NBA: 4 sleepers primed to take advantage of Warriors’ struggles
Portland Trail Blazers
Portland has quietly kept plugging along in the West while teams like the Lakers and Clippers have garnered most of the attention coming into the season.
The Trail Blazers return their two most important pieces, Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, and have done a good job replacing some of the pieces they lost. Hassan Whiteside has filled the hole left by Enes Kanter‘s departure, while Zach Collins and Anfernee Simons have provided solid minutes as well.
The Trail Blazers’ biggest limitation against top contenders in the West will be its efficiency on offense. The defense has been solidified by Whiteside, and the offense has been fairly smooth thus far but relies heavily on the shot-making ability of Lillard and McCollum.
Next. New York Knicks: RJ Barrett enjoying an impressive start to rookie season. dark
Historically, top-level defenders like Kawhi Leonard and Klay Thompson have been able to slow them enough to ultimately defeat the Blazers. Thompson may be out for the year, but there are plenty of high-level defensive players left in the Western Conference.