Even though it feels like draft day happened yesterday, we are only a month away from the beginning of the 79th season of the National Basketball Association. On Oct. 23, the Portland Trail Blazers will have their season opener against Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors at the friendly confines of the Moda Center.
Head Coach Chauncey Billups has a lot of decisions to make before then.
Five new players are joining the team. Youngsters like Toumani Camara and Rayan Rupert will be looking for more playing time. Veterans Jerami Grant and Robert Williams III are expected to be fully healthy and ready to go for game one. Changes will need to be made to last season’s lineups and rotations, so let’s break down what those adjustments might look like.
Starting Lineup
PG | Anfernee Simons
The longest-serving player on the team might be on his way out in the near future, but as of now, he will be Portland’s primary floor general for the second straight season. No one on the roster draws more attention from opposing defenses than the 25-year-old, and with few other reliable three-point shooters on the roster, he will once again be forced to score lots of points to keep the team competitive in games.
SG | Scoot Henderson
The third overall pick in last year’s draft had a disastrous first half of his rookie season but showed significant improvement towards the end of the year. In his second year, Henderson’s key focus will be improving his efficiency both at the rim and from three-point range. The Blazers need Henderson to break out, and they must give him the green light to take shots and make mistakes as he learns.
SF | Deni Avdija
General Manager Joe Cronin and his staff have finally gotten their hands on the do-it-all wing they’ve been looking for. Not only will Avdija provide exceptional perimeter defense, but he’s become an above-average shooter and playmaker for his position. He is the dream guy to have as your starting three.
PF | Jerami Grant
Grant will not be around for long, but he can do a little bit of everything while providing leadership in the locker room. This spot should be given to one of the team’s younger forwards who are currently playing behind him by the All-Star break, though.
C | DeAndre Ayton
DeAndre Ayton is overrated by mainstream media. He has been a solid 15-10 big man his whole career, yet pundits on “First Take” and “Undisputed” will try to tell you he’s useless. Ayton had a phenomenal second half of last season and will be tasked with keeping up that production for a full 82-game season in his second year with the Blazers.
Bench
Let’s assume Billups runs a nine-man rotation on Opening Day for the fourth straight year.
6 | Toumani Camara
7 | Shaedon Sharpe
8 | Donovan Clingan
9 | Rayan Rupert
On The Bubble
10 | Robert Williams III
11 | Matisse Thybulle
12 | Duop Reath
13 | Jabari Walker
14 | Dalano Banton
15 | Kris Murray
The Blazers’ 2024-25 preseason and regular season schedule can be found here.
