PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The Portland Trail Blazers didn't make any big moves in the offseason, opting instead to stay on course with a long-term rebuilding project.
Jerami Grant, Deandre Ayton and Anfernee Simons will form the team's nucleus as Portland continues to develop young players, including Shaedon Sharpe and Scoot Henderson.
“I like where we are at with this roster, but I love where we are headed,” GM Joe Cronin said Monday during the team's media day.
The Blazers went 21-61 last season after trading away All-Star Damian Lillard and failed to make the playoffs for the third straight year. They were stung by injuries, with Simons, Sharpe and Henderson missing a combined 105 games.
There's no doubt the Blazers are a young team. Grant, 30, is the most experienced with 10 years in the NBA. Ayton and Simons have six years each in the league.
Sharpe, 21, is embarking on his third year, while the 20-year-old Henderson was a rookie last year. Both struggled with injuries, which slowed their progress. Simons injured his thumb in the season opener and required surgery.
Grant led Portland with an average of 21 points a game, while Ayton averaged 11.1 rebounds. Henderson led the team with 5.4 assists per game.
Portland made its biggest move of the season on draft day, selecting Donovan Clingan with the seventh pick. They picked up forward Deni Avdija in July in a trade with the Washington Wizards.
Coach Chauncey Billups was clear that he understands where the Blazers stand in the process and that the payoff may not come this year.
“I just want our guys to be connected, I want our guys to know each other, I want them to play for each other. We don’t have that go get a bucket iso guy every single time. So we can’t afford to play that way," Billups said. "We’ve got to play fast. We’ve got to move the basketball. We’ve got to help each other on defense. We’ve got to do all the small things to even be competitive."
Billups said Portland will focus on speed. The Blazers tried to emphasize it last year, but injuries thwarted those plans.
"We’ve been focusing on this year, already just with our pickup games and letting them just hoop. The biggest thing I've been telling them is just play fast, have fun,” Billups said.
Simons, who is one of the most experienced players on the team even though he's just 25, was looking forward to it.
"It will be fun. Obviously, we have a young, young team that’s very athletic and can do a lot of different things. So I think us playing fast plays to our advantage," Simons said.
The Blazers' lone rookie on the roster is Clingan, who averaged 15.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.2 blocks for the UConn Huskies in the NCAA Tournament but admitted that the NBA is a whole new ballgame. He'll be tutored by Ayton, who said Clingan uses his body well for a big man.
“I'm a freshman again,” the back-to-back NCAA champion said. “I'm here to learn, I'm here to get better. I gotta put in my work every single day, I gotta show I belong at this level.”
The Blazers will honor Hall of Famer Bill Walton with a tie-dye jersey band that includes Walton's No. 32 in white.
Named the NBA Finals MVP in 1977 when he led the Blazers to their only league championship, Walton passed away in May at 71.
The team also announced on Monday that Brightside Windows, a local Portland company, would be the jersey patch sponsor for both the Blazers and the Rip City Remix, the team's G League affiliate.
Last season Blazers' games were on Root Sports, a regional network owned by the Seattle Mariners. But the relationship soured last season when the channel wasn't available to Xfinity customers without an additional fee.
The deal ended in August and last week the Blazers announced a new deal with Sinclair Broadcasting Group to show games over the air on Sinclair stations across Oregon and Washington.
The Blazers are also introducing a direct-to-consumer streaming service called BlazerVision.
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Portland Trail Blazers guard Scoot Henderson records himself during the NBA basketball team's media day in Portland, Ore., Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer)
Portland Trail Blazers guard Scoot Henderson poses for a photo during the NBA basketball team's media day in Portland, Ore., Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer)
Portland Trail Blazers center Deandre Ayton poses for a photo during the NBA basketball team's media day in Portland, Ore., Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer)
Jayden Daniels had not yet turned 11 the last time Washington opened an NFL season 3-1. It was 2011, things went sideways on the way to a 5-11 finish and the result was the drafting of the organization's previous great hope at quarterback, Robert Griffin III.
