The Blazers need a great point guard
The Portland Trail Blazers currently have a number of holes to fill in their rotation, but the point guard position should be No. 1 on the priority list this offseason. The team has been searching for their long-term guy for years now, and while Steve Nash is clearly not the coveted point guard of the future, he could be a great fit in Portland for the next few seasons.
5) Hunger to Win
Fans in Portland have watched a six-year rebuild come to an end with yet another rebuilding process. The fans are hungry to make it deep into the playoffs, and luckily for them, so is Steve Nash.
If the Blazers can sign Nash as a free agent this summer, he’s going to come in with an expectation that the team is ready to compete.
The 38-year-old guard is nearing retirement, and with no championship to put on his resume, he’s going to be hungry for an NBA title. Unfortunately for the Trail Blazers, they appear to be more than a point guard away from getting to that stage, which could be the ultimate reason Nash slips away and signs with another contender this offseason.
4) Growth of LaMarcus Aldridge
LaMarcus Aldridge proved that he is one of the best power forwards in the league this season with his first All-Star selection. While his numbers have gotten better, and his game has gotten more aggressive, nothing would help make him a top-level player like having Nash to get him the ball.
Blazers fans are hoping to be holding these up next season
Nash is arguably the best pick-and-roll point guard in the NBA today, and with Aldridge able to score from both above the rim and beyond the free-throw line, he needs a point guard who can get the ball to him in either spot.
Aldridge is also exceptionally good at running the floor for a big man, so having an up-tempo point guard to run alongside on fastbreaks could help develop the 6’11” forward’s game moving forward.
3) Tempo
For years, the Blazers ran one of the slowest offenses in all of the NBA. Whether it was Nate McMillan’s system or Brandon Roy’s isolation-style of play, the team played a slow brand of basketball night in and night out.
With Brandon Roy off the roster this season, the tempo picked up as the year began, and the Blazers looked good jumping out to a 7-2 start.
The team couldn’t keep it up, though, and ended up 14th in the league in pace and back in the lottery. Now McMillan finds himself outside of Portland as well, and if the Blazers can devote themselves to running next season, Nash could be the best player to run the up-tempo system in Rip City.
2) Shooting
The Trail Blazers’ shooting struggles have been a problem for the past few years, and while they jumped up to 13th in three-point shooting this year, adding Nash would only help boost that statistic.
Nash is arguably the best shooting point guard in the history of the NBA, and is one of few player to join the 90-50-40 club.
Having never relied on athleticism, Nash is still utilizing his shooting touch and basketball IQ late into his career.
1) Veteran Leadership
Nash has been in the league for 16 seasons now, and while he doesn’t have an NBA championship to claim, he has made many deep playoff runs throughout his illustrious NBA career.
The Blazers are entering a rebuilding mode, but with veteran leadership in Nash and Aldridge, the young players wouldn’t have to bring the team up from the ground the way they did during the rebuild of 2006.
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About Bryant Knox
