How the Portland Trail Blazers can construct an ideal roster to keep Damian Lillard happy going into the 2021-22 NBA season
It was recently confirmed that Chauncey Billups will take over as the new Portland Trail Blazers coach. Billups, a former point guard in the league, will get an opportunity to work with Damian Lillard, inarguably one of the best point guards in the NBA right now.
However, the Portland Trail Blazers are in turmoil following a premature playoff exit at the hands of the Denver Nuggets. Following the loss, rumors were suggesting Damian Lillard wanted to part ways with the franchise. Now, with Billups being appointed, his and Portland's No.1 job should be to keep Lillard happy.
The Portland Trail Blazers will have to construct their roster keeping Damian Lillard in mind
The Portland Trail Blazers have managed to make just one Conference final since Damian Lillard's emergence. Their last two NBA campaigns ended in first-round exits, as the franchise has consistently underachieved towards the business end of the season.
The major reason behind the Blazers' constant struggles in the playoffs is poor roster construction and their inability to take risks in the offseason. The Portland Trail Blazers have missed out on three big names in the past few years, players that could have potentially changed the fate of the team - Paul George, Jimmy Butler, and James Harden.
Instead of going for a bonafide superstar, the Portland Trail Blazers appeared to be content pairing Damian Lillard up with shooting guard CJ McCollum. The Cleveland native is an impactful player on the offensive front, but his defense has always let the team down on crucial occasions. Even during McCollum's career year, his deficiencies on the defensive end were glaring.
The Portland Trail Blazers' championship window winds down as Damian Lillard grows older. Therefore, the front office must urgently add a second star who can share the scoring and playmaking burden with Lillard, apart from being a serviceable defender.
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Secondly, the Portland Trail Blazers will need to add the right role players around Damian Lillard. Jusuf Nurkic's production hasn't been up to the mark in the last few years, and role players like Derrick Jones Jr., Enes Kanter, Zach Collins, and even Carmelo Anthony don't look like they are cut off for a grueling championship run.
The Portland Trail Blazers desperately need to add a point-of-attack defender, a quality back-up point guard to deputize for Damian Lillard and a few defensive specialists. The only role players who look likely to make an impact come crunch time are Norman Powell (who has a player option for the 2021-22 season) and Robert Covington.
This indicates that the Blazers are desperately short on role players who can influence the game despite not having a lot of touches. The 2021 free agency class will be stacked with some noteworthy role players. The Portland Trail Blazers should be able to swoop for some of these peripheral talents if they are to give Damian Lillard and their team the best chance to win a championship.
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