Daniels is bringing 2012 Griffin-like magic to the Commanders, completing 82.1% of his passes for the best four-game start to a season of any QB in league history and creating seven touchdowns in the process. But there are plenty of signs that this team and this Heisman Trophy-winning No. 2 pick have more staying power than some of the others that have brought the hype only to see it evaporate.
“It’s not any magic that’s going into this,” coach Dan Quinn said on a video call with reporters Monday, less than 24 hours after his team routed Arizona 42-14. "To think he would start like this, no, I don’t think anybody would’ve said that. But what I would say is that if you’re around him, you feel this work ethic and there’s no magic pixie dust that we’re throwing into him. It is absolutely grinding, working and a lot of confidence comes from that because he can enter the game knowing that he put the work in.”
Quinn notices Daniels doing video work into the night, and this past offseason the LSU product showing up to the team facility extra early for his own personal walkthroughs became part of the lore that preceded his debut. What has followed has been nothing short of spectacular, and Daniels has surged into a favorite for Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Veteran tight end Zach Ertz said it's as though Daniels and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury have been working together for several years.
“Him and Kliff are so in sync right now. They’re dialed in,” Ertz said. "But we can’t get too high. We probably have one of the best defenses coming into our stadium next Sunday with the Browns. It’s going to be a great game, and that’s all our focus now.”
Washington opened as a 3-point favorite on BetMGM Sportsbook, with Cleveland (1-3) coming off a loss to Las Vegas.
The defense, which got gashed by Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the season opener and struggled against Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals, allowed Kyler Murray and the Cardinals to gain just 296 yards. The Commanders forced three fumbles and recovered one.
After early concerns about communication miscues, this unit looks to be on the same page.
“More communication, you get to play even faster and absolutely cut it loose with no hesitation,” Quinn said. “The faster we play, the more aggressive we play, those are when some of the takeaways and the hits and things happen.”
Quinn was not happy with several penalties called against his players, including a couple of flags for taunting. Even though he defended running back Jeremy McNichols' celebration as an homage to Usain Bolt, and not a bow and arrow as the officials thought, expect the coaching staff to make post-whistle conduct a point of emphasis this week.
“If you don’t step on them right now, then those things fester, and so we’re not going to do that,” Quinn said.
Even with Austin Ekeler out because of a concussion, the Commanders' running game remains an area of strength, and it's not just because of Brian Robinson Jr. Enter McNichols, a 28-year-old journeyman who mostly has been a special teams player.
All McNichols did was run eight times for 68 yards and two touchdowns.
“It was a team deal," McNichols said. "The offensive line was blocking their butts off. The tight ends (and) receivers out there made my job easier. I’m just out there to help my team win.”
This is nit-picking during a three-game winning streak, but with no clear-cut No. 2 wide receiver behind Terry McLaurin, each week there are fewer throws to go around for someone else. The latest in that run is Dyami Brown, who was targeted just once for four yards, but given Daniels' ability to spread the ball around, the Browns game could be the polar opposite.
Starting left guard Nick Allegretti exited with an ankle injury that Quinn said the team would monitor as the week goes on. Ekeler's status moving forward is unclear after being concussed Week 3 at Cincinnati.
33 — The number of years since Washington scored 38 or more points in back-to-back games. That 1991 team went on to win the Super Bowl.
Asked about how his players should handle this recent success, Quinn said he wants “no tickets to the roller coaster." The biggest challenge now is handling the weight of expectations, with playoffs being talked about around the Commanders for the first time in several years.
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Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn talks to his players prior to an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Washington Commanders running back Jeremy McNichols (26) celebrates his touchdown with offensive tackle Trent Scott (73) during the first half of an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) throws against the Arizona Cardinals during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) throws under pressure from Arizona Cardinals defensive end L.J. Collier (91) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) celebrates his touchdown run against the Arizona Cardinals during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) runs for a touchdown as Arizona Cardinals safety Jalen Thompson (34) defends during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels leaves the field after an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) celebrates a touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) scrambles against the Arizona Cardinals during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) takes the field prior to an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
