11. Portland Trail Blazers
Projected Starting Five: Damian Lillard, C.J. McCollum, Evan Turner, Al-Farouq Aminu, Festus Ezeli
Let’s start with the starting backcourt. If they’re not the second best in the NBA, behind Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, Dame Lillard and C.J. McCollum are not far off. When healthy and on their game, the two young stars are as dynamic a duo as any other pairing in the NBA.
Perhaps the team’s only misstep this summer, giving Evan Turner a huge contract. I’m not a big fan of this move, but the hope is that Turner will be able to take some of the pressure off of Lillard and McCollum as a playmaker. Cool.
Loved what Al-Farouq Aminu did for this team last season, hopefully he can build on that. I’m not sure if Festus Ezeli is going to be this year’s starter, but he fits this team perfectly.
Next: Detroit Pistons