The Portland Trail Blazers have an unfinished roster that could look entirely different by February's trade deadline. As a result, it's challenging to determine who is part of the Blazers' core since they don't even know yet, either. The good news is that GM Joe Cronin's plan of accumulating as much talent as possible is working so far. A little over a month into the season, Portland has a 7-11 record, and several players have been responsible for being x-factors in their various wins.
Grading the Portland Trail Blazers' core players
Jerami Grant: C
Grant's scoring is down by five points since last season (21.0 to 16.1), and he's shooting inefficient 38/35/82 shooting splits. He's not the type of player who can contribute in multiple categories elsewhere to make up for a poor shooting stretch either, as a limited rebounder and playmaker.
Toumani Camara: A-
The Blazers knew they had a gem in Camara from his rookie season, but he's taken it to another level this year. His impact on winning goes far beyond the 9.0 points and 5.3 rebounds per game he's averaging as someone who frequently guards the opposing team's best player. The Blazers needed to find a long-term answer at the wing position, and Camara is showing why it could be him in his second second.
Anfernee Simons: D
Despite being the Blazers' primary offensive initiator, Simons' 15.5 points and 3.9 assists per game are the lowest since his 2020-21 season. Even more concerningly, his field goal percentage (37.4) and three-point percentage (29.6) are the lowest in his entire career. The only reason Simons doesn't get an "F" is that he's been battling illness and injuries, which certainly have played a role in his historically slow start to the season.
Deandre Ayton: C+
Ayton is still a double-double machine (13.3 points and 10.5 rebounds per game) but gets an average grade as his impact on winning is still in question. The Blazers didn't seem to take a step back, with Donovan Clingan starting over Ayton while he was out with injury, and even improved defensively.
Ayton has legitimate floor spacing ability, connecting on 38.5 percent of his attempts beyond the arc. However, he needs to significantly improve as a rim protector in order to make more of an impact for the Blazers, especially with Clingan and Robert Williams III as the competition behind him in the rotation.
Shaedon Sharpe: A
Sharpe's late start to the season has gone as well as the Blazers realistically could have hoped for. He's taken on the role as a go-to scorer, averaging 18.1 points per game. While Sharpe's three-point shot isn't very consistent yet (just 32.3 percent this season), it passes the eye test, which is reason for optimism in his development.
He's also more than making up for it with his ability to utilize his athleticism to get to the free throw line, with at least six attempts a game in his past six games. That ability alone could unlock his All-Star potential.
Scoot Henderson: D
Henderson had a promising start to the season, averaging 15.6 points per game in the month of October. That number has dipped to 9.2 in November, along with his role in the Blazers' offense. There are still some flashes of potential in each game, but Henderson is wildly inconsistent as a shooter and, to a lesser extent, a playmaker. Scoot looks like a better finisher around the rim this season but can't be counted on nightly until he improves his shooting and limits his turnovers.
Deni Avdija: B-
Avdija has been helping the Blazers with his versatility, defense, playmaking, and rebounding from the start. But his three-point shooting is finally starting to catch up to the rest of his game.
Avdija's grade depends on what expectations you had for him with his new-look team. He's not the go-to player he was previously with Washington, but he is still carving out an excellent role for himself as a valuable role player who helps fill various weaknesses for the Blazers. This grade should only continue to improve as he becomes more comfortable in his role and his shooting continues to improve.
Robert Williams III: A
Williams III finally looks like the healthy Celtics player the Blazers traded for. He's averaged 9.6 points and 6.0 rebounds per game, but more importantly, he is making an impact defensively with 1.9 blocks and 1.1 steals in just 18.7 minutes.
The question now isn't if Williams can return to his old form. It's whether or not he's playing too well to the point where the Blazers should reconsider keeping him around as a part of their rebuilding core rather than just playing him to boost his trade value.
Donovan Clingan: A-
Like Williams, Clingan is another defensive-minded big man whose game and impact on winning goes far beyond how many points they score. He's averaging 5.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per game, the highest number of blocks in the league on a per 36 basis, even ahead of San Antonio Spurs' Victor Wembanyama.
Clingan is separating himself as one of the best rookies in a shaky 2024 draft class. Unfortunately, he's taking a minor setback as he suffered a grade 2 hamstring strain and will be re-evaluated in two weeks.