Portland Trail Blazers: 2015-16 Season Outlook

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Apr 27, 2015; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) reacts after making a 3 point basket against the Memphis Grizzlies during the fourth quarter in game four of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at the Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports /

Three Key Storylines

1. How Good Can Damian Lillard Be?

Part of the reason LaMarcus Aldridge left Portland was the feeling that the front office favored Damian Lillard over him. What’s ironic is his departure gave way to a self-fulfilling prophecy when the Blazers rewarded Lillard with a massive five-year, $125 million-plus extension that will keep him in Portland for the next six years.

It makes sense; Lillard is an All-Star caliber player and he was really the only member of Portland’s starting five that it made sense for Portland to keep with Aldridge leaving. The Blazers couldn’t afford to let their second best player leave in the near future, so by making him the franchise’s foundation, they have something to build on. It was a no-brainer, really.

The only question is, now that Lillard is the undisputed No. 1 option on offense, just how great can he be?

. @Dame_Lillard officially signs a 5-year extension, no options, which Lillard says "shows that this is a partnership that we want to last"
— Casey Holdahl (@CHold) July 9, 2015

On the one hand, you’d figure that as his usage skyrockets, Lillard’s numbers will be even higher than the 21 points, 6.2 assists and 4.6 rebounds per game he averaged last year. But defenses will also be able to key in on Lillard like never before, which could hurt the efficiency of a guy who already had a down shooting season last year (34.3 percent from three-point range).

Lillard has never shot better than 43.4 percent from the field in his three seasons in the league, and he’s a defensive turnstile. Now that he’s fully in charge, will the clutch heroics of “Lillard Time” be the story in 2015-16? Or will we come to understand that Lillard may have been a bit overrated this whole time while playing in an ideal environment?

I don’t think Lillard will fail as this team’s new leader, though it’s unreasonable to expect him to lead this group of role players to the postseason. For the 25-year-old Lillard, the 2015-16 season represents his opportunity to prove he belongs in the conversation with the elite point guards of this league. Focusing on his defensive effort would be a fine place to start.

Next: Storyline: Are McCollum And Leonard Ready?

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