Questions the Trail Blazers will face in the 2014-15 NBA season
With excitement rising and the Portland Trail Blazers season starting tomorrow, here are what I consider to be five of the most compelling issues facing the team as a new season dawns:
How will the team defense perform?
The Trail Blazers’ strength last year was their offense. The much maligned defense actually pulled together a respectable performance by season’s end, ultimately finishing 16th in the league in defensive rating. In fact, post All-Star break, the Blazers’ defensive rating improved a full 2.7 points (per 100 possessions) compared to before the break.
If the Trail Blazers had sustained that level of defense for the entire season, it would have been good enough to have them ranked 12th in the entire league. This, paired with their fifth-best offense might be enough to vault the team into contention for a deep playoff run. I’m a firm believer in the idea that defense is what ultimately leads to success, and the improvement on that side of the ball toward the end of last season is an exciting development to keep track of. Hopefully it will continue on into this season.
How well will the bench actually perform?
How the bench performs as a whole will be a huge storyline for this season. The Trail Blazers starters are great. It could be argued, in fact, that in terms of top to bottom talent, the five starters are one of the deepest starting lineups in the league. On nearly any given night, I see the starting unit having the potential to outplay their opposing counterparts.
In past seasons, though, their success has often been mitigated by the lack of contribution from the bench. This offseason, General Manager Neil Olshey signed Steve Blake and Chris Kaman in order to shore up the reserves. Kaman in particular has looked stellar during the preseason, and might inject the offensive potency into the second unit that has been lacking these past couple years.
How much does continuity really matter?
All five of the Trail Blazers 2013-14 starters have returned for another season. Of those five, four of them will be returning for a third straight year. In today’s NBA, operating under the new CBA where long contracts are shunned and more and more short-term contracts are signed, this is a rarity. On one hand, from a logical perspective, it seems like professional athletes operate at a high enough level that something as esoteric as “chemistry” or “continuity” should not drastically affect performance.
On the other hand… Playing with the same players for so long has to count for something. Knowing one another and getting a feel for each other’s tendencies and preferences becomes that much easier when you have been playing with those players for two or three years. As an example, look at the Indiana Pacers, who rode the same core to a second round playoff berth three years ago, and consecutive appearances in the conference finals each of the past two years (and on the flip side, how quickly they appeared to crumble when their team chemistry came into question).
What kind of jump can Damian Lillard make?
Lillard is a good basketball player. Lillard will become an even better basketball player. No one will argue with these two facts – the question is how much better can Lillard become? Going into his third year, Lillard could be in the prime position to take the next step forward in his evolution as a player.
At the same time, Lillard is already 24, since he spent four years in college. While improvement will no doubt come, it is possible that Lillard has already realized a sizable chunk of his potential. If Lillard is, in fact, able to make another large jump in performance this year, it will go a long way toward helping the Trail Blazers improve upon last season’s success.
How will injuries affect the season?
Injuries happen – they are simply part of a physical game. Fortunately for the Trail Blazers, four of their five starters were able to start for all 82 games last season. The fifth, LaMarcus Aldridge, still played and started in 69 games. While the Trail Blazers training staff undoubtedly was a huge part of this incredible stretch of health and will again do their part, history indicates it is likely not repeatable.
As such, sadly, some injuries will probably occur. The severity of said injuries, and who is affected will play a huge role in the Trail Blazers’ success this season. If a starter is forced to miss extended time, the next man up’s performance could have a drastic impact on the team’s chances of success. Luckily, it appears (appears) as if the Trail Blazers are a little deeper than they have been in previous seasons.