Blazers Have Completely Revamped Offense Heading Into New Season

The Portland Trail Blazers are hoping to build off an encouraging 36-46 season finish in 2024-25. That record may not sound like much in a vacuum, but the team really revitalized itself during the second half of the year, with an emphasis on aggressive defense and a rerouted offense.

With the Trail Blazers' hoped-for backcourt-of-the-future (point guard Scoot Henderson and shooting guard Shaedon Sharpe) floundering, Portland head coach Chauncey Billups handed the keys to the offense to forward Deni Avdija.

Per Joe Freeman of The Oregonian, the club is further tinkering with its approach on offense ahead of 2025-26.

“I can’t say too much,” teased All-Defensive Team forward Toumani Camara, a consistent triple-double threat for Portland by the end of last season. “I know you guys are excited, but I can’t say too much. It’s all about moving the ball, playing together. We know our identity is going to be more on the defensive side, so (the offense) is more … share the ball, keep it moving and find the best shot possible. That’s the main focus.”

Freeman notes that Billups is pivoting away from iso-emphasizing offenses, your-turn/my-turn approaches, and two-player pick-and-roll actions. The Trail Blazers are now turning to more of a pace-and-space approach, with more movement and transition.

“The way we’re playing this year is going to be a lot faster,” Henderson said. “We always talked about how we wanted to play fast, but there was never really any construction around it. So we were kind of just free-roaming a little bit. I think it’s going to be a lot of fun, (have) a lot of unexpected cuts, and I’m going to be able to know where everybody’s at. We’re all going to be moving in unison. So it’s going to be fun.”

Despite bringing in a pair of 35-year-old former All-Star veteran guards in Jrue Holiday and Damian Lillard this summer, Billups argued that the Trail Blazers' youth movement needs to dictate the team's terms of engagement. Lillard, in fairness, won't hit the floor until 2026-27 anyway, as he's still recovering from an Achilles tendon rupture suffered during last spring's playoffs.

“There’s no reason to be young and athletic and versatile and play slow,” Billups said. “There’s just no reason to do it.”

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