Playoffs Show That Blazers Must Find True Star

The NBA Playoffs so far have shown how important it is to have a true star on the roster in order to succeed.

Each of the eight playoff teams left have that: Jayson Tatum, Donovan Mitchell, Tyrese Haliburton, Jalen Brunson, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic and Anthony Edwards.

All eight of those guys are unequivocally the best player on their team, and that’s something the Portland Trail Blazers can’t identify yet.

If the Blazers want to take that next step and make a move into the postseason, finding that player is going to be critical. The player on the roster with the likeliest chance of emerging as that player is Scoot Henderson, but it’s clear that he isn’t quite there yet.

There’s also a good chance that player doesn’t come in the 2024 NBA Draft, which is considered to be one of the weakest classes in recent memory.

There’s certainly pressure on Henderson to be that player, but the beauty of it is that the players above are all relatively new to the spotlight. Tatum, Doncic and Jokic have all led their teams to deep playoff runs before, but everyone else has played their best basketball this year.

Mitchell is an interesting exception considering he’s been the best player on a playoff-bound Utah Jazz squad before, but this is the first time he’s gotten the Cleveland Cavaliers to the second round.

But for Haliburton, Brunson, Gilgeous-Alexander and Edwards are possibly the four most exciting players on the list, all of whom have emerged into superstardom in the past two seasons. It may not have clicked immediately for all of those players on the list, but each of those guys came from lower expectations coming in the league before excelling and becoming the centerpiece for deep runs in the playoffs.

Perhaps Henderson or even Anfernee Simons could be that for the Blazers as they look to take that next step. But either way, identifying who that player is for the future is the biggest challenge for the Blazers. Then, once you know who that player is, acquire the pieces needed to make that player the best version of himself.