The Portland Trail Blazers boast a solid, talented starting lineup as they begin the 2021-22 regular season. Long-tenured stars Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum will be joined by fellow scorer Norman Powell, with returning big men Robert Covington and Jusuf Nurkic in the frontcourt. Newly-acquired forward Larry Nance, Jr. will play the 6th Man role off the bench. It’s a dynamic group, though balance will be somewhat in question.
The big issue with the lineup will be defining the small forward position. Powell is slated to start there because of his point-producing prowess, but he’s more of a shooting guard naturally. Covington and Nance, Jr. are both good defenders, but they’re power forwards. (Or in the case of Nance, Jr., sometimes a center.)
The Blazers are like one of those sliding-number puzzles, where you try to order the tiles from 1-15 by shifting tiles into the ever-moving gap. There are plenty of people to put into that three slot. Are any of them right? Should the order be shifted?
Let’s ask you, Blazer’s Edge Readers... In your view, what is Portland’s ideal starting lineup heading into the season? Are you happy with conventional wisdom? Would you try to shuffle around the Top 6 differently? Or are you going to go off the board entirely and suggest someone from lower down the roster occupy a higher spot?
Share your wisdom and opinions in the comments as we await Preseason Game 2 tonight!
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