This past month, we have been in the slowest part of the NBA season. Free agency is over, the draft is over, and summer league is over. It isn’t until training camp starts up that things heat back up in the NBA world. Although it has been slow, there are a few things that have happened this past month that have to do with the Portland Trail Blazers. I will go over those things here to catch everyone up.
2014 FIBA World Cup
As you may be aware, Damian Lillard was one of the last players to be cut from the final 12 players on the USA basketball team last month. He was then named as an injury replacement player if needed. No injuries took place and Lillard never partook in any of the official games. USA went on to win the gold medal.
Nicolas Batum played very well for France in those FIBA basketball world cup games. He was named to the All-Star Five. He scored 35 points in their semifinals loss to Serbia and followed that up with a 27 point performance in a win against Lithuania in the bronze medal game. I think it’s safe to say that he is ready for the NBA season.
Player Rankings
All of the Blazers starting five made SI’s top 100 players. That can be seen here, along with other rankings. Or see below:
Robin Lopez was ranked number 82
Wesley Matthews landed at 72
Batum jumped to the top 50 with a 43 ranking
Lillard finished at 22
LaMarcus Aldridge fell just outside the top 10 at number 12.
Every team’s starting five amounts to 150 players. For the Blazers to have all five of theirs ranked nearly in the top half of that is a complimenting feat. It’s also well deserved. This starting five complements each other so well.
Batum and Robin have great chemistry on the floor; their pick-and-roll connections are one of my favorites to watch. Lopez also fits alongside Aldridge on both ends of the floor. He has been a tremendous upgrade over J.J. Hickson. Lillard and Aldridge are a great pairing with their inside outside game, pick-and-rolls, pick-and-pops, dump it down to LA and he kicks out for the open three when double teamed. The two are nearly unstoppable. You add Batum and Matthews, who are great long range shooters as well, to the mix and you have a more deadly combination.
Everything fits like a puzzle with this starting five. It is just up to the bench to continue to get better, and they’re headed in the right direction.
Stay tuned for ESPN’s current 2014 NBA player rankings. They have finished players 350-500. They have quite a bit to go still. Ex-Blazer and former number 1 pick Greg Oden falls at 480 on the list. ESPN even made a typo and listed former Blazer Elliot Williams as a current Blazer. Williams ranked 439. Here’s how some of the current Blazers have fared so far:
James Southerland (set to participate in training camp) – 470
Allen Crabbe – 457
Victor Claver – 435
Joel Freeland – 404
Meyer Leonard – 356
Commercials
Damian Lillard has become a star on and off their field. He has become a popular face for adidas with the new boost or bust campaign, and recently a new face for EA Sports. He is set to grace the cover of NBA Live 15 and even played a cameo in the hilarious NFL Madden 15 promo video.
Lillard has been a busy guy this offseason with holding his own camps, trying out for the Olympic team, and doing nonstop commercials. A star has been born, and I can’t wait to see what how much better he gets in his third year. Can the season just start tomorrow?
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