The Portland Trail Blazers need more out of their young core if they want to pull off a first-round upset against San Antonio. Unfortunately, those odds are getting slimmer by the day after a 114-93 loss in Game 4, putting Portland down 1-3 in the series.
There were pros and cons to this playoff push that left the fanbase divided, seeing that the Blazers' first-round pick will now be conveyed to the Chicago Bulls. But the Blazers' front office has also assembled this rebuild in an unconventional way, landing key players via trade rather than through the draft.
Still, Portland needs more from its prior draft picks in order to raise the ceiling of this roster. In Game 4, they got next to nothing out of their former top ten picks, Shaedon Sharpe, Scoot Henderson, and Donovan Clingan.
Blazers' ceiling is limited because they haven't nailed the draft
Sharpe still doesn't look himself after returning from injury, making it harder to properly evaluate how he fits into Portland's long-term plans. He scored just eight points while playing only 13 minutes in this contest, and you could tell the Blazers were missing his scoring and shot creation, particularly when their offense stalled in the second half.
The Blazers entered halftime with a 58-41 lead, but history repeated itself as the second-half collapse was unfortunately reminiscent of Game 3. They scored just 35 points in the second half, some of it due to San Antonio's elite defense, some to Portland's inconsistent offense.
It wasn't just their 20-point scorer they missed, either. Henderson continued his inconsistent ways, finishing with a goose egg in 27 minutes.
Blazers head coach Tiago Splitter likely should've had a shorter leash for Henderson, as it was clear he didn't have it from the jump. But with Sharpe unable to provide that secondary scoring option alongside Deni Avdija, Splitter's hands were somewhat tied.
Henderson deserves the benefit of the doubt after the strong and surprising start he's had to this series. However, it also served as a reminder of how far he still has to go to be considered a reliable starting point guard on a team capable of making a deep playoff run.
With how inconsistent both Sharpe and Henderson have been to start their careers, it's still unclear where either fits into the vision of this roster. One pro of making the postseason is that it would provide clarity on some of these questions surrounding Portland's young core, but the backcourt remains a mystery. With Jrue Holiday and Damian Lillard both nearing the end of their respective Hall of Fame careers, Portland is going to have to figure out its backcourt sooner rather than later.
Portland still faces uncertainty in the frontcourt, too
Question marks also remain in the frontcourt despite investing back-to-back first-round picks at the center position. Donovan Clingan has arguably been Portland's second-best player this season, taking tremendous strides in Year 2. That momentum has come to a halt in the postseason, as he's been somewhat of a non-factor in this series against San Antonio.
Clingan played just 14 minutes in Game 4, finishing with five points and six rebounds while going 2-of-10 from the field. Robert Williams III has been night-and-day better for Portland in this series, which is concerning given he's on an expiring contract and could be playing himself out of Portland.
Relying on veterans like Jrue Holiday, Jerami Grant, Robert Williams III, and eventually Damian Lillard is not a sustainable formula. At some point, the players Portland invested so heavily in via the draft will have to step up. Henderson has done that to an extent, but Sharpe and Clingan have been highly disappointing.
The Blazers were never going to make a deep playoff run this year, meaning the priority was to gain playoff experience for a young core that has yet to be battle-tested. If they aren't able to step up to the occasion, or even play meaningful minutes, then what's this all for?
Their next opportunity to make more of a contribution comes on Tuesday, with a 6:30 p.m. tip-off in San Antonio. But Portland's draft picks are running out of time to prove themselves, as this series could very well end that night -- in part because this draft trio hasn't come to play.
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