The Portland Trail Blazers have been a box of chocolates through the first three weeks of the 2024-25 NBA season.
You never know, with no freaking clue at all, what you’re going to get.
To recap: Portland endured a 36-point loss to the Golden State Warriors on opening night. Four games later, the Trail Blazers beat the LA Clippers to improve to 2-3 overall. And since then, they’ve dropped to 3-8, most recently losing by 45 to the Ja Morant-less Memphis Grizzlies.
Head Coach Chauncey Billups said after the Grizzlies loss that any player who slept well afterward was a “loser.”
It was blunt. And despite how it made you feel, it was a reality check for the organization.
*The following 2024-25 player rankings were calculated using stats through Nov. 11.
**OSN’s complete rankings—as well as my methodology—can be found at the end conclusion of this article.
Trail Blazers Player Rankings
No. 14: Duop Reath, C/PF
GP: 6
MPG: 3.3
PPG: 1.3
RPG: 0.5
APG: 0.3
BPG: 0.2
Duop Reath’s stock is low, especially with Robert Williams III back in the rotation.
Of course, a RWIII trade is possible. And then, minutes would be up for grabs among Blazers bigs.
Until then, Reath must prove his worth. He needs to hit from deep and spread the floor for Scoot and the team’s other guards.
No. 13: Robert Williams III, PF/C
GP: 2
MPG: 14.0
PPG: 8.5
RPG: 4.0
BPG: 1.0
SPG: 1.0
I named RWIII a top-three trade chip before this season. Today, with Williams two games into his comeback, my stance stands.
Portland’s top trade assets are still Anfernee Simons (No. 1) and Jerami Grant (No. 2). But right behind them is RWIII.
Expect Portland to showcase RWIII throughout Trade Season, and expect the Trail Blazers to leverage his market for future draft capital or a young player.
No. 12 — Shaedon Sharpe, SG/SF
GP: 3
MPG: 20.0
PPG: 8.7
RPG: 2.3
APG: 1.0
3PT%: 07.7
I know Sharpe’s placement on this list is related to his total minutes played, but if we’re being honest, it also has to do with his offensive struggles.
Sharpe’s game looks as smooth as ever in the highlights, no doubt about that. But it’s also clear he has rust to shake off. His 7.7 percent three-point clip is atrocious, considering his 4.3 attempts per game. And he’s getting to the line two fewer times per night this season, hitting just 60 percent.
Sharpe, of course, isn’t losing any fans. The Trail Blazers and Sharpe each have a long runway to improve, and Rip City gets that. But this is a discouraging start to a year that was supposed to be a jumping-off point to a serious leap.
No. 11 — Jabari Walker, PF/SG
GP: 10
MPG: 9.0
PPG: 3.1
RPG: 2.7
Jabari Walker hasn’t had any standout games early in the 2024-25 NBA season, but we know what he brings to the table.
Simply put, Walker brings rebounding.
The Colorado Buffalo product also brings serious positive vibes and an ability to finish at the rim. But He’s bringing rebounding energy every time he hits the floor, which makes a big difference.
No. 10 — Rayan Rupert, SG/SF
GP: 10
MPG: 11.8
PPG: 4.4
RPG: 1.8
3PT%: 40.0
Let me sum up Rayan Rupert’s start to the 2024-25 season in four words:
- This.
- Guy.
- Can.
- Shoot.
Rupert is only taking 1.5 three-point shots per game, but he’s proved he can catch fire, as he did on Nov. 1 against the Oklahoma City Thunder when he hit 4-of-7 from deep. And it’s not like we haven’t seen this before.
With ten games under his belt, Rupert feels primed to break through and earn post-trade deadline minutes when the rotation is apparent.
While my crystal ball is broken, and I can’t make predictions, my wish list has a whole lot of Rupert shooting threes.
No. 9 — Dalano Banton, SG/SF
GP: 9
MPG: 10.6
PPG: 8.6
RPG: 1.3
APG: 1.7
Dalano Banton owns the No. 1 Pure Player Score on the Blazers. *SPOILER ALERT FOR LATER*
As a reminder, the “Pure Player Score” considers all the same advanced stats as the “Impact Score” but does not consider total minutes. That means, pound-for-pound, it calculates which players are beat, taking advantage of their own minutes based on our formula.
