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The Portland Trail Blazers' 2020-21 NBA season was just fine, but as the team has Damian Lillard on its roster, competing to only get out of the first round is not enough. The Blazers were not underachievers in the 2021 NBA Playoffs, but the roster needs some tweaks to establish Portland as a heavy contender for the title.
With the 2021 NBA off-season coming up, the Portland Trail Blazers have already signed a new head coach, with Chauncey Billups taking over as Terry Stotts' tenure with the team ended after the first-round exit.
Picking the right coach was essential for the organization going forward, as keeping Damian Lillard in Portland might be difficult without a solid team and system surrounding him.
3 areas the Portland Trail Blazers must work on in the 2021 NBA off-season
The 2020-21 NBA regular season ended with the Blazers as the sixth seed in the West with a 42-30 record. However, the team was unable to advance in the 2021 NBA Playoffs, as NBA MVP Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets beat them in six games.
Now, the Blazers have big issues to solve if they are going to compete for an NBA title next year. The defensive end might be the most urgent of all, but the right coach could be the first answer in that area, and Billups will surely bring defensive credibility, though he has not been a head coach yet.
The Blazers' offense was great during the 2020-21 NBA season, and if injuries can be kind to Portland next year, the offense could be even better with C.J. McCollum healthy the entire season.
If big changes don't come the Portland Trail Blazers' way, Lillard, McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic could remain as the team's cornerstone pieces. In that case, great role players will be needed for the Blazers to compete in the West in the 2021-22 NBA season.
In this article, we will take a look at three areas the Portland Trail Blazers must take a deep look at to improve the squad for next year.
Without further ado, let's take a look at what the Portland Trail Blazers could try in the 2021 NBA off-season.
#3 Focus on defense
Whoever comes in as the Portland Trail Blazers' new head coach must take an exemplary look at the defensive side of the ball. The Blazers were the worst defensive team among those in the NBA Playoffs, and they ranked 29th in the regular season in Defensive Rating.
The team had the second-best Offensive Rating in the entire league, behind the almighty Brooklyn Nets. However, the Portland Trail Blazers only had a +1.8 Net Rating, only the 11th-best in the entire league.
The offense usually carries the load successfully, but come playoff time, that will hardly work. Chauncey Billups was hired by the Blazers for his defensive insights and setups, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania.
Billups' playing experience under some great defensive coaches like Larry Brown could help Portland's defense improve next year.
#2 Look for a defender who can get the job done and also provide timely offense
The Portland Trail Blazers and General Manager Neil Olshey (if he keeps his job going forward) will have big decisions to make in the 2021 NBA off-season, after reportedly landing a new coach already.
The Portland Trail Blazers have been built similarly year by year since LaMarcus Aldridge's departure in 2015 and C.J. McCollum's rise to prominence. However, after only one appearance in the Conference Finals and four first-round exits in the last six years, it might be time for a change.
Given how the team struggled on defense, ranking 23rd in shooting percentage allowed and 20th in three-point shooting percentage allowed to rivals, that area must be examined.
Whether C.J. McCollum and other instrumental players are in the trade market might be speculation, but a trade package with McCollum could land a big defender in Portland.
Jerami Grant could be a good player to add to the Portland Trail Blazers' mix. He is a good defender who also averaged 22 points per game last year for the Detroit Pistons (a bad team, but he still had a good year).
#1 The Portland Trail Blazers should keep Norman Powell if circumstances allow it
As mentioned before, if Portland Trail Blazers' C.J. McCollum could be part of a trade in the 2021 NBA off-season, then keeping Norman Powell is a big need for the team.
Powell has a Player Option for next season, but he is expected to decline this option and test the market by looking for a bigger salary.
Powell is coming off a career year, as he averaged 18.6 points per game with 47/41/87 shooting splits with the Toronto Raptors (42 games) and Portland Trail Blazers (27 games).
He averaged 17 points per game for Portland with a 44/36/88 shooting split. With McCollum possibly being traded, he could turn into the team's second option on offense.
Moreover, he often played as the Portland Trail Blazers' small forward, and returning back to his natural position (shooting guard) could be beneficial for him and the team.
Of course, a lot would need to happen for Portland to consider keeping Powell (it is unlikely that the team will keep Lillard, McCollum and Powell), but he could take a big step next year.
