Other team recaps:
Detroit pistons
Wizards of Washington
At a glance:
Record: 21-61 (15th, West)
Offensive rating: 107.6 (29th)
Defensive rating: 116.6 (23rd)
Net rating: -9.0 (28th)
Pace: 97.8 (21st)
2024 NBA Draft Picks: 7, 14, 34, 40
One minute you’re riding high with Dame DOLLA, and the next minute you’re one of the worst teams in the Association. Life comes at you quickly.
The Damian Lillard era in Portland ended with a resounding thud over the summer when the disgruntled superstar received his trade request and was traded to Milwaukee in a blockbuster deal that sent Jrue Holiday and Deandre Ayton to the Pacific Northwest. Holiday was later sent to Boston, and the Blazers nabbed Robert Williams III and Malcolm Brogdon. To say the roster changed last offseason would be a huge understatement.
Portland finished with the worst record in the West, but the failure was not a direct result of Lillard’s absence. The Blazers finished with a losing record in two consecutive seasons and three of four before Lillard left for Milwaukee. The way forward is the development of young talent.
As we will with most cellar dwellers this season, we will ask, “What’s next?” Portland is the fourth youngest team in the Association, with an average age of just 24.7 years old. In the 2023-24 season, the team has given at least 21 minutes per game to four of its last five draft picks from the past two seasons, and Portland’s young core could continue to grow after the 2024 draft, in which the Blazers have two lottery picks. .
Do Jerami Grant and Malcolm Brogdon fit into Portland’s timeline or will they both be on the move? What should fantasy managers expect from youngsters Shaedon Sharpe and Scoot Henderson? Can Anfernee Simons continue to improve? Can anyone on this team stay on the court consistently in 2024-25? We will try to answer all these questions and more.
Fantasy Spotlight: Deandre Ayton
Ayton opened his inaugural season in Portland with a quote for the ages, declaring to a crowd of media members: “I bring dominance. My name is DominAyton.” The season was full of ups and downs, but overall it was a success in both the real world and fantasy.
Ayton averaged 16.7 points, 11.1 rebounds, 1.6 dimes, 1.0 steals and 0.8 blocks while shooting 57.0% from the floor. The big man lost 10 of the last 28 games of the season, but when he was on the court he was truly dominant. Over the final 18 games of the season, Ayton averaged a healthy 22.7 points and 12.5 rebounds on 58.3% shooting. He finished as a top-40 fantasy player per game for the season, even though he appeared in just 55 games. The oft-injured Robert Williams III is Ayton’s primary backup, and Portland’s frontcourt depth is filled with young, undersized options. Ayton should enjoy big minutes and plenty of opportunities next season and for the foreseeable future.
Costume Reveal: Scoot Henderson
Scoot entered the NBA Draft as a player who could have gone No. 1 if he hadn’t been in the same class as a 7’4 alien. Instead, Henderson dropped to third and the Blazers had a phenomenal chance. Ball security and poor shooting plagued Henderson during his rookie campaign, but these issues aren’t surprising for a first-year player, and they’re ones he can certainly correct in the future.
Despite the rookie warts, Henderson showed off his insane athleticism all season and finished the campaign on a high note. In his last 12 games, Scoot has averaged 19.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, 8.3 assists, 1.3 steals and 2.4 triples while shooting 39.7% from beyond the arc. He recorded four double-doubles in that span, highlighting his court vision, and his flurry of triples dispelled some preseason concerns about his shooting ability from beyond the arc. Calling Henderson a revelation might seem like a bit of a stretch, but we’re looking ahead to next season and the insane upside he has, especially as a key player for a rebuilding franchise.
Fantasy Disappointment: Anfernee Simons
Simons was drafted in the sixth round, but finished with a top-100 game ranking. That’s not a huge change and a miss, but expectations were that Simons’ sixth-round price would be his floor. After a huge success in Year 5, Simons was expected to take the next step forward and, for the most part, he did. Simons produced career highs in points (22.6), assists (5.5), rebounds (3.6), three-pointers (3.4) and FT% (91.6). Unfortunately for fantasy managers, he shot just 43.0% from the floor and coughed up the ball 2.7 times per shot. Simons’ lack of significant defensive contributions was more glaring.
