Last season the Portland Trail Blazers shot 34.3 percent from beyond the arc, ranking third worst in the league along with the Orlando Magic. Although shooting was identified as an area of weakness by general manager Joe Cronin following Portland's first-round playoff loss to the San Antonio Spurs, the Blazers were surprisingly quiet when it came to addressing those woes this offseason.
Part of that was because this team was already set to bring in a key shooting boost, thanks to the return of Damian Lillard.
Throughout the offseason, both Cronin and head coach Micah Nori emphasized that shooting won't be as much of a problem this season. They didn't trade for a sharpshooter like some expected, but this team would be taking better shots under Nori, and most importantly, Lillard would be the one taking many of those shots.
Damian Lillard's return helps unlock the Blazers' offense
We already caught a glimpse of Lillard's impact on this offense in the Blazers' first preseason game against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday. The Blazers won 123-118, connecting on 17-of-44 (39 percent) of their attempts from beyond the arc. Lillard finished with 15 points in 19 minutes, contributing 3-of-8 from beyond the arc.
The shooting boost shouldn't come as a surprise, as Lillard proved he's still amongst the league's elite when taking home his third 3-Point Contest trophy last season. But seeing him back in game action, wearing a Blazers jersey, is another thing entirely. Now we're adding that shooting into the context of a roster that already managed to reach the postseason without him.
Nori's goal for this Blazers team is 50-plus wins and home-court advantage in the playoffs (a top-four seed). It's ambitious given the talent in the Western Conference, but also doable if Lillard can continue providing this offensive boost.
Portland is a 42-win team that only continues to get better thanks to the internal development of their youth. The Ja Morant trade will certainly give them a boost as well, especially if he continues to exceed expectations on the defensive end. But in terms of star power and fit, the most significant addition to this roster will be the return of Damian Lillard.
While we must temper expectations for a 36-year-old coming off such a brutal Achilles tear, it's also hard not to be encouraged by how much he unlocked this entire offense on Wednesday. It remains to be seen whether Lillard can return to form in terms of being that legitimate co-star alongside Deni Avdija. But what is clear is that this dude can absolutely still shoot the lights out of the ball. That's exactly what this offense was missing last season, meaning even at his floor, Lillard would be a massive boost for this entire offense.
It was awesome to see the energy at the Moda Center for Dame's return in just preseason action, making Portland's regular-season opener (Wednesday, October 21) against the Phoenix Suns a can't-miss game.
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