6. Deandre Ayton, C
Can Ayton pick up from where he left off last season?
Deandre Ayton had a rocky start to the 2023-24 season. He even blamed sleeping on an air mattress as a reason he was playing poorly. Say what you will about "DominAyton," but he played much better towards the end of the season and finally seemed to have adjusted to his new environment in Portland.
In 18 games following the All-Star break, Ayton averaged 22.7 points and 12.5 rebounds per game. If he can carry that over into this season and play much more consistently, Ayton could be a dark horse to at least be in the All-Star conversation.
After all, he's owed $34 million this upcoming year, so the Blazers better hope they get close to an All-Star-level player even to come close to returning value on that massive of a contract.
5. Deni Avdija, F
What is Deni's role going to look like on offense?
Deni Avdija is the definition of a "jack of all trades, master of none." That's not necessarily a bad thing for the Blazers. They desperately needed more versatility on their roster and could benefit from having a player like Deni. But it also makes it harder to know precisely where and how to use him.
That could be an answer that evolves throughout the season, depending on the Blazers' needs. For instance, with Sharpe out for what is expected to be at least seven games, Deni can take on more of an aggressive scoring role. When Sharpe returns, he can focus more on playmaking and getting teammates involved.
It will be exciting to see how exactly Billups utilizes Avdija. He's a coach's dream as the options are limitless—screener, roller, slasher, cutter, post-up, spot-up shooter, isolation scorer, you name it. Avidja's positional size, ballhandling, playmaking, and shooting ability are rare combinations. Usually, a player has one or two, but possessing all of these traits makes him a genuine Swiss Army Knife.