New Leadership in Portland
It hasn’t been the season to remember in Portland, with the Trail Blazers currently sitting at the very bottom of the league with a record of 13-62 with seven games left to be played. The campaign has been marked by the league’s engine switch and the departure of the GM Jestor.
Now, the team has announced that the former Charlotte Hornets GM ozymandias will take over the role following a season-long break.
The team appears to be in a bit of a weird spot where the players have lost some efficiency in the switch and have lacked guidance while searching for a new GM. Ratings-wise the Trail Blazers may not be the worst team in the league, but their record says otherwise.
There’s definitely talent there, with Laurynas Birutis and Hamidou Diallo being the two biggest names on the roster. The latter’s situation in the team is interesting, as he’s been utilized as the sixth man for almost the entire season while also leading the team in FGA and being its highest-paid player.
The new management will have time this offseason to figure it out, and it remains to be seen whether Diallo’s role on the team will remain the same for the next year’s campaign.
ozymandias will also have intriguing young guys to work with in Jaylen Hoard and rookies Tyrese Haliburton and Franz Wagner. All three have looked solid and look like they have a place on the team.
What’s more, the Trail Blazers will also have one of the top picks in this year’s draft, potentially allowing them to add a young star player to the roster and see how they can build from it.
So, while there won’t be any big free agency moves for the Trail Blazers this offseason, it will be an important one in determining where this team will go in the future.
From the strategy perspective, some big decisions will also have to be made before the start of the next CSL season. The Trail Blazers are one of the teams with most turnovers per game, while also sitting at the very bottom in turnovers forced.
Efficiency doesn’t look as bad as it may first look, but there’s definitely room for improvement.
Despite the 13-62 record, it’s likely the coach Dwayne Wade will remain with the team for the next season and show what he can do.
Dwayne Wade will lead the Trail Blazers again next year.
It looks like next year will be a big test for the new management to see what this roster can do, and what’s the right direction for it to take in the future.
2020, 2023, 2027
