7. Portland Trail Blazers
X-Factor: Jusuf Nurkic
The Trial Blazers finished 2016-17 on a 19-8 run. That hot streak got Portland to 41-41 and an 8-seed in the Western Conference. The Blazers will try to ride that hot streak back into the playoffs again this season.
The bulk of the scoring will once again come from the guard pairing of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum. Both set career highs in scoring: 27 PPG and 23 PPG, respectively.
Maurice Harkless and Al-Farouq Aminu are the 3 and 4 in the Portland starting lineup for next season. Both are decent on the offensive end and can knock down perimeter shots, but don’t expect huge scoring production from the pair. Expect solid defense from the two and if they know and understand their roles, Portland will be just fine.
A trade with the Denver Nuggets sent Jusuf Nurkic to the west coast. In his 20 regular season games in Portland, Nurkic scored 15.2 PPG and grabbed 10.4 RPG. His addition definitely aided in Portland’s great run and clinching a playoff spot.
The rotation rounds out with Shabazz Napier, Evan Turner, Ed Davis, Caleb Swanigan, Noah Vonleh, Meyers Leonard, and Zach Collins off the bench.
The guard play will be spectacular offensively. The wings will be the defensive anchors of the squad, and that leaves Nikola Jurkic in the paint. Now out of Nikola Jokic’s shadow, Jurkic has the starting role to himself in Portland. His health and consistency have been issues in the past, but if he stays healthy and productive, watch out for this Blazers squad.
Final Record: 43-39