For Portland Trail Blazers fans and players, this is the first offseason in a while without the looming specter of losing their franchise icon, Damian Lillard, hanging over them. But does losing that anxiety help with the beatings the Blazers received all year long? Along with losing the most important Blazer of the 21st century, the Blazers dropped to new lows, winning just 21 games and sitting alone at the bottom of the Western Conference. To pile onto the Blazers’ misfortune, the team’s top draft pick, Scoot Henderson, who many thought would excel at the pro level, underwhelmed in his rookie season compared to his peers, who showed either generational defining potential in the San Antonio Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama or the ability to be a franchise cornerstone in the Charlotte Hornets’ Brandon Miller. With these three factors combined, it’s easy to understand if Blazer fans are unhappy while watching playoff basketball.
But there is always a silver lining in the NBA postseason. While the teams in the fight struggle to even make adjustments in the midst of battle, those who watch as spectators get to see which way the league is headed. The Blazers’ organization and fans watched as Damian Lillard exited the playoffs in typical fashion without much help from his supporting cast. I couldn’t help but wonder if things would have been the same had Dame stayed with Portland. Would they be just another team scraping around in the play-in zone? Would the team regret not capitalizing on Lillard’s trade value if they held onto him? With all of these questions buzzing in Blazer fans’ minds, we must remind ourselves that all good things must end.
While the Dame trade was wave-breaking NBA news when the trade happened, the fruits of that labor weren’t shared in Milwaukee. The Bucks had a very wonky NBA season, with key players filtering in and out of the lineup all year. A coaching fire and hiring scandal, and managing a Giannis whose intensity seemed to reach new heights this year. While attempting to deal with all the chaos of the regular season, the Bucks limped into the playoffs only to get bounced short of their NBA championship goals expected following the Dame trade. With Giannis out and Dame injured during the heat of battle, the Pacers made quick work of the Bucks, similar to how they did all regular season. The Pacers, in particular, caused massive problems for Milwaukee, averaging 129 points per contest against the Bucks.
Moreover, Dame, as usual, struggled on defense against not only Tyrese Haliburton but every guard he was assigned defensively. From Jalen Brunson to Derrick White, opposing point guards bullied Lillard, contributing to the Bucks’ historically elite defense dropping to 23rd by the defensive rating metric. On past Blazer teams, Lillard also had a hard time defending guards in a stacked Western Conference, which had always contributed to the downfall of the Blazers’ postseason playoff runs. But Damian Lillard being a defensive turnstile isn’t something new or relevant to Blazer fans, so what does that have to do with the Blazers’ rebuild?
Anyone watching the NBA playoffs is aware of Anthony Edwards’ dynamic takeover of the Western Conference. From Antman slaying the dragon Kevin Durant in Phoenix to dominating offensively (despite the series being tied at two games apiece) over Nikola Jokic and the defending champs Denver Nuggets, basketball lovers have had the chance to see the prototypical shooting guard take control of the league. His swagger and dominating playstyle have made many viewers of the sport fall in love with his game and view him as the face of the league going forward. I bring up Edwards in the context of the Blazers and how he relates to Shaedon Sharpe. Blazer fans know Sharpe for his freakish athleticism and high-wire motor, which show exceptional potential throughout games in his first two years. Sharpe has all the tools to have a game similar to Anthony Edwards, but with a body two inches taller and a vertical of 49 inches. While Sharpe has fluctuated in and out of his role on the Blazers, there is no denying his talent and potential as a player in today’s NBA. With his elite athleticism, Sharpe can get to the rim like Anthony Edwards and elevate for a monstrous dunk or hang in the air to lay the ball in. In terms of development, Sharpe still has a long way to go if he wants to live up to the potential he’s been gifted with, but the Blazers can help him out by dedicating this rebuild to him instead of Scoot Henderson.
With Anthony Edwards rising to prominence over the NBA landscape, why not turn your franchise over to a guy with all his qualities who is two years younger? If the Blazers want to learn from the mistakes of the Dame era, they have to recognize that an undersized point guard can’t be the centerpiece of your team. Not when there are guys like Edwards and Sharpe out there.