Like most of Portland’s roster, availability was a big issue. Simons played in just 46 games – the fewest since his rookie campaign. Portland’s guard wasn’t a complete failure, but expectations were high, and as the old saying goes, “Expectation is the root of all heartache.”
Fantasy recaps/previews
Roberto Williams III: Williams III had an incredible campaign in 2021-22, finishing among the best centers in fantasy basketball, logging nearly 30 minutes per game in 61 contests. The timing hasn’t been right for Time Lord since that season, as he has only logged 41 total games. He was traded to Portland last offseason alongside Malcolm Brogdon as part of the Jrue Holiday deal, and saw just six games of action for his new team. He averaged 6.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 1.2 blocks in 19.8 minutes, so he could still be a deep league guy even with limited rushing behind Ayton. Even if he can stay on the court more consistently, Fantasy managers shouldn’t count on an elite Fantasy season from the backup big man.
Shaedon Sharpe: Sharpe has been a disappointment this season, and if it weren’t for Simons’ high draft capital, he would have been mentioned in the section above. Sharpe finished his rookie campaign in style, and expectations were high heading into Year 2. His season was cut short on January 11th due to an abdominal injury, and he played in just 32 games after playing 80 as a rookie. Sharpe’s playing time jumped from 22.2 minutes to 33.1, and he recorded career highs with 15.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.9 dimes and 1.9 triples. The counting statistics were a good improvement, but his efficiency regressed significantly and Sharpe shot just 40.6% from the field.
Malcolm Brogdon: Brogdon averaged 15.7 points, 3.8 rebounds and 5.5 dimes in 28.7 minutes in 39 games (25 starts) for his new team last season. Like many other Trail Blazers, he had trouble staying on the court. Brogdon’s production wasn’t tremendous due to the reduction in playing time, but he was on par with previous performances for 36 minutes. Brogdon averaged 19.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 6.9 dimes and 2.6 triples per 36, and his stats in those 25 games were very close to those averages. Brogdon still has a lot left in the tank, but the glaring question is where does he fit on this list? Understandably, Portland will prioritize the development of Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe, and Anfernee Simons, leaving Brogdon as the odd guard out. He’s worth a look late in fantasy drafts given his robust floor and the potential for big games if Henderson, Sharpe or Simons miss time.
Jerami Grant: Grant was up to his usual tricks in his second season with the Blazers, operating as a long-range shooter with a score-first attitude. He averaged 21.0 points, 3.5 boards, 2.8 dimes and 2.1 triples while shooting 45.1% from the floor and 81.7% from the charity stripe. Grant’s scoring saw a small increase, but his efficiency faltered and he contributed even less in the peripheral categories than he did a season ago. His lack of significant production outside of points and threes was responsible for a lackluster fantasy campaign, and he appeared in just 54 contests. Over the past four seasons, Grant has averaged 54.5 games played, totaling 63 games in 2022-23. Serious questions about availability and widespread production make Grant a risky fantasy option for the 2024-25 campaign.
Jabari Walker: Walker saw his minutes more than double, from 11.1 as a rookie to 23.6 in Year 2. Thanks to multiple frontcourt injuries, the Colorado product was placed in a significant rotational role and he appeared in 72 games averaging of 8.9 points and 7.1 rebounds. Unfortunately, the undersized four shot a pedestrian 46.0% from the field. The poor shooting wasn’t due to a plethora of long-range attempts. Walker averaged just 1.9 three-point attempts per game and made fewer than one of them. In 23 games, he averaged 9.5 points and 9.5 rebounds, but shot less than 40%. Walker had limited contributions on defense and there were no other categories in which he excelled other than rebounding. He wasn’t an attractive fantasy option this season with more minutes, and will likely see reduced playing time for a presumably healthier Blazers team in 2024-25.
Restricted Free Agents: Ashton Hagans, Ibou Badji, Justin Minaya
Unrestricted Free Agents: Moses Brown
Team Option: Dalano Banton
