In early September 2023, the Portland Trail Blazers had a serious dilemma of whether to trade their franchise player, Damian Lillard. Trade talks did not start until Jody Allen, Owner of the Portland Trail Blazers, declared, “We really need to move on. We’ve got great young talent. We’re not like other rebuilding teams who don’t have a strong core of young players. It’s time to turn the page.” After the conference call, Trail Blazers General Manager, Joe Cronin, went to work, ignored Lillard’s wishes to a trade to Miami, and sent him to the Milwaukee Bucks for a haul of draft picks and landed Deandre Ayton.
On Friday the Trail Blazers (15-42) played the Memphis Grizzlies (20-39). According to ESPN, the tickets at the FedEx Forum were as low as $2.00. This seems like a new low for the Memphis Grizzlies except the Grizzlies owner, Robert Pera, is currently in a dispute with his wealthy Miami Beach neighbors for blasting his Jumbotron television 24 hours a day. Residents said, “Even by Miami standards, this place is on another level. It’s a Goliath.” Last night got worse for the Grizzlies losing to the Trail Blazers 92-122 without playing against Scoot Henderson or Deandre Ayton. Blazers had a 40-point 3rd quarter. Jabari Walker and Dalano Banton each led the team in points with 19 each.
Trail Blazers Murky Future
As for the Blazers future, Ayton has been averaging 14.3 points and 10.6 rebounds scoring 57% from the field. However, it is an open question whether Ayton is merely a looter in a riot, getting rebounds because someone has to get rebounds or whether he is a winning player worthy of a max contract or as Ayton put it, “DominAyton.”
Scoot Henderson seems to follow his Coach Chauncey Billups in being a pass first point guard. Henderson is averaging 12.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 4.7 assists with a 37.5% field goal percentage. His career high is 33 points against the point guard-less Phoenix Suns in a 127-116 loss. In an age where offense is king, Henderson has the following offensive problems:
- 4 points in 27 minutes against the Philadelphia 76ers
- 2 points in 22 minutes against the Cleveland Cavaliers
- 3 points in 17 minutes against the Utah Jazz
- 4 points in 26 minutes against the Washington Wizards
- 4 points in 23 minutes against the Los Angeles Lakers
- 4 points in 22 minutes against the Chicago Bulls.
Henderson is finding new meaning to Moses Malone’s iconic phrase, fo-fo-fo. Are these franchises on the right path? Doubt it.
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