6. Thabo Sefolosha, Guard/Forward
After letting Al-Farouq Aminu walk and shipping Moe Harkless out, the Portland Trail Blazers abandoned their defensive cornerstones. Their immense value to the organization was an unfortunate sacrifice to keep the team at a competitive price tag. Now the weight of carrying the defense will fall on the shoulders of Kent Bazemore and Whiteside.
While they both rate out as positive defenders, they both also struggle with inconsistencies on a year-to-year basis. Picking up Thabo Sefolosha could be a big addition to Portland’s lackluster defense. Sefolosha has been hounding opposing offenses since 2006, with a career average of 1.1 steals per game, a 2.2 Defensive Box Plus/Minus (BPM) and a 103 Defensive Rating.
He also has developed nicely into a quality spot up shooter from deep, going 66-for-162 the past two seasons at a rate of 40.7 percent. Sefolosha could fill in a valuable ‘3-and-D’ role in the event the Blazers unproven new additions at the wing like Mario Hezonja and Nassir Little don’t live up to expectations.
5. Jeremy Lin, Guard
Many people forget the Golden State Warriors were the team that signed Jeremy Lin to his first ever NBA contract in 2010. After getting waived just 29 games into his professional career, how fitting it is that Lin would become an NBA champion against his former team. The following year held host to Linsanity, and the rest is history
It’s no secret that Lin has struggled mightily with injury since then, which is exactly why Portland would make an ideal destination moving forward. Playing garbage time and serving as insurance for Lillard and Simons for a competitive team would be the best way for Lin to build his value back up without running the risk of aggravating his injuries.
While Lin probably won’t be able to recapture his prior form, he can still be a very productive player on the court. With Atlanta last year, Lin averaged 10.7 points and 3.5 assists in just 19.7 minutes per game last year. He also achieved a 15.9 PER and 59.4 true shooting percentage. His veteran presence and championship experience could help guide the young core.