Despite their 19-51 record, the final 12 games of this season are important for the Portland Trail Blazers. Scoot Henderson needs to finish his rookie season strong. Kris Murray needs to continue improving. Even a veteran like Deandre Ayton needs to prove his six-game stretch in March wasn't just madness.
Year one of the franchise's rebuild created more questions than answers, which makes this a crucial offseason for the coaching staff and players, especially considering the youth and inexperience of the roster.
1 Question every Trail Blazers player needs to answer this offseason
Every member of Portland's roster has at least one thing to prove before the start of the 2024-25 season. No matter the area - consistency, shooting, finishing, defense - there are lingering questions facing all 17 players on the Blazers' roster.
Here's one for each of them, starting with the guards.
Scoot Henderson, Anfernee Simons, Shaedon Sharpe and the Blazers guards
Scoot Henderson
With Simons suffering a knee injury in the team's March 22 loss to the LA Clippers, Scoot could have an open runway to run the show for Portland, much like Sharpe did in the final 10 games of last season.
Jerami Grant has missed nine of the Blazers' last 11 games and six in a row with a hamstring issue. He's been the team's most consistent scorer this season. Malcolm Brogdon hasn't played since the beginning of February. Sharpe had surgery on Feb. 9 and could miss the rest of the year.
Matisse Thybulle and Ayton sat out the Clippers loss.
If Simons misses significant time (it's possible the team just shuts him down for the rest of the year to avoid further injury), Henderson becomes the No. 1 scoring option and the leader of Portland's offense.
The question: Can Scoot show at least some flashes of the offensive player he was expected to be when the Trail Blazers made him the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft?
Anfernee Simons, Shaedon Sharpe, Malcolm Brogdon
These three can be lumped together with the most important question being "Can they get healthy for the offseason and stay healthy in 2024-25?"
This summer is crucial for Sharpe. He needs to come back stronger and better and make another leap. Simons needs to continue learning how to handle being the focal point of opposing defenses. Brogdon has reached his ceiling as a player, but if he's still in Portland next year and accepts the role, he could be one of the best bench guards in the league.
Dalano Banton
The question for Banton is simple: Is this impressive run in Portland just a flash in the pan that's happening because he has more freedom on a tanking team or can he be just as impressive as a fourth guard who plays fewer minutes?
Ashton Hagans
Can Hagans have a good enough offseason and show the front office he deserves a roster spot next year?
Kris Murray, Toumani Camara, Jerami Grant and the Blazers' wings
Jerami Grant
Grant doesn't have much to prove at this point in his career. He's established himself as one of Portland's best players, and before this hamstring injury (which could be a way of keeping him on the bench and letting the young guys get more minutes) he showed his durability and consistency.
The biggest question facing Grant is whether he can prove he's worth the five-year, $160 million contract the Trail Blazers gave him before the start of this season.
Matisse Thybulle
Like Brogdon and Grant, Thybulle is who he is - an excellent perimeter defender who can knock down some open threes.
There really isn't a critical question facing the 27-year-old who's already locked down a role as a versatile three-and-D guard/wing, but it would make Portland a little more comfortable if he can add something to his game to justify the potentially $22 million he's owed the next two seasons.
The Blazers are up against the luxury tax, which isn't an enviable position to be in for a franchise in their position. The most highly-paid, veteran players like Thybulle need to prove they're worth the money.
Kris Murray
Murray has steadily improved after landing a starting spot and consistent minutes since Feb. 23. He's averaging 8.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.1 steals in more than 30 minutes a night in those 16 games.
His shooting percentages still leave a lot to be desired, though. He has splits of 43/25/64 in that stretch. But he's scored in double digits in nine of those 16 games, including a career-high 21 against the Clippers when he shot 3-of-6 from three and added 7 rebounds and 3 steals.
The question: Can Murray keep getting better and earn a role on a healthy Portland team?
Rayan Rupert
Rupert was an unexpected marksman from deep during his time in the G League this season. He's still only 19 and entered the draft as a potential lockdown wing defender with his length and athleticism, and that potential is still there. He just needs to get stronger and gain more experience.
His 3-point percentage has translated to the NBA level, though, which is incredibly promising. He's shooting 37.5 percent from deep with the Blazers.
The question: Can Rupert continue to improve and eventually become a starting-caliber three-and-D wing for the Blazers? (Bonus question: How high is his ceiling?)
Toumani Camara
Camara's question and his goal for the offseason is an easy one. Can he develop a consistent 3-point shot? He's already an established defender but he's only shooting 32.3 percent from deep. Bumping that up to 38-ish could make him a completely different player.
Justin Minaya
Copy-paste the same question Hagans is facing: Can he have a good enough offseason to show the front office he deserves a roster spot next year?
Deandre Ayton, Jabari Walker, Duop Reath and the Portland bigs
Deandre Ayton
Ayton is facing the same question he's faced since he entered the league: Can his flashes of dominance show up on a nightly basis?
Jabari Walker
Walker had an up-and-down second NBA season, but the ups showed just how valuable the 21-year-old can be. His minutes more than doubled this year and he jumped from 3.6 ppg last year to 8.9 in '23-24. He also averaged 6.5 rebounds, 2.0 of which came on the offensive end.
He played well enough to earn a starting spot and averaged 12.5 points and 8.8 rebounds with shooting splits of 52/38/77 over an 11-game stretch from late December into January.
The question: Can Walker play that well, or at least close to it, on a consistent basis?
Duop Reath
Reath had a breakout age-27 season that was recognized across the league, not just in Portland. He earned himself a nice three-year deal after playing nearly 18 minutes a game and shooting 38 percent from three as a backup stretch five.
His minutes and production have taken a dip in March, though.
The question: Can Reath continue to produce and be a true backup center as teams learn how to defend him?
Moses Brown, Ibou Badji
Brown and Badji's question is the same as Hagans and Minaya's: What can they do this offseason to prove they belong on Portland's roster, or at least earn a two-way contract?
Robert Williams III
Can Williams stay healthy? When he's on the floor, he's one of the best defensive big men in the NBA and would help the Blazers tremendously. But he's rarely healthy. So maybe his question is already answered.