NBA Rumors: 11 Frighteningly bad early-season narratives fans should be worried about

The Portland Trail Blazers fumbled the Damian Lillard trade

A year later, the Portland Trail Blazers aren't in a great position after the trade of Damian Lillard. While that may not be entirely all that surprising, it is considering many praised the Blazers for the young talent they were able to develop on the fly. After the first week of the season, it's safe to revisit some of those takes. One of the bigger reasons why the Blazers felt "fine" with moving on from Lillard revolved around the selection of Scoot Henderson as the No. 3 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.

However, through the first week of this season, he's still a player that's struggling to find his groove. Shaedon Sharpe has continued to struggle with injuries and Deandre Ayton very much leaves much to be desired as the centerpiece of the Lillard deal.

All in all, the Blazers are not in a great situation and have to be rethinking how reliable this young core is after all. Portland has very few certainties, and their young core likely isn't one of them anymore.