The NBA is a copycat league. Teams will mimic others around the association if they see that they have a working formula for success; this is apparent in multiple aspects, whether it’s roster constructions, lineups, styles of play, or in-game plays. One team the Portland Trail Blazers could benefit from trying to emulate is the Golden State Warriors.
(The obvious reason is that Damian Lillard is the closest thing the league has to the best shooter of all time, Stephen Curry).
Why the Blazers and Warriors share a similar dilemma
There are more similarities between the two teams other than two elite point guards. Last season, the Warriors were looked at closely as a team that could’ve been active at the trade deadline.
Players with potential, like Jordan Poole, Jonathan Kuminga, James Wiseman, and Moses Moody, were all 22 years old or younger.
Meanwhile, the Warriors’ core of Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green were 32 or older.
There were constant talks of how the Warriors might be in the market to trade their youth in exchange for a veteran player or two to give their core stars the best chance of winning another championship.
Instead, the Warriors kept their roster intact and ultimately defeated the Boston Celtics in six games to win the NBA Finals.
The Blazers, to a lesser extent in terms of talent, have a similar dilemma. They are tip-toeing the line of trying to maximize Damian Lillard’s prime while developing their youth, hoping their timelines match up at some point.
While there are similarities between the two rosters, there are also many differences – unfortunately for Portland. If the Blazers decide to keep Lillard and their youth in hopes of matching up the two timelines, they should look at the Warriors’ roster in-depth to find out what they are missing from that championship formula.
Players like Thompson and Green are Hall of Famers that will be extremely hard to replicate in terms of talent, but their style of play can still be mimicked. A player-by-player comparison of the two teams’ rosters shows which archetypes the Blazers already have and which ones they still need to find.
What Portland already has from Golden State’s roster
- Damian Lillard = Steph Curry
- Anfernee Simons = Jordan Poole
- Shaedon Sharpe = Jonathan Kuminga
- Jerami Grant = Andrew Wiggins
While not perfect comparisons, this provides a better understanding of what the Blazers still need to get to make that jump to a championship-caliber team.
So, what’s missing from the Warriors’ championship formula? Essentially, the Blazers are missing the Warriors’ best defensive players (which explains why Portland is struggling this season) – Green, Thompson, Kevon Looney, and Gary Payton II.
Possibilities to emulate Draymond Green, The Swiss Army Knife:
- Draymond Green himself (player option)
- Justice Winslow (re-sign)
- Jarace Walker (draft)
- Taylor Hendricks (draft)
- G.G. Jackson (draft)
Green is a unique player and the catalyst behind the Warriors’ dominance over the past decade. But, unfortunately, that’s also hard to emulate, because he’s so special.
It might be difficult for the Blazers to swing the money to get Green to sign with them, even if he does leave Golden State.
Winslow is someone they could re-sign to play the role of a playmaker/screener. While he likely wouldn’t start, it’s an offensive scheme the Blazers could turn to in the minutes Winslow plays.
Walker isn’t relied on as a playmaker much in college at Houston, but the Blazers could use his defensive versatility to emulate Draymond. Central Florida’s Taylor Hendricks and South Carolina’s G.G. Jackson are potential first-round picks that could also play the role.
If the Blazers can find a player to fill Green’s role as The Swiss Army Knife, the next archetype they need to replicate is a knockdown, dead-eye threat from deep like Klay Thompson.
The problem the Blazers currently have is too many one-dimensional players. For example, Simons is great on offense but somewhat of a liability on defense. Alternatively, Matisse Thybulle is one of the best defenders in the NBA but doesn’t space the floor on offense.
They have more than enough shooting but lack a two-way shooter to space the floor while locking down defensively. It’s easier said than done, but addressing someone to fill the Thompson role in the draft would do wonders for Portland’s roster.
Possibilities to emulate Klay Thompson, The Shooter:
- Cameron Whitmore (draft)
- Jordan Hawkins (draft)
- Gradey Dick (draft)
- Jett Howard (draft)
There are a lot of great shooters available in this upcoming draft for the Blazers to target. Specifically, Cameron Whitmore or Jordan Hawkins would fit nicely as three-and-D-type players.
