Evan Turner is the Instagram MVP
Last Seasons Record 49-33
This Seasons Record 48-34
The quiet team in the NBA. Portland, who no one really pays attention too. They might as well be Canadian. They go about their business, no one ever thinks they’re a threat, but low and behold they end up in the playoffs every single year. Yes last year they got their butt kicks and eventually swept, but hey, making it is more than 15 other teams can say. They still have one of the best backcourt dips in the entire league and want to continue to build on that. But I think there’s a trade looming in the future. One of those players could be heading to Hollywood…
Key Additions and Subtractions
The Blazers really wanted Carmelo Anthony to come to Portland, but ultimately that didn’t happen. Instead they had to settle for Nik Stauskas and Seth Curry! All jokes aside, both are great outside shooters and the way the league is going, if you don’t have outside shooting you really don’t stand a chance. So they should help, and Stauskas actually torched the Lakers and was a big spark for them off the the bench. They lost their big man Ed Davis, who really found a home in Portland and turned his career around. That will be a big loss, but other than that, not much else happened with this team. They are built on the backs of their guards and will continue to do so until they can either sign a free agent or make a trade. This team will be competitive for years to come, so building in the draft can prove to be difficult.
Year Long Question – Can Nurkic continue to grow?
Everyone knows just how good Denver’s big man is. Jokic is ripping up the NBA. It was only a few short seasons ago that I was getting these two players mixed up. Well one has vastly surpassed the other, but that doesn’t mean Nurkic can’t improve his game. If Portland wants to take another leap and finish as the 3 seed again, they will need to develop into a strong and reliable NBA big man. Work on his passing abilities and become the player Portland wants him to be. There are so many similarities between his game and Jokers so it makes sense to compare the two. Denver is off to a hot start because of their big man and he’s helping them make a name for themselves early in the season. If Nurkic can have that fuel him, then it could be a great thing for this franchise.
Fan Mindset.
Sometimes they just feel invisible, like a ghost. Portland just wants to be loved. They just want to be respected. And most of all, they just want to be recognized. They were the 3rd seed in the Western Conference last season. They won 49 games. Yet, it appears that everyone has already written them off completely and that they probably will struggle to make the post season. This is all fine and dandy, the West did get better. LeBron James came over, but one thing this franchise does well is consistency. Lillard and CJ are capable of taking this team to the playoffs again. They are both remarkable players. This team and their fans just want the NBA to give them some credit, and maybe talk about them, just a little bit.
Bold Prediction, Sponsored By Nate – Dame get traded to the Lakers
Everything might be going swell in Portland, but it might not be going according to plan over in La La Land. That being said, Magic Johnson and LeBron won’t be having any of that. So with that being said, they might eye Dame for a blockbuster move. How would you feel to have Lonzo Ball be apart of this roster? I think he will be the first one off the chopping block. It would be so weird to see them do this, that would be 3 of their lottery picks gone. But Dame could be the side kick that LeBron needs in LA.
