dame and cj

Portland Trail Blazers’ Young Guns

 

From Mid-Major to one of the best backcourt duos in the NBA. Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum are leading the charge behind one of the best young teams in the league. The Portland Trailblazers a year ago had a lot of questions marks as their only returning starter was multiple time all-star Lillard. Fast forward a year they are a lock for the playoffs with returning all starters, key bench players and free agents. This offseason the Blazers were very active. They brought back Allen Crabbe(RFA) who was offered a max deal by the Brooklyn Nets which they matched. Meyers Leonard also resigned on a 4-year deal. They offered McCollum a much deserved max extension. They brought in Evan Turner and Festus Ezeli from the free agent market.

This past year and this offseason the Blazers showed how well they developed players and to believe in your homegrown talent. A lot of their success can be attributed to head coach Terry Stotts. Who I believe should’ve been Coach of the Year to take them from no shot in the playoffs to the second round was incredible. Stotts took question marks into the season except Damian Lillard. McCollum’s first two years were injury plagued, Crabbe, Leonard and their other young player were all question marks because they would have to play more time than they had in their career. All delivered McCollum was this year’s Most Improved Player averaging over 20 points per game and shooting over 40 percent from the floor and thee point range. Allen Crabbe had a break out year averaging 10.1 points per game while shooting 45 percent from the floor and 39 percent from three. Meyers Leonard had his best season to date coming off the bench adding 8.4 points per and 5.1 rebounds per game while shooting 44.5 field goal percentage and 37.7 from downtown which is becoming a new weapon his Leonard’s repertoire. With these young rising stars and already all-star Damian Lillard a deep bench and the off season acquisitions in Turner and Ezili the Trailblazers are gunning for a top seed in the Western Conference.

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