Center Rotation
Starter: Hassan Whiteside
With Jusuf Nurkic expected to spend the majority of the year recovering from and rehabilitating his devastating leg injury, Hassan Whiteside will get the starting nod to kick off the year. Even after Nurkic is cleared to play, don’t be surprised if he eases back into the game coming off the bench.
Don’t fret, the Portland Trail Blazers could do much worse than Whiteside at the five. In fact, Whiteside looks like one of the best centers in the entire league when he plays with conviction.
Even in a perceived disappointing season last year, Whiteside averaged 5.5 offensive rebounds and 2.9 blocks per 36 minutes. Ideally, a motivated Whiteside playing next to his friends in Portland can help him return to his former 17 point, 14.1 rebound and 3.7 blocks per game self.
Bench: Jusuf Nurkic, Zach Collins
As discussed above, Nurkic will devote the majority of the year to positioning himself for a healthy return to the league. His defensive presence was sorely missed during last season’s playoff run and could be an x-factor this year. An optimistic silver lining of this injury is further development of Nurkic’s shot, after he jacked up 29 triples last year after only attempting 13 in the four year’s prior.
Unless Skal displays the ability to play big minutes as a backup center, expect Zach Collins to slide to the five frequently this year. Ideally, Tolliver or Hezonja will be one of the first players off the bench to replace Whiteside while Collins slides down to become the anchor. Clever minutes management is going to become vital if Portland wants to have a well-rested rotation before Nurkic returns.
As a whole, this rendition of the Portland Trail Blazers roster looks like a distinct improvement from last year. Proper player development and utilizing each player’s skill set to the fullest will be absolutely vital towards making the most of next year’s campaign.