The Trail Blazers have had a surprising offseason, leaving head coach Chauncey Billups with a difficult decision regarding who Portland's starters will be heading into the 2025-26 season. Does he lean into their win-now approach with veterans Jerami Grant and Jrue Holiday? Or have Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe shown enough progress to fully embrace the youth movement? Perhaps the answer is a combination of these extremes, resembling Portland's unique two-timeline roster.
But one thing is for certain: Billups loves his defense. And for that reason, Sharpe is fighting an uphill battle to crack the starting unit more than the others.