three-year deal. Anfernee Simons inked a new contract extension. Drew Eubanks was brought back for just under $2 million dollars.
Whereas the old Blazers would have thrown everything at the wall and hoped something would stick, this new approach was more tactical and surgical. There wasn’t a dollar being wasted, especially on Lillard. You don’t give somebody a contract extension that is set to pay somebody $258,694,291 bucks over the next five seasons for no reason.
Portland’s retooled roster was refreshing to look at. Sure, it wasn’t a title contender or anything like that, but it had an identity. Now, it was time to put that identity to the test.
The Present
I don’t think I envisioned the Blazers being 4-0 to start the season. The style of basketball this team is playing is aesthetically pleasing. It was all on display during Portland’s 25-point shelling of Denver last night.
First and foremost, the hustle has been off the charts. I’ve never seen the Blazers run so much in transition. Josh Hart is constantly pushing the pace. Portland’s attempting the second most free throws in the league for a reason.
Defensively, apart from a few breakdowns here and there, I’ve liked what I’ve seen. Portland has experimented with smaller lineups and zone at times, giving them a sense of unpredictability. The new wing core of Hart, Grant, and Winslow has provided us with a security we haven’t seen in some time. Portland’s defense ranks ninth in the NBA through four games (106.7 defensive rating).
Offensively, things have sputtered at times when Damian Lillard hasn’t been on the floor. But I love the way Portland is utilizing Dame this season. It’s been much more creative. Jerami Grant has also looked awesome, as Portland is giving him so much space to operate.
The best part of the offense has been the variety. Instead of 60% of their shots being threes, Portland’s inside-out attack has been deadly. They’re averaging 51.0 points in the paint (10th in the league) and shooting 39.5% from deep (7th in the league). Teams can’t guard you when you’re scoring like this.
The preseason may have been ugly, but this Blazers teams looks like they’ve been playing together for years. The question is, how sustainable is this?
These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things
But first, we have to talk about last night’s shelling of the Denver Nuggets. Come on. You knew I had to do this. Roll the tape!
What’s The Outlook?
A 4-0 start for the first time in more than 20 years is fantastic. But, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I don’t love our lack of big man depth outside of Nurkic. The offense has been too inconsistent at times. And, this team has a tendency to start slow that is going to bite them one of these games.
The Western Conference is as crowded as ever. Portland will have to play like this all year long to stay in the mix. It’s a tough ask for a team that is just now coming together. Smooth sailing cannot be expected for the entire season. Even with Damian Lillard on our side, I have my doubts.
4-0 or not, however, this team can say that they’re playing great basketball. The defense looks energized and fresh. There’s never been more variety offensively.
I can psychoanalyze this team all I want. But one thing is clear. The Blazers have finally changed their identity. After years of being the same old team, they’ve at least slightly changed their ways. What’s left is a fun, scrappy team that fans can root for.
I can’t guarantee a lot, but I think it’s going to be a fun year of hoops in the PNW.
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