Via ClutchPoints
Key Players: Damian Lillard, C.J. McCollum, Jusuf Nurkic
One of the NBA's most exciting backcourts enters the 2018-2019 season in a dangerous territory. After finishing last season third in the same conference as the the Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets, it felt like the offensive duo of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum, matched with the league's eighth-ranked defense, finally had the formula to become contenders.
It only took four games for the New Orleans Pelicans to send the Blazers back to the kitchen.
However, instead of going back to the kitchen, the Trail Blazers just sat I̶n̶d̶i̶a̶n̶ Native American style and did nothing. In defense of some of the Blazers' talent, Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum both had successful journalistic summers.
While the two spent their times in a new world as they practiced quality journalism, McCollum found himself being shot back to the basketball sphere with one gut-check exchange between he and reigning Finals MVP Kevin Durant. The reality check went something like this:
KD: "I mean... you know you guys aren't going to win a championship."
CM: "Bro, we have the team. We have the capabilities. Anything is possible. We can win a championship, bro."
CM: "So, what do you suggest?"
KD: "I suggest you just keep playing, man and don't worry about what goes on at the top of things. Relax."
Portland's Best Case Scenario
Via NBA.com
In the words of Kevin Durant, "Amber Rose got the slickest and meanest bald head ever ... she jus walked n d spot and I froze up lol". Wrong words, but just as true as Durant's assessment of Amber Rose's head was, so is his suggestion for the Blazers.
Averaging around 27 points, 4 rebounds, and 7 assists on above 50 percent from the field and 44 percent from the three seems like a career year for many, but that's been Damian Lilliard's stat line since 2015. However, last season was his first time being named to First-Team All-NBA.
Lilliard's parter-in-crime, C.J. McCollum statistically dipped a little bit, but his averages 21/4/3 stat line solidified his role as Portland's number two. In fact, McCollum leading the Blazers in playoff scoring and looking like the most consistent player offensively placed the Lehigh product into a 1B product rather than a second option. Some even went as far as debating if McCollum is the better player overall.
While the debate of who's the team first option could be an issue, the lack of reported tension between the duo makes the debate irrelevant, especially when the team has been trying to find a third option since LaMarcus Aldridge left.
The first choice for the Blazers was the former number two overall pick, Evan Turner. Turner is in the middle of a four-year, $70 million contract, and hasn't averaged more than 9 points since arriving in Portland in 2016. Two years in, it's safe to say the Trail Blazers' first choice hasn't panned out.
However, the Blazers second choice, Jusuf Nurkic, seems far more promising. In his first full season as a Blazer, Nurkic posted 14.3 points on just 11.4 attempts a night and snagged 9.0 rebounds per game. That was just on 26 minutes of nightly playing time; if Nurkic had played the minutes of your average star, around 36, the 24-year-old big man would have projected averages of 19.5 points, 12.2 rebounds, and almost two blocks.
Without a third star to align with the Lillard-McCollum duo, Portland would have, at best, a five-game series against the top tier teams like the Warriors or Rockets; and, considering their performance in last year's playoffs, Portland forcing a five-game series against any Western Conference playoff team feels like a stretch. However, the emergence of Jusuf Nurkic could push the Blazers past the first round, and that's as much as the Blazers can hope for without worrying about what's going on at the top of things.
Portland's Worst Case Scenario
Via The Ringer
In his Netflix special, The Bird Revelation, Dave Chapelle tells a Paul Revere joke that goes like this:
"All I wanted to be was Paul Revere. I just needed one heroic moment, you understand? “Paul Revere’s Ride” was only one night. And then 40 years of him being like, “Hey, y’all, remember that time everybody was asleep, and I was up, and the British was coming? Boy, it’s a good thing I was awake, nigga, everybody be dead. Psh.”"
It's been four-and-a-half years since Damian Lillard drained a series walk off to push the Blazers to the next round and forever associate himself with the word 'clutch'; but, at what point does Damian Lillard become the Paul Revere of Dave Chapelle's joke. The Trail Blazers have yet to win 50 games or advance past the first round since Lillard took over as the leader of the franchise.
Looking solely at regular season stats makes the mere thought of attributing the Blazers' struggles to Dame up there with a Jason Whitlock hot take; but, it's the star point guard's playoff stats that give the attribution weight.
Last season's meltdown to 18 points an outing was just an exaggerated showing of Lillard's decrease in play come playoff time. While the 28-year-old's scoring remains high, his efficiency takes a drastic dip, as he goes from a 50 percent field-goal shooter who hits 45 percent from deep to a high 30 percent field-goal shooter who hits 25 percent from deep.
Damian Lillard had another descent in production as his team exits early would spark the question: "What has Dame done for us lately?"
Record Prediction: 44-38; Paul Revere's last ride?