The Portland Trail Blazers have a lot of work to do before they even sniff the chance to contend in the NBA. Though the end of last season showed promising signs, it was still a far cry from the aspirations the franchise should have moving forward.
In an uber-talented Western Conference, the Blazers finished 12th last season ahead of the San Antonio Spurs and New Orleans Pelicans, who may also be on the rise. Essentially every Western Conference roster, except the Utah Jazz, could reasonably see themselves in the NBA Playoffs next season at this moment.
At the top of the conference sit the Oklahoma City Thunder, which blazed through the 2024-25 season, finishing with a league-best 68-14 record. Tomorrow, they host the Indiana Pacers in a Game 7 for the NBA Championship.
Nine Thunder players have appeared in all six Finals games. Court time has been distributed between Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with 37.8 minutes, Jalen Williams (34.1 minutes), Lu Dort (30.7 minutes) and Chet Holmgren (30.2 minutes). Alex Caruso has seen 28.3 minutes, Cason Wallace (21.7 minutes), Isaiah Hartenstein (19.2 minutes), Aaron Wiggins (14.7 minutes) and Kenrich Williams (8.4 minutes).
The rest of the roster, including Isaiah Joe, have seen lesser minutes in fewer games and haven’t been impactful enough for analysis in this piece.
If the Blazers hope to measure up against the still-youthful Thunder in the postseason, they need players with similar skillsets and ability. But who on the current Blazers roster would get minutes for the Thunder during the NBA Finals?
Deni Avdija
Depending on matchups, I could see Avdija starting as a forward for the Thunder, surrounded by Gilgeous-Alexander, Dort, Williams and Holmgren. If coach Mark Daigneault wants a bigger lineup, he could easily swap Avdija out for Hartenstein with the Israeli serving as sixth man. Either way, Avdija would easily play at least 20 minutes a game offering playmaking, ballhandling, shooting and defensive versatility. He also has the ability to guard anyone from Tyrese Halliburton to Pascal Siakam, fitting the Thunder’s modus operandi.
He probably takes minutes away from everyone not named Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Holmgren, serving as Oklahoma City’s fourth most important option.
Toumani Camara
Earning his first All-Defensive Team selection this season, Camara has established himself as a rising star, capable of serving as an elite point-of-attack stopper. Camara earns a role on the Thunder squad but given his yet unrealized offensive capability, it may not be in the starting lineup.
While playing a different position, I see Camara eating into Wallace’s minutes, offering the ability to guard all five positions for stretches. I could also even see him taking some of Dort and Caruso’s court time as a point-of-attack defender on Halliburton.
Robert Williams III
This is a theoretical pick in the sense that the theory of a fit Williams is a gamechanger for a contender on the defensive end. He also becomes the fourth Thunder player with the surname Williams. While he only played 20 games for the Blazers last season, Williams finished second behind Victor Wembanyama in block rate among centers, swatting 4.6 percent of opposition shots.
Williams takes Kenrich Williams’ minutes and maybe some of Wiggins’ and Hartenstein’s court time, making the Thunder roster a little bigger and even better defensively. He plays a key role guarding Siakam, Myles Turner and Obi Toppin.
Matisse Thybulle
The left-field pick. The Australian national representative is still one of the best defenders in the league. He has never fallen below the 97th percentile in steals among wings and never below the 94 percentile in blocks.
Thybulle rarely puts the ball on the floor and his three-point shooting has been up and down. But if he gets on a roll with the long ball, he can be effective. Thybulle takes minutes from Kenrich Williams, Wiggins and Joe, maybe even Wallace if his three-point shot is falling. He thrives in passing lanes and creating fastbreak opportunities for the young Thunder team.
Maybe ... Shaedon Sharpe and Jerami Grant
The Thunder aren’t wanting for scoring from the guard and wing positions. But there’s a chance Daigneault sees Sharpe as impactful on that end of the floor. Though Sharpe was benched for his lack of defensive output earlier in the season, he did turn it around and lifted his intensity on that side of the ball down the stretch. If there’s any chance of Sharpe getting on the floor, he needs to ensure he maintains that level. He takes minutes from Wiggins and Wallace.
Grant has admittedly had a down year but he’s still an above-average defender, able to quell Pascal Siakam for stretches. Grant’s most recent season pushes him from a lock to a maybe but there’s every chance he returns to form next season. Grant takes minutes from Kenrich Williams, Wiggins and Wallace.
Conclusion
A number of rotation Blazers did not make the cut but that doesn’t mean they aren’t capable players. Players likes Deandre Ayton, Anfernee Simons, Donovan Clingan and Scoot Henderson missed out because they’re still developing, they duplicate an existing Thunder skill or don’t fit with Oklahoma City’s defensive mantra.
The Blazers are continents away from reaching the Thunder’s level of play. They’re without a number one option and possibly a number two. But they have added pieces that make the roster better, pushing it towards winning.
Avdija and Camara would be locks to make the roster with Williams and Thybulle strong chances to contribute. Sharpe has the ability to play on a contending team but he needs to sure up his defense before a coach can trust him. Conversely, Grant has proven himself as a reliable presence on defense but suffered through a less productive scoring season.
Ultimately, no current Blazer is good enough to displace one of the Thunder’s big three players in Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Holmgren. But they do have the talent to serve as role players on a team in line for an NBA Championship.