The Portland Trail Blazers had a relatively successful season, finishing above .500. Still, as the postseason showed, they have ways to go before joining that tier of contenders such as the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs.
They'll get help from Damian Lillard's return and other external additions this summer. But this Blazers roster is already loaded with talent and untapped potential. The ceiling of this roster largely depends on internal improvement, making this a pivotal summer for this young core as they look to build on their first collective playoff appearance.
Biggest offseason priority for each Blazers player
Deni Avdija: Turnovers
It's hard to nitpick flaws in Avdija's well-rounded game. But Portland led the league in turnovers by a wide margin, and it started with their All-Star, who averaged a career high 3.8 per game.
With Avdija becoming more of a point-forward in the Blazers offense, he'll need to find a way to clean up the decision-making without compromising the aggressive, downhill style of play that makes him a matchup nightmare.
Toumani Camara: Consistency
Camara was an entirely different player in Blazers wins and losses, particularly when it came to his three-point shooting. He was 40.6 percent from deep in wins, compared to 33.4 percent in losses.
Part of the problem is the Blazers' overreliance on Camara as one of the only reliable floor spacing options. And while the playmaking is the key to Camara reaching his ceiling, Portland first needs him to become a more consistent 3-and-D weapon.
Sidy Cissoko: Shooting
Portland invested in Cissoko, converting him to a standard contract midseason. Whether he justifies that decision depends on a shaky three-point shot, which made it hard to crack the rotation when Portland's roster was at full strength late in the season.
He has all the tools of an elite role player, with his intangibles and ability to win games on the margins. If he can improve on his 29.8 percent from deep, Cissoko could make a more meaningful impact next season.
Donovan Clingan: Post game
Clingan's three-point improvement was a major storyline for Portland's offense. He still needs to find a way to better utilize his elite size and physicality. Teams are exposing Clingan's drop coverage with stretch fives and more mobile bigs. Currently, there's no tradeoff for Portland where Clingan punishes the mismatch on the other end. That needs to change if he wants to become less matchup dependent.
Jerami Grant: Playmaking
Grant had a bounce-back season in Portland, but his value is still too closely tied to his ability to make shots. If he can create more opportunities for others, Grant will have a higher floor on a nightly basis. Becoming a less one-dimensional player is easier said than done this late into his career, but it's a crucial next step in his development.
Yang Hansen: Confidence
Hansen has already displayed the skillset to justify Portland's unconventional selection with his play in the Summer League and G League. That has yet to translate to the NBA, as Hansen has looked lost when given the opportunity.
The Blazers must continue to be patient with Hansen's growing pains, but the biggest determining factor in returning value on the draft gamble could be a matter of confidence.
Scoot Henderson: Finishing
At his exit interview, Henderson said the two areas he hopes to address this summer are shooting and finishing. He's come a long way since a shaky rookie season, improving on the defensive end in particular.
The offense remains a work in progress, as he looks like an entirely different player depending on the night. If Henderson can improve his finishing around the rim, he should give himself a higher floor, making his offensive production far less volatile for Portland.
Jrue Holiday: Rest
Holiday also had a resurgent first year in Portland, justifying the swap for Anfernee Simons. At this stage in his career, and given his injury history, the best thing for Holiday is to simply be ready for next season. There's not much more to his game to work on, as Holiday remains one of the best two-way guards in the league.
Vit Krejci: Shooting
Portland somewhat addressed its three-point shooting flaw with its trade for Krejci at the deadline. That move on the margins hasn't gone to plan so far, as he went from shooting 42.3 percent from deep in Atlanta to just 30.3 percent in Portland. Krejci was an exciting pickup at the deadline as Portland finally added a much-needed sharpshooter. Now, they just need him to return to form.
Damian Lillard: Health
Speaking of returning to form, Portland still doesn't know what version of Lillard they will be getting back to start next season. His top priority needs to be continuing his patient rehab approach, trying to get as close to 100 percent as physically possible for a player his age coming off such a brutal Achilles injury.
Dame's return was certainly a feel-good story, but this season proved that they also desperately need his offensive production. Hopefully for their sake, he's close to the same player, but that's a lot to expect.
Kris Murray: Shooting
Murray's time in Portland may be on thin ice as he continues to show little to no progress as a shooter. He's now hovered around 30 percent from deep for three consecutive seasons.
The Blazers have made it a point of emphasis to add more shooting this offseason, and some of that could also include moving on from their lack of shooting, in what would be an addition-by-subtraction move.
Hopefully, he can change that narrative this summer, as the shooting plateau has been concerning for his career trajectory.
Shaedon Sharpe: Defense
Sharpe was benched by Chauncey Billups last season for his lackluster defense. He fell out of Tiago Splitter's playoff rotation this season, presumably for a similar reason (though Sharpe declined to share the specifics of the decision at his exit interview).
Portland committed to a four-year, $90 million extension to Sharpe before the season. He's grown as a scorer, but they need him to make more of a two-way impact before he's considered a true building block in Portland. One-dimensional guards are rapidly losing value around the league, and Sharpe needs to do everything he can to ensure he's not next.
Matisse Thybulle: Shot-creation
Thybulle deserves credit for quietly redefining his career, evolving into a 3-and-D wing thanks to an improved three-point shot. While that's become an incredibly valuable player archetype in the modern NBA, Thybulle's game could still benefit from more of a scoring punch. He's overly dependent on teammates setting him up. Whether he stays in Portland or takes his talents elsewhere this summer, Thybulle needs to be able to create more scoring opportunities for himself.
Blake Wesley: Shooting
Wesley quickly became a fan favorite in Portland, fitting in perfectly with the Blazers' defensive identity with his speed and ability to hound ball handlers the length of the court. Wesley's defense alone gives him a compelling case to stick around in Portland beyond the season.
But in order for him to truly be considered a long-term part of this core, he needs to drastically improve his shooting. Portland simply can't afford to keep this many non-shooters at the end of their bench.
Robert Williams III: Health
Time Lord had his healthiest season in Portland, with 59 games played, the second most in his career. He now has an ambitious goal of playing in back-to-backs and lifting his minutes restriction for next season.
If the Blazers extend Williams, they need to continue being cautious with his health. Still, it's a promising sign that Williams feels confident in his ability to play more and that his health continues to trend upward in general.
That's something he worked hard on last summer, and it made a huge difference for Portland's successful season. Hopefully, he takes yet another step forward this offseason, putting any injury problems further in the rear-view mirror.
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