Everything is moving very quickly in the NBA, but the post Lillard era in Portland could still last a little longer than expected. After a final defeat against the Kings, the Blazers are officially on vacation, even if in fact they have been on vacation since around January.
Damian Lillard, Anfernee Simons, Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe. In the absence of a draft, the Blazers’ back line looked great last October. And even if Dame’s departure was then inevitable, we said to ourselves that with a good counterpart (becoming Jrue Holiday then Malcolm Brogdon + Deandre Ayton, more or less) Portland would perhaps have a chance to play from 2024. Six months more late Shaedon Sharpe missed 50 games, Anfernee Simons almost 40, and Scoot Henderson rebuilt entire buildings with his bricks, nice try but can’t wait for season 2. Too many injuries, too much uncertainty around everyone’s status, and in the end a disgust from Jerami Grant, or from Deandre Ayton at the end of the season, while the young people – talented – were not used well enough. Toumani Camara, Rayan Rupert, Jabari Walker and Kris Murray were entitled to many minutes but sometimes seemed to be there without being there, the body ok but not the mind. Chauncey Billups is still open to criticism both in terms of coaching and in terms of his questioning, and we are now waiting to see what the man with the golden teeth (and the big glasses) can give in year 2, he who has badly suffered from the comparison with some of his vintage comrades even if, obviously, the setting is different and has a lot to do with it. All we know is that this year the Blazers took 62 against the Thunder and 62 against the Heat, and that when you take two of the ten biggest beatings in history two months apart it’s just something something is wrong. A Lottery pick and here we go again? Maybe, in any case the puzzle looks cool, but we should think about putting it together one day. Happy holidays, gentlemen, but still work a little.
2024-04-14 23:43:00
#Official #Blazers #vacation #work
