The Portland Trail Blazers are now 1-2 on the preseason after losing 118-111 to the Golden State Warriors. Portland was able to keep up with Golden State's fast pace, which is something that Chauncey Billups has emphasized this offseason, and Blazers fans have been eager to see. However, the primary reason the Blazers lost this game was their lack of shooting.
The Warriors connected on 18-of-50 (36.0%) of their three-point attempts. Meanwhile, the Blazers shot an abysmal 9-of-43 (20.9%). That's a 27-point differential in a seven-point loss.
Shooting was already Portland's Achilles heel, as they have ranked in the bottom five for consecutive seasons. If this preseason is any indication, that fatal flaw will continue to be their downfall heading into the 2025-26 season.
Blazers' shooting woes carry over into preseason
This problem has been apparent in all three preseason games the Blazers have played so far. Their first preseason loss to the Warriors was the best they shot, and it was still below league average at 16-of-48 (33.3%). They won their next game against the Sacramento Kings in spite of their poor shooting, going 10-of-37 (27.0%) in that contest.
Through three games, Portland has totaled just 35 three-point makes on 128 attempts! That's good for 27.3%. For context, the Orlando Magic were the least efficient three-ball team in the NBA last season at 31.8%.
In their quest to achieve Billups' vision of becoming an elite defensive team, Portland swapped Anfernee Simons for Jrue Holiday. That was a necessary sacrifice, but it also came at a steep cost as Simons was the Blazers' most reliable floor spacer. General manager Joe Cronin doubled down on Portland's strengths this summer, but also made their weaknesses just as bad in the process.
One factor to consider is Damian Lillard's return, who is expected to be ready to play at the start of next season. His shot somehow already looks great, which is encouraging that he could return to form (which he expects to be the case). Still, because of his age and the severity of an Achilles tear, Portland can't afford to rely on Dame as the solution to this problem. It's also a more pressing issue as Portland's lack of shooting could crush their play-in aspirations this season.
Perhaps up-and-coming players like Shaedon Sharpe take a significant leap in this key area. Still, the last two seasons -- and now this preseason -- have exposed a flaw in Portland's core. They assembled an athletic roster with pieces who may not be ideal fits alongside one another if they can't effectively space the floor for one another. Sure, you can add role players to address this, but they have to be two-way players because otherwise it gets in the way of what Portland is trying to accomplish defensively -- the one advantage they have against other teams in the stacked Western Conference.
Finding that perfect complementary piece is easier said than done, but it's clear that Cronin needs to do something. If this roster issue is left unaddressed, it will continue to hurt the Blazers' record and, most significantly, the development of their young core.