So far, through 10 games, Banton is playing better than any Trail Blazer during his own minutes.
Yes, there’s one huge fourth quarter against New Orleans, which is weighing heavily into the calculations at the moment. But I’m not holding an outlier against Banton.
This should continue to be a fun season for one of Potland’s most mysterious prospects.
No. 8 — Kris Murray, SG/SF
GP: 11
MPG: 13.4
PPG: 4.0
RPG: 2.5
3PT%: 40.0
Here’s someone itching to prove he can shoot efficiently at higher volume.
In 11 games, Murray has scored 40 percent from deep. Unfortunately, though, he’s shooting just 1.4 deep shots per game in 13.4 minutes per contest.
As the No. 8 player in our early-season “impact” rankings, Murray should be considered a fringe rotation guy until we know what the post-trade deadline roster looks like.
Murray could undoubtedly earn ” garbage time” minutes ahead of the lottery. But he needs to keep hitting shots at a high rate for that to be the case.
No. 7 — Donovan Clingan, C
GP: 11
MPG: 13.9
PPG: 4.8
RPG: 4.8
BPG: 1.6
3PT%: 25.0
For those who dreamed of Donovan Clingan making an instant offensive impact, consider yourself disappointed.
I’ll admit, I was among those tooting the “Clingan For Offense!” horn. It’s been a reality check for sure.
But it also hasn’t been a bad ride through the rookie’s inaugural season.
Right now, Clingan looks every bit the defensive menace Joe Cronin and Rip City hoped he’d be. He’s No. 3 in the entire NBA (!!!) in blocks per 36 minutes at 4.2. And while his per-game rebounding numbers don’t jump off the page, he’s No. 19 in the league when looking at boards per 36 at 12.5.
I know advanced stats don’t do it for a lot of people, but Clingan is proving his worth early, and the numbers add context for what we see on the court.
Full disclosure: I may tweak the “Impact Score” formula throughout the year to better represent the cumulative, “subjectively objective” ranking system here in play. That may include the addition of things like Rebound %, Block % and more. Clingan could see a boost at that point.
No. 6 — Deni Avdija, SG/SF
GP: 11
MPG: 25.5
PPG: 9.0
RPG: 5.6
APG: 3.0
3PT%: 17.1
It’s been a quiet start for Deni Avdija in Portland, and that has a lot to do with his long-range shooting.
To begin the year, Avdija has slumped to 17.1 three-point shooting on 3.2 attempts per game.
The struggles aren’t just beyond the arc, though, as he’s hitting just 34.8 percent on field goals at large—a career-worst despite shooting the second-most field goals per game of his career.
Despite all that, nobody should be too down on Avdija. Seriously.
I hate to be the reminder of bad news, but the Blazers were never supposed to win meaningfully this season. This means Avdija can take his time navigating a steeper learning curve than some expected.
He’s also on one of the NBA’s most team-friendly contracts. Give the guy a break!
No. 5 — Scoot Henderson, PG
GP: 11
MPG: 25.8
PPG: 11.8
RPG: 2.9
APG: 4.8
SPG: 0.8
3PT%: 27.3
Scoot Henderson isn’t in the Trail Blazers’ starting five, yet he’s in our Top 5 Player Rankings to start the year.
If I can take a moment to acknowledge a flaw in our early-system rankings, this is probably it.
Scoot’s advanced stats don’t support top-five placement, but his final score is clearly inflated by more minutes and a higher USG% than most of his teammates.
In the meantime, with the rankings being what they are, it’s worth talking about Scoot’s second season. It’s been a mixed bag, to say the least. While the eye test says he looks better, both in his confidence at the rim and his intention from range, he’s also struggling to find anything consistent on either end.
No. 4 — Deandre Ayton, C
GP: 11
MPG: 29.3
PPG: 13.3
RPG: 10.5
BPG: 0.5
3PT%: 38.5
Deandre Ayton has a serious case to be Top 3 on this list. But I’m not questioning the numbers at this point. That’s a job for you, the reader, and “future me” ahead of the next installment of these Player Rankings.
