Trail Blazers' 3 Biggest disappointments, 3 Most pleasant surprises of 2023-24 season
![Shaedon Sharpe, Portland Trail Blazers Shaedon Sharpe, Portland Trail Blazers](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_8256,h_4644,x_0,y_569/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/GettyImages/mmsport/34/01hvnxhp0k31290tmv7m.jpg)
Trail Blazers' 3 biggest disappointments this season
Injuries
Portland's No. 1 issue in '23-24 was the health - or lack thereof - of its most important players.
The Blazers were deep at the guard spot heading into the season with Henderson, Sharpe, Anfernee Simons and Malcolm Brogdon. Ayton and Robert Williams III formed a promising center pairing. Jerami Grant, perhaps the team's most versatile offensive player, was returning after signing a $160 million contract.
Scoot, Ayton, Grant, Simons and Brogdon all missed at least 20 games. Williams only played six. After a strong start, Sharpe had surgery and missed the final three months of the year.
Could the Blazers have been fighting for a play-in spot if everyone had been healthy? It's not out of the realm of possibility. But it's disappointing that we'll never know.