There are a couple of key differences between the Portland Trail Blazers and the just-covered Raptors, and very few of them offer support for Rip City’s greater odds.
The Blazers were lean annually, buttressing a elite starting five with next to nothing off the bench. Bringing in Chris Kaman and Steve Blake doesn’t feel like a remedy that is Fantastic.
Of course, second-year shield C.J. McCollum needs to see his role increase this year, and he’s got the combo-guard skills to make an effect. Head coach Terry Stotts is apparently leaning toward him as a sixth man; McCollum directed all Blazers reserves in minutes per game during the preseason.
For all this, it is difficult to grasp why Portland is seen as a larger title threat than Toronto. The Blazers’ convention is tougher, their seat remains thinner and they finished the year at just 23-19 following a start. Portland is a good team, but it might not be more than that.
It’ll be around Damian Lillard, LaMarcus Aldridge and the rest of the starters to replicate that fifth-ranked offensive evaluation. If they can not do this, imagine defense and an underwhelming chair may finally hit among last year’s biggest surprises with a painful dose of reality.
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