Entering the year the Blazers were resigned to listless and nameless tier of nba teams that we would kindly call: rebuilding.

A directionless collection of young potential talent hoping to see some form of growth or some degree of clarity on what exactly they have here.

After a predictably rocky start, Portland has put something substantial together. 

10-1 in their last 11 games with the best defensive and net rating in the league throughout that span.

That’s a real sample size, legitimate reason for hope and evidence of development.

So what happened, and what does it mean moving forward?

Scoot Henderson

Scoot Henderson didn’t have a whole lot of doubters coming into the draft, but a lackluster rookie season gave the skeptics all the ammo they needed.

Thankfully, his second year has been starkly different.

Scoot’s still developing. The comfortability in halfcourt settings is going to need time, but the growth has been impossible to miss.

The G-League Ignite product has made massive leaps with his pull up three point shooting and presence in the lane. He no longer relies on his dynamic athleticism, but he leverages it to threaten defenses and open up the floor.

Hope you didn’t write him off yet.

Deni Avdija

Oversized wing playmakers are all the rage in the modern NBA, and Deni is quickly ascending to the upper echelon of the 6’7+ creators.

Avdija has a sense of pace far beyond his years, some real athletic juice that allows him to blow by taller matchups and rise up over smaller ones, and the polish to knockdown the occasional stepback, or read a complex rotation like it’s a children’s book.

His presence as a reliable halfcourt option has reduced the burden on Scoot, and allowed him to grow off the ball as well. 

That Wizards trade just keeps looking better

Shaedon Sharpe

Shaedon Sharpe has some rough edges that still need sanding. His shot selection can be questionable, every once in a while you might want to see a little bit more urgency in the halfcourt. But the Canadian two guard undeniably has it. 

A springy and skilled scorer with sky high potential, this year Sharpe’s given Portland fans reasons to stand up in the stands or off the couch on almost a nightly basis.

But steadily those jaw dropping highlights have been intercut with winning plays, and high level defensive efforts. 

The focus is coming around and that bag is only getting deeper.

Donovan Clingan

Donovan Clingan came into the league with a pronounced role, already carved out and ready to go.

He was destined to be the same rim protecting, rebound hauling, outlet passing extraordinaire he was in college on his way to two titles. 

Of course like any rookie big man Clingan hasn’t come close to reaching his potential, but the glimpses have been something else.

An 8.6% block rate places him firmly among the elite rim protectors in the league, and the advanced passing skill set has showed up time and time again.

Cling-Kong isn’t here yet, but he seems to be on the way.

Toumani Camara

If you ever want to make a Blazers fans day, just mention Toumani Camara.

A 6’8 wing with the strength to battle bigs for boards, the lateral quickness to keep stride with the most dynamic attackers in the league, and the length and timing to be a force in rim protection and ball disruption.

They aren’t blowing it out of proportion, Toumani is really that good.

He’s a bonafide game wrecker that may very well only be scratching the surface. 

There’s a lot to improve upon offensively, but there’s hardly anything he could do better on the other end.

The (Relative) Vets

The first year of a rebuild is about learning how to lose. The second is about figuring out how to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

Last year the Blazers learned how to lose. They saw top tier competitors up close and personal, and found out that it’s just as important to know how to take a punch as it is to understand how to throw one.

This year, they’re taking the blows in stride and pushing on. It’s a relentless onslaught of youth and energy, with a terrifying subcurrent of maturity.

Ignore them now if you want to, you won’t be able to for long.

Forward Momentum

Remember that KG to Boston business? Well, Father Time had caught up with the Big Three, and the days of title chasing in Beantown were fading fast.

Realizing the reality of the situation, Danny Ainge shopped his two remaining aging stars, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, until he found a team with enough at stake to make a massive bet.

The Brooklyn Nets had just moved to a new city, aligned themselves with Jay-Z, added Joe Johnson to a backcourt with Deron Williams, and developed an All-Star center in Brook Lopez. They saw a grand slam in sight, and swung for the fences.

Unfortunately, they struck out, and Boston built and empire from the wreckage. 

Future Outlook

Before you build anything, you need a blueprint. An actionable plan you have the pieces to build, but it’s easier said than done to find one.

After this stretch, Portland may have found theirs.

A rangy, athletic, and relentless team that turns defense into offense in a second, and has a handful of capable halfcourt initiators to lean on whenever the game slows down. Best of all, none of them have reached their ceiling.

There’s a lot that still needs to unfold, and they won’t have it all figured out next year.

But man is the future bright in the Rose City.