Portland Trail Blazers season preview
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
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What are Blazers fans most excited to see from Damian Lillard’s return?
Good morning and welcome to the NBA Daily. I'm your host, Andrew Schlocht. Coming up on today's show, we are diving into the Portland Trailblazers with my friend Sean Heiken. Good morning, everyone, and welcome to the show. Sean Hiken. Welcome to the show. We're gonna talk about the Blazers today. How's it going? It's going good, Andrew. I'm always happy to do this. So I I am so curious to hear what you have to say about this. But what is like the one big thing? And it's pr I mean it's probably John Morant, but correct me if I'm wrong. But like what's the biggest thing that Blazers fans are like most looking forward to about the start of
this Blazer season? So it's actually not Ja Morant, it's Damian Lillard, who, you know, people kind of forget about because he re-signed last offseason and then didn't play it all this past season because he was rehabbing the Achilles. Yeah. I think, you know, people people are excited about Jaw. People are curious about how the Jaw thing is gonna go, but If you're wondering what the thing is that everybody is just gonna be losing their minds about on opening night in October, it's gonna be the first time Dame comes in and hits a pull up three. Yeah. In a Portland Trailblazers uniform since 2023. That that makes
sense. Um, I'm think I guess maybe I'm just trapped in my own mind of just like
Why did Portland trade for Ja Morant, and how does he fit?
And I want to ask you this question too, like why did they trade for John Morant? Why did they feel they need to do this? What's like the what what does this team look like now? I th I think the team, if you were to just measure talent, Talent by talent are probably a little bit better today, but I feel like they fit worse at the same time. And so I don't really know because of that. I don't know what to do with the Blazers. Um, but I guess let's just start there. And like your opinion, why did they trade for Jaw? And like how does in your mind, how does he fit with this current version of the Blazers?
So I I think what you just said, the, you know, they got more talented, but their fit of the roster with each other makes a whole lot less sense. I think that's where a lot of the fan base is. That's certainly where I am, I think, if you ask me to evaluate, you know, my own thoughts about the trade, because, you know, just from a pure talent and value standpoint, they gave up Jeremy Grant, which was a contract they've been trying to get off for years, and Chris Murray, who may or may not end up being an NBA rotation player and didn't have to give up any picks, and they got John Morant. So from just like a pure, like in a vacuum talent upside swing, like you can understand why they did it. I don't know how it's gonna work fit wise.
I don't know, frankly, what Ja does or doesn't have left. You know, he hasn't even putting aside the off court stuff, which I'm not really all that worried about, to be honest with you. Uh, he just hasn't really been the same guy on the court over the last few years either. And some of that was due to injuries, but he also just, you know, over the last couple of years, he hasn't had some of the explosiveness that he had his first few years in Memphis. As for why they did it, it was purely just kind of a talent upside value play. I mean, the way that their their front office is gonna uh explain it is that they just needed to get more talent. What I think the actual explanation here is is uh I don't know if you've heard about this, Andrew.
How is new owner Tom Dundon shaping the Trail Blazers’ roster strategy?
It hasn't really gotten a whole lot of like media coverage, but the Blazers have a new owner now. I don't know if you heard of, I don't know if you know about this, but uh they have a new they have a new owner now.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–0:22
2
What are Blazers fans most excited to see from Damian Lillard’s return?
0:22–1:43
3
Why did Portland trade for Ja Morant, and how does he fit?
1:43–3:35
4
How is new owner Tom Dundon shaping the Trail Blazers’ roster strategy?
3:35–9:21
5
Where do the Trail Blazers rank in the West, and what is their ceiling?
9:21–12:41
6
How will Shaedon Sharpe’s injury affect Portland’s season?
12:41–15:56
7
Can Scoot Henderson earn a bigger role and a rookie extension?
15:56–23:54
8
How will Portland balance Damian Lillard, Ja Morant, and Jrue Holiday?
23:54–34:07