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3 things to watch for in Portland Trail Blazers preseason opener vs. Denver

By Austin Carroll

DENVER, CO - MAY 12: Gary Harris #14 of the Denver Nuggets drives to the basket against the Portland Trail Blazers during Game Seven of the Western Conference Semi-Finals of the 2019 NBA Playoffs on May 12, 2019 at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. 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 Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - MAY 12: Gary Harris #14 of the Denver Nuggets drives to the basket against the Portland Trail Blazers during Game Seven of the Western Conference Semi-Finals of the 2019 NBA Playoffs on May 12, 2019 at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. 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 Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Portland Trail Blazers basketball is back! Here’s what you should be keeping your eye on as they tackle the Denver Nuggets in their preseason opener.

The Portland Trail Blazers are back and town and the Moda Center desperately awaits to have its walls filled with eager basketball fans once again. Portland will showcase their new-look roster after undergoing so much change to improve in the offseason. Gone are the group of beloved players like Al-Farouq Aminu, Maurice Harkless, and Evan Turner. But that void in our hearts is sure to soon be filled by the newcomers.

As a little bonus, this will also be the first time we get to see the Blazers play on their newly redesigned court. The alternatively colored painted area and red painted key are sure to be a hit with the fans.

But let’s get back to the game itself, here’s a few storylines you should be following before the game tips off at 7:30 P.M.

Anfernee Simons’ emergence

All summer we’ve been hearing stories about how Anfernee Simons has quickly risen through the ranks of talented players on the Blazers roster. Big expectations will be placed on his shoulders moving forward, and this will be our first chance to see how well he can perform against real NBA talent.

Since it is only the preseason, we can expect Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum to expend less energy and play less minutes, meaning even more opportunities for Simons. If we’re lucky, we’ll get to see more of the player that averaged 22 points per game in Las Vegas en route to making the Summer League All-Tournament Second Team.

Kindling a true rivalry

With everyone still reeling from last year’s epic seven-game series in the Western Conference Semi-Finals, the stage is set for an epic rivalry to take place between the Portland Trail Blazers and Denver Nuggets moving forward. Both teams should be in title contention for the next several years provided they play their cards right, and this could slowly become one of the most exciting inter-divisional matchups of the year.

Portland and Denver have split their season series 8-8 over the course of the last four years so they should kick this off on relatively equal footing. Denver looks like a revitalized team with the addition of Jerami Grant and Michael Porter Jr. looking deadly in early showings. These two teams will square off twice in the preseason before battling it out in the real regular season opener.  Ultimately, the victor of this face-off may not only decide who sits atop the Northwest Division, but who represents the Western Conference in the NBA Finals.

Zach Collins in the starting lineup

While Zach Collins has technically cracked the starting lineup before — playing as a spot starter on December 13, 2017 — this will be his first real chance to establish his continuity with the other four starters and prove that this is where he belongs. Avoiding foul trouble and churning out meaningful minutes will be the key here for Collins, considering he was not able to do that consistently in his sophomore season.

We will also get to see how big of an affect having Pau Gasol around has had on his game. Judging by the fact Gasol has already gotten to work drawing up plays for Portland, it’s reasonable to expect a little boost after working so closely with the living legend that is Pau.

Next. Analyzing the Blazers' forward rotation. dark

Collins next to Hassan Whiteside should form a lethal duo of twin towers. This will be our first chance to see how an inside-out style of play works for the Portland Trail Blazers. Any missed shot opportunities should be gobbled up by the pair of 7-footers, each of whom have demonstrated an ability to clean the glass and pick up some valuable put back points.