3 Blazers Who Need to Level Up for Portland to Make Playoffs This Year

Mar 21, 2025; Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija (8) and guard Scoot Henderson (00) celebrate during the second half against the Denver Nuggets at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

There's real reason for optimism in Portland.

The baby Blazers have a collection of promising young players. Veterans Jrue Holiday and Damian Lillard will provide ample value as leaders on and off the court. It's an interesting mix of talents, and a team that has the chance in being in the play-in mix if things break right.

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The defensive-minded group should be one of the better teams on that end of the floor given the emergence of Toumani Camara and the presence of Donovan Clingan. It'll be on the offensive end of the floor where the team needs to push up another level to be a true playoff contender.

Similar to the jump Deni Avdija had last year, the Blazers hope a few of their other youngsters can see similar increases in production.

Here are three Blazers that need to level up in order for this team to become a viable playoff contender.

Scoot Henderson

This is now Henderson's team. Anfernee Simons was dealt in the offseason — effectively opening up things for Henderson to run the point with a longer leash than in previous seasons. We've seen glimpses of a player that can be a major problem. A powerful guard with legit athleticism, Henderson needs to become far more consistent in order to unlock driving lanes.

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For his career, Henderson is 34 percent shooter from 3. If those numbers can climb up to the 37-38 percent range, his offensive efficiency could skyrocket. The assist-to-turnover ratio also needs improving. The former No. 3 Overall pick averaged 2.7 turnovers a game last year to 5.1 assists per contest.

Shaedon Sharpe

With Simons now in Boston, Sharpe is the de facto leading returning scorer for this team. The 6-foot-6 Canadian guard enjoyed the best year of his career in 2024-25 — averaging a career-high 18.5 PPG on .452 shooting from the field. Portland fans should love the fact that Sharpe, only 22 years of age, has plenty of room to grow.

He only shot 31.1 percent from 3-point land last season. Even if that number climbs up slightly, it should elicit more production from a scoring standpoint. Sharpe also has averaged only 2.1 APG thorughout his career. Being a more well-rounded player should enable him to be a better overall performer as well as those around him. Sharpe has the ceiling of a guy that can eventually average 25 PPG in his sleep.

Donovan Clingan

Clingan is the primary paint-protector for this squad. With Deandre Ayton in LA and Robert Williams perpetually injured, Clingan should get ample opportunity to showcase what he can. And by showcase, we mean being objectively one of the best shot-blocking forces in the NBA.

His timing around the rim is fantastic, and Clingan's long arms/wide body makes him very difficult to score over. In only 19.8 MPG last year, Clingan averaged 1.6 BPG and a whopping 7.9 RPG while shooting 53.9 percent from the floor. Now with the chance to play at least 30 minutes a game, averaging a double-double isn't out of the realm of possibilities.

Should Clingan develop into one of the better young centers in the NBA, Portland suddenly becomes a much tougher out across the board.

For more news and notes on the Portland Trail Blazers, visit Portland Trail Blazers on SI.