1) Can their defense climb into the top ten and beyond?
The Blazers returned to the postseason and a lot of that had to do with a significant improvement on the defensive end.
They were still below the league average in defensive rating but closed the season with a top-ten defense, winning 9 of their last 10 games.
They slowed down one of the league’s best scorers in James Harden in the first round. But, the Spurs exploited the Blazers weakness on the defensive boards and in transition. The Blazers hope that better focus on weak side defense and emphasis on transition will lead to results.
Robin Lopez was one of the league’s best offensive rebounders and had a career year on the defensive glass. But they’ll likely need more from him on that end.
They made a necessary jump last season, but this one, from okay to very good or even great, tends to be the toughest one.
2) Can the Blazers finally start getting to the foul line?
Offensively, the Blazers are one of the envies of the league. Few have the combination of ball-movement, spacing, and individual play that the Blazers do.
But they come up short offensively in one specific area: getting to the free-throw line. Damian Lillard improved greatly in that regard but LaMarcus Aldridge still averages five free-throws a game. Aldridge feels he has the respect of the officials, but perhaps the Blazers can get an injection from the foul line from elsewhere. CJ McCollum and Chris Kaman could be a place to look. Nicolas Batum could also help. Batum averaged just 2.5 free-throw attempts per game, the lowest average among the starting five, although he was 2nd on the team in minutes.
They have a couple of stars already and an offense that is tough to stop on most nights. If they can figure out how to generate more points when they aren’t firing on all cylinders, they give themselves another weapon come playoff time.
3) How will the health hold up?
The Blazers health was a huge reason for their success last season. A lot of the credit publicly went to new head trainer Chris Stackpole, but there is reason to believe that the other shoe will drop. Nobody likes talking injuries, but it’s part of the sport.
The Blazers were able to go 7-5 in 12 games without LaMarcus Aldridge. The injury to Joel Freeland also had a sneaky impact on Portland’s play.
While the Blazers acquired veterans and say they’ve seen improvement from their young guys, one key injury will put those moves to the test.
Perhaps the change to Stackpole and his staff is a sea change in the health of the Blazers moving forward.
But even among the best training staffs, like Phoenix’s,injuries happen. And if someone gets injured, it’s the who that could be most important to the Blazers staying in the top of the Western Conference.
4) Will Meyers Leonard shoot 35 percent or better from 3?
The Blazers have finally figured out that the best asset Meyers Leonard has is his ability to shoot the ball. The Blazers have seemed to have unlocked Leonard as a floor-spacing big man. Aldridge suggested that Leonard was now a “power forward,” at Media Day, but it’s very serious.
There will always be a place on a team for a guy that’s 7-foot-1 and can shoot and whether or not Leonard plays on opening night, that shot can be a weapon for Stotts down the line. Dorell Wright emerged in that role last season, but Leonard gives them a bigger option in terms of floor-spacing line-ups. Leonard’s ability to shoot could also give the Blazers an opportunity to keep two seven-footers on the court while still having the floor space. And if Leonard can improve his defensive rebounding, the weapon becomes that much more useful. If Leonard can hit the three-point shot with relative consistency, it could also change his NBA fate for the better.
5) How about that draft pick?
The Blazers didn’t have any draft picks last season, which kept them on the sidelines in trades and the draft. In the modern NBA economy, where rookie contracts are the most desired, it’s the most useful ways to build your talent base. But it can also be an asset for trades. While players like McCollum and Will Barton have showed potential on the wing, the Blazers young wings are still unproven. Or if an injury were to occur, would Portland use its first rounder to make a move? Portland didn’t have the proper currency (picks) to make deals last trade deadline after giving up all of their assets to acquire players the previous summer. “Getting our draft pick back gives us a real ability to be in the trade market because it was encumbered,” general manager Neil Olshey said.
Portland has made minor moves in season the last few years, but having a first round pick surely makes them more interesting trade partners than last season.
6) If the Blazers don’t replicate last year’s success, do they stay the course or go another way?
Aldridge has committed to re-signing and can’t make more money anywhere else than Portland. Just ask Carmelo Anthony how hard that is to turn down. The Western Conference is a juggernaut and almost every team that makes the playoffs in the West thinks it has a shot of winning. Should the Blazers falter in the first round of the playoffs, will they stay the course with their starting five, including unrestricted free agents Lopez and Wesley Matthews? Both may command major dollars after outperforming their previous deals and contemporaries at their position. Or could they convince them to take home town discounts much like the San Antonio Spurs in order to bring in more veteran help? Olshey has stated the economics take care of themselves if everyone is on the same page and that appears to be the case in Portland.
