Which players on the Trail Blazers roster will be a part of their regular rotation, and what will their roles be?
STARTERS
PG Damian Lillard
SG Anfernee Simons
SF Nassir Little
PF Jerami Grant
C Jusuf Nurkic
BENCH ROTATION
Josh Hart
Gary Payton II
Shaedon Sharpe
Trendon Watford
DEEP BENCH – VETERANS
Devonte Cacok
Drew Eubanks
Olivier Sarr
Justise Winslow
DEEP BENCH – DEVELOPING YOUTH
Greg Brown
Keon Johnson
Jabari Walker
Brandon Williams
LIKELY TO BE WAIVED
Wes Iwundu
Isaiah Miller
Jared Rhoden
POSITION BATTLES
There are some questions regarding who will start at shooting guard and small forward vs. who will come off the bench and in what order. Simons and Little appear to have the inside track. Simons certainly has earned a spot based on his play last year while Lillard was out. But after years of pairing Lillard with CJ McCollum in a small backcourt, the Blazers might decide that it’s time for a change. Josh Hart could be a more traditional backcourt partner for Lillard, at least to start the game off. Of course, eventually the team is hoping that their first round draft pick, Shaedon Sharpe, fills that role; it’s difficult, though, to imagine Sharpe ascending there so quickly, given his age and lack of experience.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
The team’s bench is a little thin in the frontcourt. If young players like Greg Brown or Jabari Walker expand their games and increase their consistency, the team would certainly open up minutes for them to avoid overworking the oft-injured Jerami Grant and Jusuf Nurkic. On the wings, the team is hoping that this is the stop where Justise Winslow finally puts all of the pieces together. Winslow is entering his 8th season but is still only 26 years old and has averaged double figures 3 of the last 4 seasons, albeit in spot duty as he’s dealt with a litany of injuries.