Who Starts for the Re-Tooled Blazers?

On this week’s episode of the Blazer’s Edge podcast, host Danny Marang is joined by Nekias Duncan of basketballnews.com (and follower of all things Miami Heat) to talk about: the Trail Blazer’s offseason acquisitions; specifically former Miami Heat wing Derrick Jones Jr. They also discuss the potential impact that Robert Covington could have on the Blazers, a changing and possibly more aggressive Portland defense, how the rotation could shake out, and where Portland sits in a loaded Western Conference.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

Intro

Nekias Duncan on the show!

Opening Comments

Thoughts on Derrick Jones Jr getting the MLE 1:30

Who Does DJJ remind you of? 3:30

What will DJJ’s primary role be in Portland? 5:45

DJJ is the best athlete Portland has had in two decades 7:30

What are the drawbacks of DJJ - what will keep him off the floor? 9:00

Do you believe he can continue to add to his game? 10:30

Do you think DJJ is going to have the work rate to maximize his potential? 13:30

Does coming to Portland unlock anything for DJJ? 14:30

How good are DJJ’s hands - can he go catch it anywhere? 17:00

Thoughts on the addition of Robert Covington? 18:00

Will Portland get more aggressive defensively this year? 19:00

Is Covington a floor raiser or a ceiling raiser? 22:00

Portland has added a lot of bigs, is this the way to go? 24:00

Portland has real versatility now - can they mix & match? 26:00

Is Covington more of a 3 or a 4? 27:00

What’s the best starting lineup Portland could roll out with everyone healthy? 28:00

Does Portland need to add another ball handler? 31:00

The Blazers have a 2nd generation behind the starters 33:00

What do you like about Harry Giles and his fit in Portland? 34:00

How much should Giles play? 38:00

The return of Carmelo Anthony 41:00

What will Melo’s role be this season? 42:00

Who is left out of the rotation in the frontcourt? 46:00

After the early free agency period, where do the Blazers land in the Western Conference? 48:00

Have the Blazers done enough to make a Western Conference Finals run? 50:30

How the Western Conference is shaping up; Luka Doncic, Chris Paul to the Suns 53:30

What would Portland have to do to be a clear-cut contender? 54:30

Closing comments

Outro