It’s been a long time — probably back to Damian Lillard’s rookie season in 2013 — since there have been such low expectations entering a Portland Trail Blazers’ season.
Oddsmakers have the 2022-23 Blazers finishing with a losing record, which is looking like a good bet after the Trail Blazers’ starters spent the preseason getting blown out by four NBA opponents.
Blazers coach Chauncey Bluffs and his players have explained that they had been trying different lineups and concepts to explain their poor preseason. They both agree that it takes time for them to learn from each other and connect. Never mind that two of their blowout losses — UtahAnd Sacramento — came against teams with new head coaches and revamped rosters. And that another loss — to Golden State — was levied by a Warriors’ second unit that played against four of the Blazers’ starters.
Yet, there was Portland on the eve of Wednesday’s season opener at Sacramento, trumpeting optimism and intrigue about a roster that will have three new starters from last year’s opening-night lineup.
Billups states that he will be playing a nine- to 10-man rotation, depending on the matchups. On Wednesday, he will send starters Damian Lillard. Anfernee Simons,
