After this past season people in the Portland area knew danger was looming when All-Star big man LaMarcus Aldridge was testing the free agent market. Eventually, Portland lost their chance at Aldridge when he signed with the newly reformed San Antonio Spurs. It’s re-building time for the Trail Blazers as they are led by lone star Damian Lillard.
Lillard will be leading a young squad that has only five players returning from the 2014-2015 roster. Other losses to the roster beside Aldridge include Wesley Matthews, Nic Batum, and Robin Lopez. Portland will be taking a step back this season, but things are still looking up as Lillard attempts to take the reign of this team and be a leader.
What should fans look forward to this season?
Portland had some key acquisitions of young talent this past offseason. One key addition is Noah Vonleh. Vonleh, out of Indiana, only averaged 3 points in Charlotte as a rookie last season. He now has a chance to shine as a back up to Meyers Leonard, and if Leonard’s play is continuously sub par, watch for Vonleh to step in.
Portland is also deep at the center position. Mason Plumlee, Ed Davis, and Chris Kaman will provide Portland with solid play in the paint. They are all pretty good defenders that can also get you 10+ points per night.
What is their projected starting lineup?
PG- Damian Lillard
SG- Gerald Henderson
SF- Al-Farouq Aminu
PF- Meyers Leonard
C- Mason Plumlee
Who can emerge as a star?
Damian Lillard is already a star, but he will be trying to take it to the next level. At 25 years old, he still has his prime years of basketball left. This is his team now and we should expect him to have his best season yet due to the fact that he will be doing a lot of their scoring. Besides him, everyone else seems to be a sub-par player. Gerald Henderson has already peaked in his career, and most other players are still trying to find an identity in this league.
What will be their final record?
31-51
Do you agree with this ranking? Let us know your thoughts @BBallSociety on Twitter.
