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Portland Trail Blazers: 3 ways the Blazers can become the No. 1 offense in 2020-21

By Marlow Ferguson Jr.

Nov 27, 2019; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard (left) and CJ McCollum (middle) and Carmelo Anthony (right) react during player introductions before a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 27, 2019; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard (left) and CJ McCollum (middle) and Carmelo Anthony (right) react during player introductions before a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports /
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Portland Trail Blazers
Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum, and Carmelo Anthony, Portland Trail Blazers (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /

The Portland Trail Blazers had the No. 3 ranked offense last season. Despite little room for improvement, here are a few ways they can chase the No. 1 spot.

Assuming you’ve stumbled upon this article, I already know what you’re thinking: the Portland Trail Blazers had an offensive rating on the Orlando campus (122.5) that would have ranked No. 1 in NBA history if done over the course of a full season. Why is their play on that side of the ball even a topic?

The question itself essentially exposes some hypocrisy. As Portland approached this offseason, fans across the globe harmonically requested the same thing — lockdown defenders.

After watching the Blazers’ boiling offense in the bubble, many of us came away with the same conclusion: this team has enough offensive firepower. For the most part, that remains true. But, there are a few subtleties that could provide the Blazers with the opportunity to chase for the NBA’s No. 1 offense.

The Portland Trail Blazers themselves appear to be well-aware of this, if recent press conferences hold any truth. CJ McCollum, for example, expressed a desire to be more efficient. Neil Olshey talked about how keeping Carmelo Anthony fresher will make him even more of a threat.

Short story long, the Blazers are cognizant of what they can do to become an even more formidable offense. Here’s to hoping they don’t necessarily need to chase the 120-point barrier to ensure victories. But if they do, let’s take a look at a few things that can help them ratchet their scoring opportunities another notch.