The Portland Trail Blazers haven’t started off the way that they expected to — middling around a .500 record with plenty of off-the-court drama to deal with on top — but there have been bright spots along the way.
Offseason additions Larry Nance Jr. and Cody Zeller have quickly become Moda Center favorites; Nance for his versatility and effort, Zeller for being able to play like an average backup center. They’ve seemed nearly unbeatable at home, with a sparkling 9-1 record. Damian Lillard has looked much more like himself lately, going on a tear on their recent four-game win streak, earning a Player of the Week nod in the process.
The biggest pleasant surprises so far for Portland, though, have been the stellar play of their young guns, Anfernee Simons and Nassir Little. Long have the Blazers, and Neil Olshey specifically, waited for their draft projects to turn into meaningful contributors. This 2021-2022 NBA season seems to be that year.
What will the Portland Trail Blazers do with Anfernee Simons and Nassir Little?
Anfernee Simons has turned himself into a dark-horse Sixth Man of the Year candidate, averaging career-highs in points at 11.4 per game, assists at 2.1, minutes at 22.2, and both 2-point and overall field goal percentages through the Blazers first 17 games.
Nassir Little has quickly become the energizer that Portland desperately needed. He’s quickly gone from end-of-the-bench, ceremonial celebration torch to one of the Blazers most important players. He’s also notching career-highs in points, shooting percentage, and efficiency from the stripe.
Despite the rapid growth of their two young prospects, the Portland Trail Blazers are still a major move away from having a championship-level roster. While Portland would likely need to make some changes along the starting lineup, one part of their promising tandem of young guns might need to be included in order to land the type of game-changer that this roster needs.
The question begs, which prospect would they part ways with, if needed?