Portland Trail Blazers: Projecting Wins, Losses for 2013-14

LaMarcus Aldridge was an All-Star for the second straight season but the Portland Trail Blazers needed to improve their depth to contend. (Photo/Flickr.com)

As the off-season continues, the quietly brilliant moves made by Portland Trail Blazers general manager Neil Olshey have made the Blazers a contender for the Western Conference playoffs. So here is an in-depth look at the Blazers from last season and how they compare to the team that will take the floor in the 2013-14 season.

Last Year:

The Trail Blazers finished with a 33-49 regular season which ended on a sour 13-straight losing streak. While a 33-win season would seem to indicate that it was a poor season, there were many positives to come out of it. First and foremost, the main positive was the emergence of Rookie of the Year Damian Lillard. After averaging 19 points and 6.5 assists per game, Portland saw their next superstar develop as the rookie gained experience. Franchise centerpiece LaMarcus Aldridge had a career-high 9.1 rebounds per game and solidified his case as a top-tier power forward. With a strong starting lineup, it was the bench that let the team down as they had the worst performing bench in the league. With a winning record at home, Portland looked to finish as the eighth seed before flailing when playing away and eventually falling out of contention.

What’s Changed:

Robin Lopez was acquired from the New Orleans Pelicans along with Terrel Harris for Jeff Withey, a future second-round pick and cash considerations. At 25 and averaging 11.3 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.6 blocks last season, Robin Lopez is exactly what the Blazers were in need of without spending a fortune. Lopez is the twin brother of Brooklyn Nets All-Star Brook Lopez. Although he isn’t as decorated as his brother, he brings a defensive mindset and an energetic playing style to the table. The Trail Blazers struggled with their interior defense last season due to undersized J.J. Hickson, a 6′ 9″ power forward, having to man the middle.

Also, Portland acquired Thomas Robinson from the Houston Rockets in exchange for two future second-round picks and NBA rights to Kostas Papnikolaou and Marko Todorovic. At 22, Thomas Robinson is loaded with potential and the Trail Blazers are ready to discover it. Rip City is his third destination after just his rookie season, but the Blazers will hopefully notice his 11.4 points and 10.7 rebounds per 36 minutes and keep him on board for more than half a season.

Dorell Wright was signed to a two-year, $6 million deal and shot 37.4 percent from 3 last season. Not often do you have five deadly 3-point shooters on the same team, but the Trail Blazers are exactly that. With Wesley Matthews, Nicolas Batum, Damian Lillard and now C.J. McCollum and Dorell Wright, it’ll be raining 3s in Rip City almost as much as it actually rains in Portland. Wright will be a fantastic backup to Batum and could even step in to a starting role if either Matthews or Batum go down with an injury. His best season was with Golden State in 2010-11 when he averaged 16.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game.

Prediction:

The Blazers will fight with their way through the season and finish with the eighth seed in a loaded Western Conference. The trades and signings of the off season have reinvigorated the Blazers and should spark a revival. A regular season record of around .500 will see Lillard establish himself as a top-10 point guard in the league.