Portland Trail Blazers

The Portland Trail Blazers got a head start on their step back. Following a 1-4 stretch to close the regular season, they were swept out of the opening round of the playoffs for the second year in a row.custom nfl jerseys cheap

Their roster is flawed. Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum contribute 48.0 points per game, and there’s still the wonder if that’s enough because they’re such a mess on defense. The wing rotation is overpaid ($28.7 million for Evan Turner and Maurice Harkless next season) and underwhelming. The center spot needs more shooting and/or shot-blocking.

But the Blazers don’t have money to address these deficiencies. In fact, with Ed Davis, Jusuf Nurkic, Shabazz Napier and Pat Connaughton entering free agency, Portland is likely building its priority list with the knowledge it can’t keep all of them.customized nfl jerseys cheap

Given the financial crunch, the Blazers seemed sure to use the draft to correct some of their issues. As Joe Freeman of the Oregonian wrote, Portland’s itch for immediate relief went unscratched: “The Portland Trail Blazers entered the 2018 NBA draft looking for veteran difference-makers and playoff help. Instead, they settled for teenagers and shooting potential.

“The NBA’s second-youngest custom nfl jerseys team was hoping to add an experienced wing to bolster a maturing roster. Instead, it became even younger.”

Fun fact: Rookies Anfernee Simons and Gary Trent Jr. are more than young and unpolished; as offensive-minded guards who don’t always defend, they’re also awkward fits with Lillard and McCollum.

Draft night, then,customized nfl jerseys  was a disappointing start to the summer, and free agency could feature more subtractions than additions.