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The Portland Trail Blazers are dangerously close to missing their championship window. Dame Lillard is now 31-years-old and missed all but 29 games this season due to injury. The organization elected to use it as a rebuilding year and handed the reigns to Anfernee Simons. The 27-55 record left the franchise out of the postseason and gave them the 7th pick in the draft. While the lottery may not have fallen their way, Portland also holds the 36th and 57th selections.
The Trail Blazers will be looking for a drastic turnaround this year as they hope to maximize Dame Lillard’s remaining prime. The Draft may not provide them with the top-end talent they had hoped for, but there is still a chance to fill some needs. Here are the biggest areas to target with the selections.
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Blazers' 3 biggest needs entering 2022 NBA Draft
Star Potential
As the Trail Blazers continued to rake up losses this year, it was clear they were searching for a top draft selection. The odds were not in their favor and Portland was given the 7th pick in the draft. It was quite clear from Dame Lillard’s reaction that this was not exactly what he hoped.
The reaction from Damian Lillard after the Blazers fall into the 7th pick in the NBA draft lottery
Is he happy? 😅pic.twitter.com/9xxxUAqtC7
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 18, 2022
Regardless, the team must deal with the cards they are dealt and capitalize on this. While the first three picks are somewhat clear, there is more up in the air with the next few selections. The Trail Blazers are in search of another star and this should not change with the 7th pick. Portland has done well picking outside the top five and must hope for this to continue. Dame Lillard was the 6th overall pick and CJ McCollum was selected at number 10.
Look for the Trail Blazers to take the player they believe has the highest potential. Whether this ends up being a guy who can help the team now, a piece of the franchise's future in the post-Lillard era, or an eventual trade piece for the missing player; the logic must remain the same. Keep an eye on Shaedon Sharpe and Bennedict Mathurin if they choose to swing for the fence although Portland will certainly be rooting for a top prospect to fall.
Forward Who Can Score
As great as Dame Lillard is, he cannot carry an offensive load by himself. It has been since the days of LaMarcus Aldridge since Lillard has had a reliable big man who he can count on to score. While guys like Nic Batum and Carmelo Anthony came and went, there has not been a reliable enough option to help the team. CJ McCollum is a very good player who worked well with Lillard, however, their similar playstyle and position at times got repetitive. Anfernee Simons is coming off an impressive year, but similar critiques can be applied.
The best way to open up Lillard’s game would be to provide him with a forward who can score reliably. The Trail Blazers have lacked shot creation on the roster and adding a forward with this capability would go a long way toward opening things up. This is not the easiest skill set to find, but the Trail Blazers must be on the hunt.
Defensive Big Man
When looking ahead to the roster next season, the Trail Blazers lack size in a major way. Greg Brown is the only player big man set to return next season. While there likely are some free agent targets that Portland has their eyes on, there are plenty of options in the draft. This class of rookies holds several notable big men who fit the modern NBA including some with second-round projections.
Christian Koloko, Walker Kessler, and Trevion Williams are three names to watch. Koloko is especially appealing as he averaged 12.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks on a talented Arizona team this season. While they might not bring as much of an immediate impact as Portland hopes, each of these guys could potentially play rotational minutes. Expect the Trail Blazers to have their eyes on a big man with the later picks.
