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Portland Trail Blazers: 3 feel-good stories in the 2019/20 season

By Stevie Cozens

MIAMI, FLORIDA - JANUARY 05: Gary Trent Jr. #2 of the Portland Trail Blazers looks on against the Miami Heat during the first half at American Airlines Arena on January 05, 2020 in Miami, Florida. 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. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
MIAMI, FLORIDA - JANUARY 05: Gary Trent Jr. #2 of the Portland Trail Blazers looks on against the Miami Heat during the first half at American Airlines Arena on January 05, 2020 in Miami, Florida. 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. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /
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The Portland Trail Blazers 19/20 season hasn’t been the most memorable in recent memory, but a few moments stand out which fans can look back upon fondly.

The 2019/20 season hasn’t been an easy one for the Portland Trail Blazers. Injuries and a sub par defense has meant that it’s been a frustrating year for fans and players alike. But there have been some storylines this season that fans can look back upon in years to come.

Gary Trent Jr’s breakout

Second-year player Gary Trent Jr has probably been the biggest surprise this season. Not only has his breakout been fun to watch, the Blazers would have been in serious trouble on both ends had he not played so well in the new year.

With zero depth at the two and the three when there were injuries to CJ McCollum, Damian Lillard and the season ending injury of Rodney Hood, Trent stepped up unexpectedly.

Anfernee Simons had struggled with a bigger role so Trent took the extra minutes and ran with them. The most surprising part of his breakout has been his lockdown defense.

As a man defender he had no problem defending the bigger or faster twos on opposition teams. He has great hands and because of his strong frame for a second year guy, he has been able to poke the ball away and then beat his man to recover possession.

He has great instincts and can often beat his man to the spot. Trent has All-defensive team potential.

Offensively he has been the Blazers second most consistent three-point shooter. He has played 58 games and has shot 38.8 percent from deep. He has a really nice stroke, and not only can he hit off the catch but he has shown he can hit off the dribble or use a pump fake and escape dribble too.

He is equally comfortable handling in the pick and roll then pulling up or stepping back for jumpers in the midrange. Trent has shown a level head when handling the ball and seems to even have a transition game that didn’t look likely earlier in the season. He has grown his game so quickly with more minutes that it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him averaging 15 points a game.

Carmelo Anthony’s return

Not only was it a major surprise that he signed with the Trail Blazers, but it was such a feel good story seeing Carmelo Anthony adding value to this team on the court. He didn’t deserve the slander that he was receiving in his year away from the NBA.

After a difficult stop on the Houston Rockets where most players struggle to fit alongside James Harden, it seemed like Melo’s NBA career was over. He had been judged on his 90 most recent games and not on the 14 amazing seasons he had before that.

Neil Olshey signed him in November, and within a few games, he was rolling. Like his teammate Trent, Melo has saved this team from complete embarrassment on plenty of occasions with strong scoring and rebounding. Yes, he hasn’t been very efficient, but it hasn’t mattered.

His production on the minimum contract that he signed has been of excellent value. When Zach Collins went down, and then Rodney Hood, Melo stepped up in a big way.

He led team huddles, took young players under his wing, and even made big plays down the stretch. A game winner away at Toronto and then diving into the crowd for a loose ball in crunch time both come to mind.

Melo was a leader on and off the court this season, and to average 15 points and 6 rebounds on 37 percent shooting from three is very impressive. He may not be a great rebounder or defender anymore but considering he had a year away from the game, his signing was a success all round.

Damian Lillard’s amazing New Year run

Last but certainly not least, Damian Lillard’s supernova offensive run to start the year. Not only was Dame’s run the greatest offensive stretch in Blazers history, he did things that had never been done in league history.

Quite often, NBA players like the late Kobe Bryant, or Allen Iverson have had runs of averaging 40 points a game. But almost never have those runs had the type of efficiency that Dame had in January and February.

Not only was he torching some of the best teams in the NBA, but he was getting triple doubles with rebounds and assists also. Averaging 50 points a game on 50 / 50 / 90 splits was beyond anybody’s realm of imagination.

It is a shame that Dame’s prime has been interrupted by serious injuries to teammates, a groin injury to himself and then obviously the season postponement. But there’s no doubt that Dame is one of the best players in the game.

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This six game run showed that he belongs in the game’s élite. If he wasn’t already in the conversation, Dame is easily a top ten player in the league.

Hopefully this season can resume and Dame can show just why he is one of the best players in the world. This offensive run made the whole NBA stand up and applaud him. Not just Portland.

It’s not all doom and gloom Rip City. Once the world sorts itself out we will see this team back on court and being competitive in the West. Let’s all be thankful for the good parts of this up and down season.