The Portland Trail Blazers are once again poised to be a bottom feeder in the Western Conference as they enter the 2024-25 season; this could be the case for multiple seasons, especially in the West, where every team except the Blazers and Utah Jazz (to a lesser extent) are trying to win now. Regardless, there's intrigue surrounding Portland's roster, which is in flux heading into next season.
Mystery surrounding Blazers' roster
In the latest "The Lowe Post" podcast, ESPN's Zach Lowe, joined by The Dunker Spot's Steve Jones Jr., highlights essential questions surrounding the Blazers' roster, noting, "There's a mystery here, which is part of the fun." Lowe mentions two key players and areas of the Blazers' roster that they must address—their center logjam and backcourt conundrum—as reasons to be excited about the element of mystery entering the season.
The center logjam
Donovan Clingan is their long-term starting center, which makes Ayton or Robert Williams III expendable. Which one the Blazers trade should depend on their value around the league. Both are talented centers that come with question marks, Ayton's being his contract as the highest-paid Blazers player next season at $34 million and Williams' being his extensive injury history and inability to consistently stay on the court.
The backcourt conundrum
Meanwhile, their backcourt situation is a complicated problem that needs solving. While Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe are focal points of their rebuild, Anfernee Simons must start, likely forcing Henderson to come off the bench.
Henderson had a disappointing rookie season compared to the lofty expectations associated with a top-three draft pick. But he's still only 20 years old and showed enough promise for the Blazers to consider him their ideal long-term point guard. That makes the situation with Simons more pressing, especially since he wants the opportunity to win and his trade value around the league due to his age, productivity, and reasonable contract.
What is Scoot Henderson?
Henderson is tough to cover when driving downhill, whether in fast breaks or pick-and-rolls. Despite being just 20, he has a linebacker's build and impressive court vision, though some of his risky reads have improved over the season.
Lowe notes that shooting is the next essential step in Henderson's development, as defenses may treat him like Rajon Rondo, daring him to shoot. With four centers and a non-shooting point guard, the Blazers face challenges in floor spacing. That's an issue they will need to address eventually, but it shouldn't be considered a priority as they aim for a top draft pick next summer.
They can afford to be patient with his growth, but Henderson is still an enigma filled with questions he must answer in his second season.
Can Sharpe put it all together?
The Blazers don't have a clear-cut star on their roster, but Henderson and Sharpe give them the best chances of eventually becoming that, despite Scoot's rocky start to his career. Lowe expresses confidence in Sharpe's potential to take that next leap, calling him the "most interesting player on the team."
Similarly to Henderson, Sharpe had a solid finish to his rookie season in 2022-23. While he couldn't build off that much in his sophomore campaign due to injury, all signs point to him becoming a focal point of the Blazers' offense. He's a three-level scorer with elite athleticism and a much better shooter than his 33.3 percent from beyond the arc last season suggests.
The Blazers have a backcourt conundrum and must decide whether to bring Henderson or Sharpe off the bench. However, Sharpe has a stronger case for being the starter alongside Simons; there's much more clarity surrounding whether or not he can put it all together compared to what exactly Henderson is.
There are so many question marks surrounding the Blazers' roster regarding who will be on it by the end of the season and what roles each player is ready for. Lowe echoes this sentiment: "I'm legitimately excited to watch Blazers game this year. I want to see how all these mysteries get unraveled."