Jimmy Sheldurp |
In the inaugural week of the NBA season, the new-look Portland Trail Blazers started off the season 2-2, with wins over New Orleans and Minnesota.
Despite Damian Lillard being the only returning starter from last year’s roster, the Blazers have managed to split their first four games this year, thanks in large part to the play of Lillard and second year guard CJ McCollum.
The starting backcourt has set the tone for the team. They push the pace, looking for easy points in transition. They are both crafty, able to create shots for themselves or other teammates when the game slows down.
The Blazers average 100 points a game, 47 of those points come from McCollum and Lillard on a nightly basis.
The development of McCollum has been huge. He has made huge strides in not only his game, but also his confidence. The team will not have to rely solely on Lillard this year, as many had expected. When Lillard falters, like he did in the season opener, McCollum can step up and make plays, like he did against the Pelicans. McCollum provides a bright spot for a team that is going to deal with growing pains this year.
The Blazers lost four of last year’s starting five, but the starters for the Blazers this year look to be a solid unit. Lillard is obviously the star on this team, but McCollum will be given a lot of opportunities to shine. Looking at the frontcourt, big men Meyers Leonard, Mason Plumlee and Ed Davis have serious potential as a rotation. Leonard has come out of the gates slowly, but if he builds off of last season, expect Leonard to continue spacing out the floor with threes while also grabbing rebounds. Davis has been a pleasant surprise thus far, the first big off the bench, Davis has provided quality minutes this year and leads the team in rebounding. Plumlee has been quietly reliable in the post thus far. While his numbers don’t show it, he has been solid on defense. He may not get the blocks, or the rebounds, but he is disrupts shots and makes things difficult for opposing bigs.
This is a young, fun team. This is not last years playoff team, but this is at the least, an entertaining, high flying squad. Don’t count them out this year, the West is competitive, but this team may just be competitive too. It all comes down to the development of the young players. Will Meyers Leonard build off of his strong finish to last season? Will Mason Plumlee develop into anything more than a rotation player at Center? Will Allen Crabbe and CJ McCollum continue to grow as playmakers? I firmly believe that the answer to all these questions is yes, the real question is when will it happen?
Jimmy Sheldrup is a Sports Reporter for the Beacon. He can be contacted at sheldrup18@p.edu or @CJSheldrup
