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The Portland Trail Blazers got off to the kind of start that had fans in the Pacific Northwest dreaming of a memorable season for their team. Led by Damian Lillard, the Blazers won 10 of their first 14 games and they appeared to be the kind of team that could compete with the Phoenix Suns, Utah Jazz and Denver Nuggets.
However, they have struggled in recent game as a propensity for turnovers has caused them to fall behind in a number of games and they haven’t been able to rally, especially since Lillard has been out with a calf strain.
“These turnovers are kind of killing us as far as our chance to win the right way,” Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic told reporters. “Some nights you win when you have too many turnovers, but you’ve got to be so perfect every night.”
While the Blazers have a fine supporting cast in Josh Hart, Jerami Grant and Nurkic, the Blazers could improve quite a bit if they could protect the ball, limit the turnovers and improve their defense.
Here’s a look at three players who could improve Portland’s ball handling skills and make other contributions.
Monte Morris, Washington Wizards
Morris is familiar to the Blazers since he was with the Nuggets before he was traded to the Wizards in the offseason.
Morris is off to a slow start with the Wizards, as he is averaging just 8.7 points per game while playing slightly more than 27 minutes per game. The one statistical area that looks promising is his 5.0 assists per game.
Morris may look forward to a return to the Western Conference at the trade deadline, and he clearly knows how to play in a supporting role since he played next to Nikola Jokic for the first 5 years of his career.
Patrick Beverley, Los Angeles Lakers
Beverley made headlines this week when he came to the defense of a teammate and shoved the much larger DeAndre Ayton of the Phoenix Suns to the ground. While he has been suspended 3 games for his action, it cements his reputation as a player who will come to the aid of his teammates.
Since the Lakers have faltered so badly this year, there is a chance they could be active in the trade market, and Beverley could be an asset for the Blazers. Beverley averaged 9.2 points and 4.6 assists per game for the Minnesota Timberwolves last year, and he could play key minutes in a supporting role with Portland.
In addition to needing help with their ballhandling, a dose of Beverley’s toughness would help the Blazers quite a bit. He is on an expiring contract, and he has made the NBA’s All-Defense team three times in his career.
DeMar DeRozan, Chicago Bulls
This may be a bit of a reach because he is the Bulls’ best player, but what if this team continues to play inconsistent basketball?
The Bulls have defeated the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks in two of their most recent games, but they lost 6 of 7 games before that.
The Bulls have a losing record and there is no guarantee that they will find a winning formula. DeRozan may grow impatient if the Bulls are going to be on the outside of the playoff structure, and the 33-year-old could be made available in a trade.
DeMar DeRozan and Damian Lillard would be a formidable 1-2 punch, and it could just turn the Portland Trail Blazers into a team that could go deep in the playoffs.