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Portland Trail Blazers 2015 NBA Season Preview

By Cody Williams

Apr 27, 2015; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) reacts after making a 3 point basket against the Memphis Grizzlies during the fourth quarter in game four of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at the Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 27, 2015; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) reacts after making a 3 point basket against the Memphis Grizzlies during the fourth quarter in game four of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at the Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 12, 2015; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard C.J. McCollum (3) reacts after flagrantly fouling Utah Jazz guard Gordon Hayward (20) in the fourth quarter at EnergySolutions Arena. Portland Trail Blazers guard C.J. McCollum (3) was ejected from the game. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Swinger-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 12, 2015; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard C.J. McCollum (3) reacts after flagrantly fouling Utah Jazz guard Gordon Hayward (20) in the fourth quarter at EnergySolutions Arena. Portland Trail Blazers guard C.J. McCollum (3) was ejected from the game. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Swinger-USA TODAY Sports /

Offensive Breakdown

The Portland Trail Blazers unsurprisingly were one of the better offensive teams in the league last season, ranking eighth in the NBA in terms of offensive efficiency as they averaged 105.5 points per 100 possessions. With Damian Lillard, LaMarcus Aldridge, and then talented wings like Nicolas Batum and Wesley Matthews, this team was one of the most versatile and dangerous offensive teams around the Association.

The problem coming into this season is that everyone in their starting lineup except for Lillard is no longer in Portland. Instead of having Aldridge to run the offense through, you have to imagine that the point guard is going to be the central figure on that end of the floor.

The unknown quantity of the Blazers offense this season is what it will look like with all of these new pieces being pushed up in the pecking order. We know players like C.J. McCollum, Maurice Harkless, and Meyers Leonard have shown offensive prowess in limited roles, but how they perform when they’re relied on more heavily in the Portland offense this season.

Defensive Breakdown

Particularly aided by the addition of Robin Lopez at the center position last season, the Trail Blazers were a top-10 defensive team in the league last year. Between Lopez, Nicolas Batum, and Wesley Matthews, the team was wrought with defensive talent. However, the thing that keeps looming over this team is that none of those three players are suiting up for Portland this season.

Their new group of starters has the potential to be at least fun on the offensive end of the floor, but I’m terrified to see what they look like defensively. They don’t have nearly the same caliber of perimeter defenders out there and Mason Plumlee isn’t the rim-protector and overall defender that Lopez was. Things could get really ugly for this Trail Blazers team in trying to keep opponents from scoring.

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