Portland Trail Blazers
The 2022-23 Portland Trail Blazers can be defined by pulling the plug once again and this time getting the No. 3 pick to show for it.
What did we learn?
For the second straight season, the Blazers unabashedly tanked their asses off.
No really.
Over the last month of the season, the Blazers went 2-15 with the No. 30 offense and No. 30 defense in the NBA.
It was another tanking masterclass as Blazers’ GM Joe Cronin shut down the starters and ran out WHO HE!? lineups featuring Jeenathan Williams, Justin Minaya, Chance Comanche and John Butler.
Before the tank rolled through, Dame was as sensational as ever, one of his best seasons yet. Dame averaged a career-high 32 points which were highlighted by a 50-, 60- and 71-point game — all at the Moda Center.
Dame did just about everything he could, but the typical Blazers’ shortcomings were just too much.
Portland’s defense actually started the very beginning of the season strong, however, that definitely did not last. The Blazers had their usual bottom-5 defense in January, February and March. Due to Portland’s lack of size, opponents had no problem scoring in the paint or running out in transition.
Jerami Grant’s arrival to Portland was a solid fit alongside Dame. Grant shot a career-best 40 percent from 3 while playing a career-high 35 minutes per game. His defense and impact were felt, but they did not move the needle in a big way.
Anfernee Simons had some really big games and moments. A 20-point quarter is not something you see every day and it’s something that Simons has now pulled off multiple times. He also stepped up in crunch time for the Blazers, nearly matching Dame’s 86 clutch points for the season with 78 of his own.
But that was an area where the Blazers struggled as a team, losing several close games down the stretch. The undersized backcourt of Dame and Simons was all too familiar. Dame and C.J. all over again.
On the positive side, the Blazers did beat the playoff-bound T-Wolves with their C-team. And rookie Shaedon Sharpe looked really good, averaging 23.7 points while shooting 37.8 percent from 3 over the last 10 games of the season. Sharpe can also jump straight out of the gym.
The Blazers are at a definite crossroads to figure out the direction of the franchise from here.
Dame turns 33 this summer and already has a two-year extension that will pay him $59 million in 2025-26 and $63 million in 2026-27. Dame wants to go for it and win now and the Blazers owe him that. But they also have not been able to deliver. Do they have the assets to pull it off this time?
The No. 3 pick in the draft does help immensely.
Sometimes tanking really does pay off.
_____________________________________
Additional Notes
Call us crazy, but we can never give up on Cam Reddish after seeing the dude drill six 3s in Game 6 of the 2021 Eastern Conference Finals. Kevin Knox had a few moments in the last month as well… Portland has some interesting reclamation projects. Speaking of, Matisse Thybulle showed up to RIP City and shot the ball WAY better than he ever did in Philly. Lord knows the Blazers need his perimeter D.
It seems like every time that Nassir Little takes a step forward, he takes two steps back with a new injury. Little actually played 8 minutes per game less this season.
It’s painful to say because of how close he and Dame are, but Nurk seemed like a weak link here this season. He dealt with injuries, yes, but that’s become all too common with him as well. He has not played more than 56 games since 2018-19. (The same season the Blazers went to the Western Conference Finals.)
_____________________________________
Did our preseason Over/Under prediction hit?
It seems like there is too much uncertainty here. Under 39.5 wins.
Blazers 2022-23 record: (33-49)
Yes indeed! The Blazers actually started 10-4, so a third of the team’s wins occurred in the first month of the season.
_____________________________________
What’s Next?
Trade the No. 3 pick along with Simons to win now around Dame, or move on from the franchise icon to start a true rebuild around Sharpe, Simons and the No. 3 pick… Or keep everything and try to sow around the edges… Big decisions await. The Blazers do also have the No. 23 pick from the Knicks.
Find the right defensive-oriented players. Josh Hart and Gary Payton II seemed so ideal, but their time in Portland was quite short-lived.
Jerami Grant is a free agent and is one of the best on the market, putting the Blazers in a tough spot. Restricted free agents include the reclamation projects of Reddish and Thybulle. Portland has a team option for Kevin Knox.
_____________________________________
Favorite Blazers Highlights of the 2022-23 Season:
The Anferno. Simons also scored 23 points in the 1st quarter of an early-December game against the Jazz. He went on to score a new career-high 45 points that night.
Dame D.O.L.L.A.
