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Solving The Significant Problems With The Trail Blazers’ Offense
Matt Marton-Imagn Images

Damian Lillard is back in Portland. Unfortunately, he will sit out the entirety of the 2025-26 season.  The Trail Blazers’ offense lacks a go-to guy without Lillard. Scoot Henderson’s playmaking is promising, but he is not that player yet.

Solving The Significant Problems With The Trail Blazers’ Offense

The Portland Trail Blazers have turned their fortunes with their defense over the past year. Most people consider the Trail Blazers a historically solid offensive team. That has changed under Chauncey Billups’ focus on the defensive side of the game.

Unfortunately, this focus has led to some issues on the offensive side of the ball. They once had a top-tier talent in Lillard to lead that offense. Nowadays, they have him back, but he won’t be playing for a year.

That has led to Scoot Henderson being the primary playmaker across the Blazers’ tough schedule. However, he might not be ready for the go-to guy role yet. That could mean other players must step up while he develops.

Avdija Can Be The Focal Point Of The Blazers’ Offense

Deni Avdija was Portland’s best player during the 2024-25 season. His stock is rising, and the Blazers are glad to have him on a cheap deal. Avdija averaged a career high 16.9 points per game on 60.5% true shooting last season.

Those are decent numbers, especially when he has more potential to develop. Avdija has a solid skill set, including his ability to go downhill. He is one of the best drivers and transition threats in the league. The three-point shot is also encouraging, shooting 36.5% on 5.7 attempts per game.

With Jrue Holiday and Henderson’s playmaking at point guard, Avdija will have good passers. At the same time, Portland will look to feast on its transition opportunities. They have Donovan Clingan as the starting center, so his blocks could initiate transitions.

When Avdija gets the ball in a fast break, he will often convert it into points. He could also draw fouls with his physical strength when finishing at the rim. It is a good model to build around for Billups and his system.

Sharpe Can Naturally Grow Into Being A Go-To Guy

Shaedon Sharpe is another fantastic option for the Trail Blazers. Across three seasons, he has continued to develop well. He averaged 18.5 points per game for Portland in the 2024-25 season.

If he can continue to improve his scoring, Sharpe could become the main man in Portland. He has a natural knack for scoring, and his athleticism sets him apart. Sharpe must improve his perimeter shooting, as that has dropped off since his first year. During his rookie year, he was a promising 36% shooter, but he mostly shot spot-up threes. He had Lillard as his point guard back then, so he had a proven offensive leader. With Henderson’s playmaking developing further, Sharpe can learn how to become a better offensive player.

In terms of potential, Sharpe has the highest ceiling out of any Blazers player. If he wants to become the team’s centerpiece, he must take the next step in his development. The promising pieces are there, but he needs to put them all together.

The 2025-26 Will Be A Test For Billups

The 2025-26 season is a few weeks away, and the Blazers will need to tweak their offense. Billups must take advantage of this group and improve. Holiday is the team’s leader on the court, and he has experience in leading solid offenses.

With the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks, Holiday has been the veteran guard. He is not the best offensive player most of the time, but that experience is valuable.

Henderson, Sharpe, Avdija, and the rest of the team can learn from him. As long as they stay composed and follow Billups’ offensive system, they can be good. If Billups comes with a game plan, the team is in a good position, no matter the go-to guy.

This article first appeared on Last Word On Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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