{"id":52044,"date":"2023-07-28T09:21:44","date_gmt":"2023-07-28T13:21:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=52044"},"modified":"2023-07-28T09:21:44","modified_gmt":"2023-07-28T13:21:44","slug":"2023-24-nba-power-rankings-offseason-edition-no-26-portland-trail-blazers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2023\/07\/28\/2023-24-nba-power-rankings-offseason-edition-no-26-portland-trail-blazers\/","title":{"rendered":"2023-24 NBA Power Rankings Offseason Edition: No. 26 Portland Trail Blazers"},"content":{"rendered":"

What are the Portland Trail Blazers<\/a> trying to do? Are they rebuilding, or are they trying to make another playoff push? It is well known that Damian Lillard<\/strong><\/a> wants to be in Miami<\/a>. But Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin is doing the right thing for the organization by holding out for the best deal he can get. However, will this inaction affect team chemistry, as there is reportedly distrust between Lillard and the franchise<\/a>?<\/p>\n

“We’re going to do what’s best for our team,” Cronin told reporters at the Las Vegas Summer League<\/a>. “We’re going to see how this lands. And if it takes months, it takes months.”<\/p>\n

“I don’t feel that I did everything I could because I didn’t get done what I needed to get done,” Cronin said. “In that sense, I do feel like I failed Dame. Our goal was to win now as quickly as possible. If he didn’t feel that way, it was a failure on my end.”<\/p>\n

2023-24 NBA Power Rankings Offseason Edition: No. 26 Portland Trail Blazers<\/h2>\n

Portland missed the playoffs for the second straight season, finishing with the fifth-worst record (33-49). But the Blazers were just four games under .500 in the games that Lillard played. They also were one of the winners of the 2023 draft lottery, moving up two spots to No. 3, where they selected G League Ignite sensation Scoot Henderson<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Portland also selected Kris Murray<\/strong><\/a> at No. 23 in the first round and Rayan Rupert<\/strong><\/a> with the No. 43 pick. The only two other moves the Trail Blazers made were re-signing\u00a0Jerami Grant<\/a><\/strong> and Matisse Thybulle<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

While everyone waits on Portland’s decision, the Blazers can’t be totally discounted even when Lillard is dealt. He can play at an elite level, as he showed last year. Grant, Anfernee Simons<\/strong><\/a>, and Jusuf Nurkic<\/strong><\/a> are excellent role players. Thus, the reason the Trail Blazers start at N0. 26<\/a> in my power rankings<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Blazers’ Summer League Recap<\/h3>\n

Portland went 3-2 in the 2K24 Las Vegas Summer League. It was a mixed bag of results for the Trail Blazers overall. Henderson was fantastic in the 22 minutes he was on the court before he suffered a shoulder injury. Keon Johnson<\/strong><\/a> also was injured in Vegas.<\/p>\n

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\ud83c\udf99 Scoot on the mic#SummerBlazers<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/K8pgnAJFh8<\/a><\/p>\n

— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) July 8, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n