Portland Trail Blazers An All-Star Center Away From Elite Status
By Sai Mohan
The Portland Trail Blazers put the basketball world on notice last season. After securing the fifth seed, they gave the Golden State Warriors a legitimate scare in the second round of the playoffs.
After finishing off the Portland Trail Blazers in five games, Golden State Warriors star Klay Thompson called it “the closest five-game series of all-time” while Draymond Green admittedly “gained a lot of respect” for the young Portland squad.
It was a mighty impressive effort for a team that had lost four of its five starters in the aftermath of back-to-back 50-win seasons. Coach Terry Stotts and the front office accumulated a collection of young castaways, low-risk, high-reward players who fit hand and glove.
Think about this: the 2015-16 Trail Blazers payroll was $51 million while the Clippers were assembled for $96 million.
Damian Lillard and Stotts are contracted until 2020.
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C.J. McCollum, Lillard’s backcourt running mate, is expected to sign a long-term extension soon. The likes of Al-Farouq Aminu, Allen Crabbe, Mason Plumlee, Maurice Harkless and Meyers Leonard round off an impressive young core to build around.
They are expected to match any and all offer sheets received by Leonard, Harkless and Crabbe, the trio of restricted free agents. They also intend to bring back Gerald Henderson.
The Blazers have a clear-cut path mapped out for the next five seasons. They are now about to cross the threshold from competitive to elite. This massive step will start with free agency starting Friday.
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Portland will have approximately $40 million to spend on at least one max free agent this summer. According to several reports, their primary targets are big men Al Horford and Hassan Whiteside.
If Portland can somehow secure one of the two, they will elevate to the upper echelon of the West.
Historically, marquee free agents have stayed away from the small-market Oregon club. Mo Williams and Chris Kaman are the last two All-Stars to join them. Nothing to write home about. But the NBA is changing and the lure of big-market franchises has waned in recent years.
For the players, it boils down to 1) culture, 2) roster, 3) coaching staff and 4) fan base. Portland has all the boxes ticked.
Moreover, Portland’s cohesiveness and fighting spirit should resonate with free agents.
"“I think our culture that we’ve established this season is something that guys (free agents) would want to be a part of,” superstar point guard Lillard said during the team’s exit press conference."
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Last month,
glossed over the inspirational locker room speech that owner Paul Allen delivered at the end of the season.
According to Jason Quick, Allen “stood before the Blazers and told them he was proud. Proud of how hard they worked. Proud of how they stayed together.”
Lillard acknowledged that Allen was speaking from the heart. “What he said came from the heart. You could hear it in his voice. He really meant what he was saying. He saw that we left it out there, and he saw how bad we wanted it. And he felt it, he felt what we did,” said the all-star guard.
According to ESPN’s Michael Wallace, the Hassan Whiteside sweepstakes are down to Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors and the Blazers.
If Whiteside intends to be a part of a cohesive locker room led by a proven coach, he should give Portland serious consideration.
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The current Trail Blazers team is reminiscent of the 2013 Warriors. They are on the brink of doing special things. The free agent who hitches his wagon to this star won’t regret the decision.