Whitmore, a freshman from Villanova, isn’t as consistent of a shooter as Hawkins is at this point in their careers. Whitmore is connecting on 34 percent of his 3-point attempts and shooting only 70 percent from the free-throw line.
However, he can potentially be an exceptional defender in the NBA. Like Thompson, Whitmore has a big frame for a perimeter player, listed at 6-foot-7. He’s also averaging 1.4 steals per game. Whitmore is only 18 years old and has time to improve his shooting; he has plenty of potential as a three-and-D player because of his size and defensive skills.
Hawkins, a sophomore out of Connecticut, is averaging 16 points on 41 percent field-goal shooting/39 percent 3-point shooting/89 percent free-throw shooting splits. He’s been a significant reason UConn has had so much success in March and should transition smoothly as a knockdown shooter in the NBA.
Hawkins would be a great addition for Portland.
Kevon Looney was arguably the most underrated player during the Warriors’ playoff run last season. In the finals, Looney averaged 5 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block. The Blazers are missing a big man that can contribute to the game outside of scoring, as Looney did in the playoffs.
With Lillard, Simons, Grant, and the progression of Sharpe, they already have enough offensive firepower. They need someone who will do all the little things, whether it’s setting screens, boxing out, or contesting shots.
Possibilities to emulate Kevon Looney, The Forgotten Piece:
- Naz Reid (free agency)
- Brook Lopez (free agency)
- Noah Clowney (draft)
- James Nnaji (draft)
Reid and Lopez would be great options, depending on their free agency asking prices. Reid recently broke his wrist and is out for a significant amount of time. But, he had the best season of his career before the injury, averaging 11.5 points and 5 rebounds.
He has yet to reach his NBA peak and could improve his game with the right opportunity.
Lopez, much like Looney, is an underrated reason the Bucks went on to win the 2021 NBA Finals. He can space the floor on offense and is an elite rim protector.
In fact, Lopez is currently top-three in the Defensive Player of the Year race. He doesn’t demand the ball and would complement the offensive-minded Blazers guards exceptionally well.
Clowney is a 6-10 forward from Alabama. He averaged 10 points and 8 rebounds in his freshman season.
Clowney has the athletic ability to be versatile defensively and, like Looney, does a great job of rebounding. He would also find ways to contribute immediately outside of scoring.
Nnaji is more of a raw prospect that will take some time to develop but could be worth the flier with the Knicks’ late first-round pick. Out of Barcelona, he is an athletic 6-10 big. He would instantly provide rim running on offense and rim protection on defense.
In addition, his athletic build suggests that he has an insanely high potential to be a defensive anchor.
Ironically, the Blazers traded Gary Payton II back to the Warriors this past trade deadline. The Blazers need a defensive-minded guard to pressure the opposing team’s best guard and take some of the load off Lillard.
Possibilities to emulate Gary Payton II, The Lockdown Defender:
- Cason Wallace (draft)
- Kobe Bufkin (draft)
- Colby Jones (draft)
- Donte DiVincenzo (player option)
- Jevon Carter (player option)
- Patrick Beverley (free agency)
Wallace could be an excellent pick for the Blazers. A 6-4 combo guard from the University of Kentucky, Wallace is one of the best defenders in the draft class. He averaged 2 steals per game during his freshman season.
Someone with Wallace’s skill set is precisely what this Blazers backcourt is currently missing.
He was previously mentioned as a possible selection for the Blazers in Kevin O’Conner’s mock draft on The Ringer. However, that was before the Blazers went into full tank mode. So we’ll see if Wallace is still a realistic pick for their spot.
If not, they still have plenty of flexibility with their draft assets to trade into a higher-valued spot to get him.
Final thoughts on the Blazers roster and how they can emulate Golden State
With two first-round picks, the Blazers will address their roster holes primarily through the draft.
For example, they could pick Walker (a Green archetype) and Wallace (a Payton archetype). That would leave the Thompson- and Looney-types as the missing pieces, which they could fill through free agency or trade.
Portland a long way to go to match the Warriors’ championship pedigree and sustained excellence. While these player comparisons aren’t perfect matches, it’s certainly a step in the right direction.
Selecting two defensive-minded players in the draft would help address many flaws in the Blazers’ current roster.