The Portland Trail Blazers will be young and likely without Damian Lillard in 2023-24, but that doesn’t mean they can’t contend for a postseason spot.
Losing the franchise’s all-time leading scorer and the best shooter Portland has ever seen is certainly a major blow. Depending on rookies like Scoot Henderson and Kris Murray and 20-year-old sophomore Shaedon Sharpe won’t come without growing pains.
But there are reasons for optimism in Portland.
The Trail Blazers could be stealth contenders for the postseason this year
Henderson and Sharpe possess out-of-this-world basketball talent, and though they’re raw, they may surprise some people around the NBA this season with how advanced their offensive games are.