The Portland Trail Blazers kicked off their preseason campaign tonight with a palpable air of hype surrounding this year’s squad. The rubber meets the road in the first game, where fans get to sample the culmination of all the offseason hype and workout snippets as the vision begins to coalesce.
As that plan unfolded tonight, it’s clear that Shaedon Sharpe, Toumani Camara, and Blake Wesley have a firm grasp on it. Others, such as Yang Hansen and Jerami Grant, appear to have a looser hold.
Winner: Shaedon Sharpe
The biggest question surrounding Sharpe is and always has been his aptitude on the defensive end. Some have written Sharpe off as a negative defender with an irredeemable arc. While Sharpe still isn’t a menace on that end, he appears to have stepped it up to a level where he doesn’t need to be hidden, a boon for his development and playability.
The offense, on the other hand, is much more punchy and consistent, with Sharpe scoring 22 points in as many minutes. His three-ball has been iffy since his first day in the league, and that appears to have been patched, with Sharpe sinking half of the eight threes he attempted. His handle also looks improved, with a couple of nifty dribble moves that had Draymond Green in the spin cycle.
Loser: Yang Hansen
In his first pro game, Yang Hansen was matched up against Quentin Post. Among the pantheon of NBA centers, Post isn’t exactly in the top tier—he’s something of a plodder with a slow release. Yang let Post have almost any shot he wanted; his closeouts were overly deliberate and awkward.
Post’s biggest draw as a big man is his outside shooting ability, and it is likely the sole line item on his scouting report, but Hansen confusingly operated in drop coverage for the duration. Conversely, he got manhandled on some boxouts after setting some decent screens. Nobody expected Hansen to dominate in his first season, but he was something of a non-factor out there, fouling out in just 21 minutes.
Winner: Toumani Camara
Camara’s defense has never been up for debate, but his offense—and more importantly, his self-creation—was the big question mark. Minutes into the first quarter, he jab-stepped into a corner three, which he buried in the face of Brandin Podziemski. The offense has arrived.
The Blazers would be wise to lock Camara up with an extension as quickly as possible before he gets too expensive. He hit four of his nine attempts from beyond the arc, with all four makes coming in the first quarter.
Loser: Jerami Grant
Grant’s game looks largely the same as last year’s, where he forced up a full clip of questionable shots. He looked very much out of place in the new offense, hoisting up 11 shots but only connecting on two. The ball stops when it enters Grant’s hands, a lingering element in a supposedly retooled offense.
Winner: Blake Wesley
Last week, a curious bit of news broke about new recruit Blake Wesley requesting a buyout from the Wizards to explicitly play for Portland. Wesley certainly looked eager—sometimes a little too eager—to play for the Blazers tonight, but his speed and pesky defense looked seamless in a defensive-first ethos. With Scoot Henderson out to start the season, the backup point guard position looks like Wesley’s to lose.
The Blazers play their second preseason game in Portland on Friday versus the Sacramento Kings.