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Trail Blazers: Pre Trade Deadline Needs

By Steven Dewald

Jan 13, 2016; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers center Mason Plumlee (24) passes the ball as he drives to the basket on Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) and forward Trevor Booker (33) during the third quarter of the NBA game at the Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. The Blazers won 99-85. Mandatory Credit: Steve Dykes-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 13, 2016; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers center Mason Plumlee (24) passes the ball as he drives to the basket on Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) and forward Trevor Booker (33) during the third quarter of the NBA game at the Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. The Blazers won 99-85. Mandatory Credit: Steve Dykes-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 5, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard C.J. McCollum (3) against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. The Trail Blazers defeated the Timberwolves 109-103. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 5, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard C.J. McCollum (3) against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. The Trail Blazers defeated the Timberwolves 109-103. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports /

What needs will the Trail Blazers look to fill before the NBA trade deadline?

The NBA trade deadline in quickly approaching, will the Trail Blazers look to make a splash before then? Portland have turned into an unlikely buyer in the market after exceeding expectations on the season. Sitting at 19-26 (just 1.5 games out of the 8th spot) it is likely that Neil Olshey will look to fill one of the team needs via trade. With the largest chunk of available cap space in the league, the Trail Blazers will likely find themselves active as the trade season heats up.

The Trail Blazers have certainly played well at times this year, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t have significant needs. Let’s look at what Portland might look to upgrade before we get started.

Rim Protection

The Trail Blazers are currently ranked 24th in blocks per game. This is a huge problem for a team that relies on their big men to cover the suspect defense of their guards. Opposing teams have been able to find easy looks throughout the season against Portland. This has resulted in the Trail Blazers allowing their opposition shoot a friendly .450 FG%.

Mason Plumlee does a lot of nice things for the Trail Blazers, but rim protection isn’t one of them. His BLK % sits at a less than stellar 2.9%, almost a full percentage point lower than Robin Lopez‘s rate from last year.

Reserve Point Guard

Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum are both averaging 35+ minutes per game. This isn’t how you keep your stars fresh down the stretch, so look for Olshey to explore the market for a reliable back-up option. Tim Frazier has only played meaningful minutes in Lillard’s absence. It is unclear if this is a result of the game plan presented by Terry Stotts or the result of a lack of trust in Frazier. The Trail Blazers should be in the market for a dependable reserve regardless.

Stretch Four

This was the role that many envisioned Meyers Leonard filling, but a slow start to the season has put those thoughts on hold. Leonard has recovered slightly in the shooting department, but is still shooting below 35% from deep. Noah Vonleh has since taken over the starting power forward spot. While Vonleh’s youth is enticing, the Trail Blazers could do better in the short term.

Another Deep Threat

Portland only has three reliable deep threats on the squad (Lillard, McCollum, Allen Crabbe). This has led to defenses suffocating the Trail Blazers’ offense late in games. Adding another pure shooter could go a long way in keeping the opposition honest on defense.

Over the next slides we will look at potential players that could be on the market for the Trail Blazers.

Next: Available Rim Protectors