After finishing the 2023-24 NBA season last in the Western Conference with a 21-61 record, the Portland Trail Blazers still have a long way to go in their rebuilding process. There are reasons for optimism for an improved season—multiple players were injured last season, and the Blazers had 41 unique starting lineups, second only to the Memphis Grizzlies. Deni Avidja and Donovan Clingan are also excellent additions who should immediately contribute to winning with their two-way prowess.
The Trail Blazers' up-and-coming roster
The Blazers are an exciting rebuilding team with a ton of fun, young talent. Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe are entering their second and third NBA seasons, respectively, and both are serious breakout candidates.
Guards typically take longer to transition to the NBA, and Henderson was no exception. However, he had an encouraging finish to his rookie season and seemed to finally have adjusted to the pace of play in the NBA. He still needs to improve his shooting, but Scoot showcased much better decision-making and playmaking ability as he got more comfortable initiating the Blazers' offense.
Meanwhile, Sharpe was limited to only 32 games played in his sophomore campaign after undergoing surgery for a core muscle injury. When he was playing, Sharpe seemed to have picked up where he left off after a solid finish to his rookie season. He increased his scoring average from 9.9 points to 15.9 points per game.
Although one may not start after trading for Avdija, Henderson and Sharpe should take on increased opportunities within the offense now that Malcolm Brogdon is out of the picture. That's not even to mention their other promising players, like two-way wing Toumani Camara and Robert Williams III, if he can stay healthy.
Portland isn't competitive enough for a Christmas game yet
Even though they should roll out a more competitive roster, the Trail Blazers could still find themselves at the bottom of the West next season. Teams like the Golden State Warriors couldn't even make the playoffs, and now the West has gotten even deeper. The Memphis Grizzlies are healthier and could take up another playoff spot, the Oklahoma City Thunder strategically added Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein, and the Sacramento Kings acquired another star in DeMar DeRozan.
According to ESPN's Zach Lowe (subscription required), the Blazers are expected to be 'bad by design' for the 2024-25 season as they look towards the 2025 NBA Draft and top prospect Cooper Flagg. While they are an interesting team from a rebuilding standpoint, one of the most exciting aspects of the Christmas games is seeing how the top teams stack up against each other roughly two months into the season.
NBA fans want to watch superstars go head-to-head against one another, and the Blazers don't have any of those yet. Hopefully, their plans to get a top pick in 2025 change that.