After adding Deni Avdija and Donovan Clingan this offseason, it's apparent that the Portland Trail Blazers are leaning more heavily in their rebuilding process. It's excellent timing for Portland to bottom out, as the 2025 NBA Draft class projects to be strong with a ton of promising talent at the top, headlined by Cooper Flagg.
That said, the Blazers are in an interesting position as they wait for the 2024-25 preseason. From a roster construction standpoint, they still clearly have holes to fill, but it may not be in their best interest to address them immediately. The Blazers are in asset accumulation mode at this point in their rebuild, meaning that these needs aren't necessarily as dire to address as they would be for a team with championship aspirations next season.
Still, they are essential to consider as they navigate the rest of the offseason. If GM Joe Cronin decides to trade more established players like Jerami Grant, these needs will be crucial to consider when deciding what potential package they'd like to get in return.
1. Shooting
Shooting was the Blazers' No. 1 most glaring need entering the summer. Last season, the Blazers finished dead last in the league in three-point accuracy, connecting on only 34.4 percent of their attempts. They haven't done much to address that concern and, in fact, likely got worse. Avdija had a significant improvement last season with the Wizards, going from 29.7 percent from three in 2022-23 to 37.4 percent this past season. But at the same time, they lost their best three-point shooter from last season, Malcolm Brogdon, in the deal, who shot 41.2 percent from beyond the arc.
The good news is that their efficiency could improve this upcoming season due to players getting healthy and internal improvement from their young backcourt. Shaedon Sharpe and Scoot Henderson could have significant leaps next season in multiple aspects, including their shooting. Sharpe shot 36 percent from three his rookie season but only 33.3 percent last season in his 32 games played. Henderson was 31 percent from beyond the arc before the All-Star break but improved to 35 percent after the break as he adjusted and became more comfortable with the NBA pace of play.
Even accounting for these factors, the Blazers should remain a bottom-five team in the league in three-point shooting efficiency unless they make a trade to address it.
2. Playmaking
The Blazers offense as a whole was abysmal last season. They finished second to last in the league in scoring (106.4 points per game) and offensive rating (107.6). A large part of that was due to their lack of playmaking. Portland finished with a 1.52 assist-to-turnover ratio last season, which was by far the worst in the league. For context, the next closest team was the Grizzlies, at 1.64. There will be growing pains when relying so heavily on a rookie point guard, as was the case with Henderson.
He should continue improving his decision-making and ball control with more experience, but the Blazers still need to find more playmakers on their roster. Some of their best players - Deandre Ayton, Jerami Grant, and, to a lesser extent, Anfernee Simons, aren't great at creating opportunities for their teammates. All of their strengths are primarily around their individual scoring ability. Avdija, who averaged 3.8 assists per game last season in Washington, should help in this department.
Regardless, they need more playmakers. Their offense often becomes too stagnant, and they need more willing passers to help orchestrate it and generate high-percentage looks.
3. Versatility
Versatility is somewhat tied into the Trail Blazers' lack of shooting and playmaking concerns. Too many of their players have redundant skill sets. As mentioned, the majority of their best players' offensive strength is scoring, primarily in one-on-one matchups. Their lack of ball movement also leads to challenging, contested shots, which causes inefficient offensive ratings.
Avdija is an ideal addition to address this concern as a 6-foot-9 wing who has a well-rounded game. He's an efficient scorer, savvy ballhandler, unselfish passer, and excellent positional rebounder. He also utilizes his size well on the defensive end to guard multiple positions.
Although not to the same level as Avdija, Clingan is another player who adds versatility. He's limited offensively and can't guard multiple positions, but Clingan has already shown that he's a decisive passer in the Summer League. He makes proper reads out of the pick and roll, which is essential in the modern NBA. Clingan is another player who helps in multiple aspects with his passing, rebounding, and elite rim protection.
Cronin and the Blazers have done a great job prioritizing two-way players who are more versatile and can contribute to winning in multiple aspects outside of scoring. But it's still an area of need that they must continue addressing as they continue their rebuild.