For now, Ayton checks in at No. 4, which feels a bit unfair. Ayton has been very, very good to start 2024-25. He’s looking good on the lob and setting records for team double-doubles.
Still, Ayton will have detractors out there, no matter his success. So it makes sense that even these rankings should give him a chip on his shoulder.
Here’s to one more stat to motivate the Blazers big.
No. 3 — Toumani Camara, PF
GP: 11
MPG: 30
PPG: 8.5
RPG: 4.9
APG: 2.0
SPG: 1.6
BPG: 0.4
Think defense doesn’t matter in today’s NBA? Look at Toumani Camara’s placement in these early-season Player Rankings.
Despite ranking dead last in USG% for Portland this season, Camara checks in at No. 3 on our “Impact” rankings. That’s largely due to his No. 4 ranking in both Defensive Win Shares and Defensive Box Plus/Minus.
The fun part about Camara—and likely why he ranks so highly—is because he’s doing it on offense, too. He ranks No. 6 in Offensive Win Shares for the team, and that ranking improves to No. 3 if you consider only true rotation players.
No. 2 — Anfernee Simons, PG/SG
GP: 11.0
MPG: 32.0
PPG: 17.5
RPG: 2.1
APG: 4.6
3PT%: 30.2
Through 11 games, Anfernee Simons has the team’s top USG% among rotation players (No. 3 overall behind Dalano Banton and Duop Reath).
I know you’ve heard it repeatedly, but it’s still wild that Simons is Portland’s longest-tenured player.
Simmons is 25 years old and currently in his sixth season. Despite his No. 2 placement on our list, he has legitimate arguments as the Trail Blazers’ best player this season.
He also has an argument as Portland’s No. 1 trade asset. But that’s a topic for another day.
No. 1 — Jerami Grant, SF/PF
GP: 11
MPG: 32.7
PPG: 18.1
RPG: 3.8
APG: 1.7
3PT%: 33.3
Jerami Grant is a stud. He’s such a good scorer and overall player, but he hasn’t been on teams that maximize his talents with wins.
Of course, Grant will find himself in the rumor mill this season. Any team in need of a veteran wingman scorer will be calling.
Until then, Grant knows his role and plays it well for Portland.
Grant has been the Bkazers’ best player this season. That won’t stop any time soon.
Complete Portland Trail Blazers Player Rankings Through 3 Weeks
By “Impact”
| RK | Player | Impact Score |
| 1 | Jerami Grant | 19.15045 |
| 2 | Anfernee Simons | 18.79695 |
| 3 | Toumani Camara | 17.08915 |
| 4 | Deandre Ayton | 17.0188 |
| 5 | Scoot Henderson | 15.23955 |
| 6 | Deni Avdija | 14.88455 |
| 7 | Donovan Clingan | 8.3333 |
| 8 | Kris Murray | 7.9919 |
| 9 | Dalano Banton | 6.58725 |
| 10 | Rayan Rupert | 6.5791 |
| 11 | Jabari Walker | 5.18525 |
| 12 | Shaedon Sharpe | 3.9523 |
| 13 | Robert Williams | 2.5566 |
| 14 | Duop Reath | 2.17755 |
Complete Portland Trail Blazers “Pure Player Rankings” Through 3 Weeks
*Note:
“Pure Player Score” is OSN’s patented “Impact Score” but without “minutes played” in the math. It’s a simple way of looking at how a player has impacted games when on the court without looking at how he’s impacted the season at large.
| RK | Player | Pure Player Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dalano Banton | 1.83725 |
| 2 | Anfernee Simons | 1.19695 |
| 3 | Duop Reath | 1.17755 |
| 4 | Robert Williams | 1.1566 |
| 5 | Jerami Grant | 1.15045 |
| 6 | Scoot Henderson | 1.03955 |
| 7 | Shaedon Sharpe | 0.9523 |
| 8 | Deandre Ayton | 0.9188 |
| 9 | Deni Avdija | 0.88455 |
| 10 | Jabari Walker | 0.68525 |
| 11 | Donovan Clingan | 0.6833 |
| 12 | Rayan Rupert | 0.6791 |
| 13 | Kris Murray | 0.6419 |
| 14 | Toumani Camara | 0.58915 |
Be the first to comment