In this episode we discuss:

– The Trail Blazers resurgence from 11 games below .500 and how they did it. Ben outlines Portland’s turnaround from late January all the way to the closing days of the season

– Ben’s piece for SI.com on the Blazers outlining their near worst to playoffs and what it took to get there. The evolution after Portland acquired Jusuf Nurkić and what he’s meant to Portland

– The Nurkić effect on Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. Does his addition make the backcourt duo viable going forward long term and will it be enough to overcome the Warrior’s backcourt of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson?

– We take a bit of tangent discussing the overall change from “typical lineups” to the evolution of small ball. Does Nurkić offer enough to keep the Warriors from staying in their small all lineups? What kind of player does it take to change the paradigm?

– Is Noah Vonleh the small ball big the Blazers have been looking for? Can he show something, or enough of something in this series to prove it one way or the other?

– Ben and I break down the overwhelming odds facing the Trail Blazers in their first round match up with the Warriors? What’s the most likely scenario and what would be a “good” outcome for Portland, save winning the series?

– Moving past the playoffs, we discuss Portland’s offseason priorities. What does a successful offseason look like? What can Portland do about their precarious salary situation?

– Reviewing Ben’s thoughts and ideas about the series and big picture takeaways. What do the Blazers need to see from Damian Lillard?

– Can CJ McCollum go from a star player to a superstar? Can he take his game to an even higher level?

– What does a successful post season look like for first timer Nurkić? What can he show that will give the Blazers hope heading into the 2017-18 season?

– Wrapping things up with something new, NBA on Netflix. Here we’ve taken some suggestions from others as well as some of our own and suggested remakes of some classic and not so classic films fitting NBA personnel into starring roles!

That and more on this week’s episode of the Trailing Blazers!

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