My contention is that the young guards are going to continue get a lot better, that they are the future ASs. They are already pretty decent at 21 and clearly have improved considerably in the last year. Most players improve a lot between the ages of 21 and 25 and they have the physical gifts to be special once they really put things together. It's not a sure thing, but this year has been very encouraging STOMP
I think Shaedon and the team will look better in an offense that produces and encourages more ball movement. Shaedon spends too much time going iso with a handle that isn't good enough. If he can get his opportunities more off ball ala Rip or Klay except going down hill, I think we'll see even better results.
If Shaedon's J evolves to the level of automatic of a RIP or Klay, this team will absolutely contend as one of the biggest things they lack is a true lead offensive weapon. Not sure thats in the cards though as most great shooters seem to have that as a god given gift that they hone rather then something they develop over time. Fingers crossed on that but I don't see Sharpe as having an innate feel for it. I'd 100% love it if the team relied more on ball movement and continuous motion. Iso ball is boring, selfish & undependable unless you've a Roy/Dame sort of talent. Hopefully they move Ant to the bench next year and take advantage of having two ballhandlers/passers (Scoot & Deni) in their lineup & the youngins all up their 3 ball percentages a tick or two STOMP
Egor Demin is willing to shoot and has plenty to improve, but his passing/playmaking and size would be outstanding. Bigs at PF who are lob threats and good feet to complement Clingan. AND shooting. Absolutely. With the young 5 and bench crew, the bones of a good team are there. A contender? That’s a lot of development and a lot better coach. Toumani taking a couple steps with Deni (having at least one more?) is better as multi-position forwards and D than LMA and Batum. Deni’s best position is a starter on the court all the time.
There are many examples of coaches varying their offense from year to year, usually to best fit their roster's talent. If Portland wants to increase ball movement in their attack, adding a few catch and shoot guys would help the effectiveness of that cause. Currently they're 23rd in the league in 3pt% which speaks to their struggles. The only team shooting a lower percentage from 3s below them in the playoff mix is Houston. STOMP
