The Portland Trail Blazers are still in their grace period
Neil Olshey brought in seven new players this offseason, and that many fresh faces means an adjustment period. The Blazers’ ball movement and team defense are both vastly improved since last year, and both seem to improve on a game-by-game basis.
Portland is actually somewhat of a mirror image of the Sixers. Both teams got much deeper in the offseason and feature multi-position, multi-skilled players.
This means Doc RIvers and Chauncey Billups can shuffle lineups almost endlessly, although tonight they both looked ready to don uniforms and join the fray themselves.
And while the Blazers could always use someone with Billups’ exceptional court vision and tenaciousness, the new additions are finding and fitting into their roles very well.
Once they are past this brutal stretch of schedule – Portland faces the Suns and both Los Angeles teams next week – the Blazers may have some breathing room to improve on the win-loss record.
Until then Portland fans will have to rest assured that the improvements in depth, versatility, defense, and ball movement will lead to more wins down the road.