By already extending their GM Joe Cronin and their coach Chauncey Billups, the owners of the Blazers sent a strong message: they believe in this tandem to bring the team to the playoffs, and this season at 36 victories is considered a success.
“As a front office, we do not feel this pressure to try our luck over and over again to find the next rising star”explains Cronin. “We are starting to feel really comfortable with our talent core, which allows us to be more rigorous in the choice of specific profiles to add. »»
Clearly, there is no question of touching the team's spine, and you have to know how to surround them well. “There is a lot of talent in this workforce, and I would not limit the potential of many of these guys”,, continues the GM des Blazers. “There is still a lot of time and potential to exploit. And I do not exclude that they become stars. »»
With a very young workforce, the Blazers have just signed their best season since 2021, and today's stars are called Anfernee Simons, Shaedon Sharpe, Scoot Henderson, or Deni Avdija and Toumani Camara. By their side, veterans like Jerami Grant and Deandre Ayton.
The example of the Thunder or Nuggets
For Chauncey Billups, the franchise has chosen to develop its young people, rather than betting everything on a superstar. He thus takes an example from the Thunder, the Bucks or the Nuggets.
“It is true that you need first -plan players, but for me, we are training them, we make them grow”, explains the former leader of the pistons. “I watch OKC: they made an exchange to get Shai (Gilgeous-Alexander), but he was not yet a star. Today, he will probably be MVP. Joker (Nikola Jokic) was not a star when he arrived in Denver. They shaped him to become it. Giannis (Antetokounmpo) was not a star either when he arrived in Milwaukee. They have changed it until then. It is in this direction that I think we are trying to go … Deni, Shaedon, Scoot, Ant … We are growing these guys. »»
