6. Zach Collins
The prevailing notion this offseason was that Zach Collins works his way into the Blazers starting lineup this season at power forward. Our suspicions were eventually confirmed at Portland’s Media Day. It will be a role Collins is not accustomed to, and there’s the possibility he could pose as the Blazers “weak link” in the starting rotation.
Despite the concerns, Collins is a stud. He is a fiery 21-year-old who oozes potential that the Blazers will look to draw out of him this season. Much will be asked of Collins, but the question remains if he will be able to turn his potential into on-court production and leave his bad habits in the past.
Specifically, Collins has an inclination for impetuous decisions on the defense end of the court, an area the Blazers will rely on him to improve. This season, we should expect a slightly smarter, matured version of the 7-footer. Now in his third season with the Blazers, Collins will be counted on for a heavy share of the rebounding responsibilities and will need to act as the imposing defensive presence that Al-Farouq Aminu and Maurice Harkless were the past few seasons.
Secondly, the offensive playmakers will need Collins to develop a more reliable 3-point shot. The bulk of scoring and ball handling for the Trail Blazers will — unsurprisingly — come from Portland’s star guard duo. However, Collins’ shooting consistency will play a large role in spreading the floor and allow Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum to hit their spots and operate without the fear of constant double-teams.
Overall, Collins is still a work in progress. He has a long road to fulfilling his potential and becoming the player the Blazers need him to be. But, despite being an unfinished piece, we can absolutely expect some rapid developments with his instincts on the defensive end of the court and a sharp improvement in his shooting efficiency.
— Zahnd
5. Jusuf Nurkic
Nurkic was reaching new heights prior to the horrific injury that happened in the midst of what was one of the best performances of his young career. With the uncertainty of when Nurkic will return from his gruesome leg injury he suffered in late March of last year not much is expected of him.
The primary goal for Jusuf Nurkic is to spend the first portion of the season rehabilitating and preparing for his return. When the time comes for Nurkic to return to action his number one focus should be centered around feeling comfortable and avoiding re-injury (as is so common for players of his stature) rather than putting up numbers or hauling big minutes.
This Trail Blazers team is equipped to make a deep playoff push in the Western Conference even without Nurkic and that’s why he should take his time and do whatever he can to be 100 percent when playoff time rolls around in early April. When Nurkic is in full swing he’s not only the Trail Blazers third best player but one of the better true big men this league has to offer. Portland has developed an intense love for their Bosnian big man and are eager to finally see him return action, whenever that time may be.
— Brown