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Portland Trail Blazers: Player grades from first Summer League game

By Austin Carroll

LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 6: The Portland Trail Blazers huddles up against the Detroit Pistons during Day 2 of the 2019 Las Vegas Summer League on July 6, 2019 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Bart Young/NBAE via Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 6: The Portland Trail Blazers huddles up against the Detroit Pistons during Day 2 of the 2019 Las Vegas Summer League on July 6, 2019 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Bart Young/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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After a disappointing start to this year’s Summer League, the defending champion Portland Trail Blazers must make some adjustments moving forward.

Let’s take a moment for some brutally honest reflection. A staggering 93-73 defeat at the hands of a very mediocre Detroit Pistons team is probably not how the reigning champion Portland Trail Blazers wanted to get their Summer League started.

Last year, Zach Collins was there to cover for many of the team’s mistakes and deficiencies. Jake Layman provided an offensive spark and could create his own shot. Not having Skal Labissiere in the lineup due to an injured shoulder surely isn’t helping anything.

That being said, there’s no excuse to get blown out to a team like that. Losing is fine. There is a lot to be learned from losing, as the infamous Michael Jordan quote would have you know. But it’s just not good for anyone to get ran off the court by an middling team. Not for the players, the coaches, and certainly not the fans.

There is a lot riding on the performance of these players; it could decide the fate of their careers and of the future of the Portland Trail Blazers. Let’s take a crack at evaluating how they played and what can be improved upon.

C. With all the hype the front office had been generating for <a href=. Guard. Portland Trail Blazers. ANFERNEE SIMONS

D. Ouch. One night is far from a large enough sample size to make over-arching generalizations, but we need to see more from <a href=. Guard. Portland Trail Blazers. GARY TRENT JR.

C-. If any doubters still remained, this game all but confirmed prior suspicions. As naturally talented as <a href=. Forward. Portland Trail Blazers. NASSIR LITTLE

Forward. Portland Trail Blazers. JAYLEN HOARD. A. On the opposite end of the spectrum as the aforementioned Little, we have<a href=

Next. 3 reasons to watch the Blazers in the Summer League. dark

Tune back in tomorrow as the Portland Trail Blazers take on the Houston Rockets in the second game of their Summer League campaign. Tip-off is at 7:00 p.m. PST.