NBA/Blazers 2026-27 Thread

[Phalanx]

A new year is dawning, with new ownership, and a new head coach in Micah Nori. What will this team look like? Will they struggle to make the playoffs like last year? Will Ja Morant justify trading away two rotational forwards, Grant and Murray? Did Cronin do enough to replace those guys with Jeremy Sochan and Micah Potter? What about 36-year old Lillard? Are the rumors true about him endlessly training in his secret Bat-cave and learning to play defense, or is it just hype? Will he be worth the $27 million they are paying him for last year and this year?

Lots of questions to start the new season, without even getting into the political/renovation/relocation threat stuff, which hopefully will get worked out now that the money is on some level secured. I prefer to focus on the team, but always willing to hear new developments.

My initial nugget of info to start things off is a recent quote from Coach Nori regarding Scoot Henderson. One of the biggest questions this season is when/if Scoot gets a multi-year extension or if he goes to restricted free agency next summer. Coach Nori had this to say:

“With Scoot, it’s like an old adage that Dwane Casey used to say: it’s easier to say ‘Whoa!’ than ‘Giddy up!’ and he’s a guy that plays full force and just and really with a lot of pace at the offensive end. But the steps and strides that he made at the defensive end, getting into the basketball, being able to get into and over screens and impact at that end has been great. I look for Scoot to take a huge jump this season for sure.”
https://www.nba.com/news/first-time-nba ... challenges

I take anything said this time of year with a huge grain of sea salt, but having the coach talk about him is better than not talking about him.