The Portland Trail Blazers have two final roster spots and one two-way spot left to fill. So far, they've traded Jerami Grant and Kris Murray to the Memphis Grizzlies for Ja Morant, signed former Oklahoma City Thunder big man Branden Carlson, and seen Caleb Love join the Philadelphia 76ers on a two-way deal.
Looking at the updated depth chart following these moves, it's clear GM Joe Cronin has two areas to address: shooting and forward depth.
Point guard
Early projection: Ja Morant, Jrue Holiday, Scoot Henderson, Damian Lillard
The Blazers' lack of guard depth was a weakness last season, as Scoot Henderson, Jrue Holiday, and Shaedon Sharpe all dealt with injuries. That has suddenly turned into a strength, with Morant's arrival and Damian Lillard's anticipated return.
Ultimately, we think their newest guard gets the nod here. However, head coach Micah Nori should consider experimenting with different backcourt options throughout the season. A Morant-led backcourt only makes their floor spacing concerns worse and pushes them further away from their defensive identity. That said, if he's able to bounce back close to his All-Star form in Memphis, that could be worth overlooking.
Shooting guard
Early projection: Damian Lillard, Jrue Holiday, Shaedon Sharpe, Vit Krejci
The Blazers will be undersized starting Lillard at shooting guard, which is concerning given the offensive-minded pairing of Lillard and CJ McCollum never quite equated to much postseason success.
But to start the season, Nori should use Lillard in more of an off-ball role than he's typically used to. At 35 years old coming off an Achilles tear, there's no need for Portland to overly rely on Lillard for initiating the offense as much. They do, however, need his off-ball shooting, something he's already proven to still have in the tank after taking home yet another 3-Point Contest trophy this past season.
The biggest wildcard here is Sharpe, who had the best statistical season of his career but fell out of Tiago Splitter's playoff rotation after dealing with a late-season injury. With a plethora of playmakers and ball-handlers in the backcourt, Sharpe will have to become more of a 3-and-D weapon to make an impact this season, though it remains to be seen if he's capable of putting it all together on a more consistent basis.
Small forward
Early projection:Â Toumani Camara, Sidy Cissoko, Jrue Holiday
Small forward is the most difficult position for Nori to pick a starter. On one hand, Holiday's versatility makes him a better fit to start at the three than his 6-foot-4 frame suggests. On the other, it's that exact versatility that makes him the ideal glue guy coming off the bench as the Blazers need him to fill in multiple gaps in this unfinished roster.
If Nori does star Morant and Lillard in the backcourt, they'll have to compensate for that diminished defensive identity elsewhere. Camara is an elite role player who can impact winning without the ball. He's also emerged as one of the few legitimate building blocks on this roster, and it makes sense for the Blazers to continue to prioritize him this season.
Power forward
Early projection:Â Deni Avdija, Toumani Camara, Sidy Cissoko
Hopefully, an additional player or two will be in the forward spots by the time the season rolls around. At least Portland has an established starter in Deni Avdija, who gives Portland more flexibility in rounding out their roster.
Regardless of how they fill the final spots, it appears Sidy Cissoko is poised for an increased role following the departures of Grant and Murray. This is a defensive-minded unit that could arguably be better in that department this season.
Avdija took a step back defensively last season as he had to expend most of his energy generating the offense as a point forward. With less of a playmaking burden, he should be able to utilize his physical tools to be more of a two-way player.
Center
Early projection:Â Donovan Clingan, Robert Williams III, Branden Carlson, Yang Hansen
Donovan Clingan solidified his place as Portland's long-term starting center with a breakout sophomore campaign. That didn't stop the Blazers from retaining his backup, extending Robert Williams III to a three-year, $44 million deal. That buys them more time for Yang Hansen to develop, who is coming off a concerningly bad rookie season.
But given Williams' injury history, Portland also needed insurance for their backup. That's where the seven-footer Carlson comes into play, giving Portland more depth, size, and even floor spacing potential.
With the Blazers leaning toward more of an offense-minded group of guards this season, their defensive anchors, Clingan and Williams, will be more important than ever to maintain whatever defensive identity is left on this roster.
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