The Trail Blazers enter the NBA Playoffs as a frisky eight seed led by a bonafide super star in Damian Lillard. But if the Blazers truly hope to pull off an improbable upset against the Lakers, they will need plenty of help from their supporting cast. CJ McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic’s contributions to Portland’s foundation are well-known, but the emergence of Carmelo Anthony should not be overlooked as the postseason begins.
From consistent floor spacing to big shots in crunch time, Melo blossomed into a crucial ingredient to the Blazers’ successful run through the seeding process.