Portland Trail Blazers playing well, but big changes could be coming
The Portland Trail Blazers went 3-0 last week. However, the team is still looking to make improvements for the future.
ESPN‘s Chris Haynes reported early Tuesday morning that Portland Trail Blazers owner Paul Allen and star guard Damian Lillard met privately to discuss the franchise’s direction for the future.
According to Haynes, the meeting occurred before the team’s Jan. 18 matchup against the Indiana Pacers. His sources called it “a productive, open forum to share opinions and express concerns” that went well enough to possibly garner future sit-downs.
The Blazers went on to beat Indiana 100-86. As a matter of fact, the meeting came in the middle of a 3-0 week for Portland. The team picked up home wins over the Phoenix Suns, Pacers and Dallas Mavericks by an average margin of 10.0 points per game.
Lillard shined during those three games, earning Western Conference Player of the Week honors. He averaged 29.3 points, 8.0 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game over that span. Lillard also shot 52.7 percent from the field, 52.0 percent from 3-point range and made all 17 of his free throw attempts.
That story of the private meeting can seem jarring when contrasting it with what happened on the court. However, it shows that Lillard and Allen are focused on the long-term, despite the team’s short-term gains.
Lillard has stated before that he wants to win an NBA championship for the Rip City faithful. However, with the team currently 25-22 and seventh in the Western Conference, it doesn’t look like this year will be “The Year.”
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Time is running out. Lillard is currently 27 years old and under contract until just before his 31st birthday. That is likely the window for his most productive seasons. If Portland is going to win a title with Lillard leading the charge, it’s going to have to make the necessary changes to be a contender sooner rather than later.
So what changes are on the horizon? Will it involve trading players? The Feb. 8 trade deadline looms, and fellow Blazers writer Ty Delbridge has thrown around more than a few trade ideas worth considering.
But making moves will be tough to do. The Blazers have some unattractive contracts on their books. Two of the largest contracts belong to players that aren’t even in the current rotation. Meyers Leonard is owed $41 million over four seasons, but has only played 15 games this year. Meanwhile, Maurice Harkless is being paid $42 million over four seasons. He has appeared in 37 games this year, but has sat out the last three by coach’s decision.
Marc Stein of the New York Times tweeted Monday afternoon that Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan could be a possible target. However, he immediately clarified that nothing has advanced beyond the talking stage at this time.
The Trail Blazers are among the teams that have tried to engage the Clippers in trade talks for DeAndre Jordan, according to league sources
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) January 22, 2018
But league sources say that the Clippers have yet to receive a proposal from Cleveland, Milwaukee, Portland or anyone else that they’ve found seriously tempting https://t.co/vszOca0qJ1
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) January 22, 2018
Could incoming changes be administrative? Haynes indicates that Lillard gave a “heartfelt” vote of confidence for head coach Terry Stotts.
Honestly, that was the right move. Stotts purposely stays out of the way of front office decisions, choosing to do his best with the players given to him. At that same time, Paul Allen is a wealthy man that gives his general manager freedom to make deals. He is also willing to open his checkbook if he thinks it will lead the team to a championship.
Therefore, this situation ultimately falls on GM Neil Olshey. I’ve previously stated my appreciation for Olshey, his ambition and his accomplishments over his entire career. However, it’s clear at this point that the gambles he took in re-forming the roster haven’t worked out. I still think he’s a good GM, but it might be time to find a fresh set of eyes, an executive with a different perspective on how to build a contending team.
Portland will fight to end January on a strong note. Their next challenge is the Minnesota Timberwolves. The T-Wolves are third in the Western Conference, 7-3 over their last 10 games and have defeated the Blazers twice already this season.
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But as the Portland Trail Blazers battle on the court, it will be interesting to see if any major changes occur to the roster or front office along the way. There are a lot of paths they can take. It’s clear that they want to select the one that leads to an NBA title.