The Portland Trail Blazers moved on from starters Anfernee Simons and Deandre Ayton this summer, and those moves alone could help them leap up the Western Conference standings. Portland was over six points worse per 100 possessions when at least one of Simons or Ayton was on the court last season; defense was the primary reason why that was the case.
Blazers will have an elite defense without Simons and Ayton
Simons has consistently been at the bottom of Portland's roster in defensive rating since entering the league in 2018. Ayton isn't as bad on that end of the court, but his absence is still significant considering his buyout clears the path for defensive anchor Donovan Clingan.