Few Portland Trail Blazers players are as intriguing as starting center Deandre Ayton. The 26-year-old, 7-foot pivot owns a 59% career success rate from the field and carried a 16.7 point, 11.1 rebound average through 55 games last season. A former first-overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, Ayton has long been tabbed as a near-star. He’s never quite broken through to an NBA All-Star appearance, though.
Expectations for the Blazers are low this year. If they’re going to measure progress, the scales will lie outside the realm of bald wins or losses. It’s the season for personal advancement, leaps in production, and even a couple individual agendas.