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Portland Trail Blazers: Four Blazers appear on ESPN’s NBA Top 100 list for 2020-21

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - APRIL 21: Damian Lillard #0 shakes hands with CJ McCollum #3 of the Portland Trail Blazers during a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder during Round One Game Three of the 2019 NBA Playoffs on April 21, 2019 at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - APRIL 21: Damian Lillard #0 shakes hands with CJ McCollum #3 of the Portland Trail Blazers during a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder during Round One Game Three of the 2019 NBA Playoffs on April 21, 2019 at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)

Each year, ESPN projects the NBA’s Top 100 players. The Portland Trail Blazers had four players crack the list, including two in the top 30.

In today’s NBA setting, if a team hopes to win a championship, it’s basically a prerequisite for that team to have two top-20 players, and a standout case of supporting stars around them. If ESPN’s 2020-21 Top 100 list serves as any indication, the Portland Trail Blazers aren’t far off.

This year’s list has been marred by controversy. From DeMar DeRozan’s No. 82 ranking to Lonzo Ball and Michael Porter Jr. a shade outside of the group’s Top 50, there’s much to be critical of. But in regards to the Blazers, there may not have been tons to complain about.

Here’s the full list. This year’s explanations come through ESPN+ (subscription-required), but most of it the actual rankings have been dropped, through either Twitter, or through their promotional pictures.

For example, here’s Damian Lillard, projected to be the NBA’s No. 7 player this year.

True to its purpose, it’s certainly leading to much discussion. If this projection holds true, Lillard would be the league’s premier point guard in 2020-21, though not by much.

You might remember this: last season, ESPN sent shockwaves up the NBA world for suggesting that CJ McCollum would be the No. 13-ranked player in the NBA last season. This year, they played it a bit more conservatively, ranking him at the 27th spot.

Alongside them, Jusuf Nurkic cracked the No. 53 spot and new addition Robert Covington ranked No. 60. Having four of the projected top 60 players in the NBA, could, in some ways go against their projection of having the Blazers finishing ninth in the Western Conference.

It’s also a bit surprising the projections showed love for bubble breakout talents such as Porter Jr., or the Spurs’ Derrick White, but Gary Trent Jr. missed the cut.

Perhaps it boils down to his projected role. If nothing else, it shows that one can’t have it all. If their prediction holds true, the Blazers could be in for quite a memorable season, with four top-60 players across the league.