Portland sends Ariza, two firsts to Houston for Robert Covington
The NBA offseason is well underway. The Milwaukee Bucks have made their opening statement to Giannis Antetokounmpo as to why he should stay with the team ahead of his upcoming free agency. Milwaukee has traded three first-round picks, two pick swaps, and two guards to the New Orleans Pelicans for Jrue Holiday. As well as executing a sign-and-trade for Kings guard Bogdan Bogdanović. But immediately before the biggest news of the evening, the Portland Trail Blazers kicked off their offseason with a trade of their own. They have acquired talented swingman Robert Covington in exchange for Trevor Ariza and two first-round picks. That’s right. The journeyman is headed back to Houston in what will be his third stint with the team. The Portland Trail Blazers are running it back with a similar, younger, roster with the hopes of making another deep playoff run.
What does Covington bring to the table for Portland?
Swapping Ariza for Covington, to me, is just the Spider-Man meme. Robert Covington is just the younger version. He will be 30 years old at the start of the 2020-21 season and brings much of the same skillset to his new team. Trevor Ariza provided strong, perimeter defense, spot-up shooting, and did the dirty work for the stars on his teams. This was the case during his 2009 title run with Kobe and the Lakers. As well as with James Harden and the Rockets during their string of playoff runs from 2015-2018. That is the expectation for RoCo in Portland. Lighten the load for Lillard and McCollum. On the defensive end, he gives them a much-needed boost to their perimeter play. On the offensive end, he’s another guy that can hit a spot-up three or create his own shot. Both players hover around the league average three-point percentage (35.8%) but RoCo adds more efficiency in the free-throw department. Personally, I love the way Portland is building their roster. This is how you remain relevant as a team rarely involved in the Superstar Sweepstakes. Build around the stars you already have.
Damian Lillard: The Last Bastion of the Old School
The NBA is a league run by its superstars. Rampant player movement is typical of a modern NBA offseason. Super Teams are all the rage and, historically, the path to championship glory. I can’t think of a single player I want to see holding the Larry O’Brien trophy more than Damian Lillard. Dame has been very vocal about wanting to stay in Portland his whole career and he’s the only player I believe who truly means what he’s saying. Evidenced by his Instagram beef with Paul George and Pat Beverly. Dame doesn’t want to “run from the grind” as he so eloquently put. He wants to build something special with the team that drafted him. There’s nothing wrong or phony about doing things the other way. Kevin Durant won a championship this way. LeBron and Anthony Davis won a championship this way. The Nets are currently attempting the same thing by chasing James Harden. Watching Dame speak his truth and remain loyal to his team just gets my NBA fandom absolutely humming. Could this mean Dame and the Blazers will never be the last team standing? Probably. But in no way does that diminish what he’s accomplished if he continues to play the way he does.
Where does Portland stand in the West?
The Blazers made a nice run in the play-in tournament with most of their guys back but no one expected much out of them in a matchup with the Lakers. However, entering the 2020-21 season with much of the same group, while upgrading Trevor Ariza’s minutes with Robert Covington, I expect good things out of Portland. Just as I did going into last season. With the young talent currently on the roster, namely, Gary Trent Jr., Zach Collins, and Anfernee Simons, the Blazers are poised for a playoff spot in the West. Likely in the five to eight seed range. But a playoff spot nonetheless! Oklahoma City and Houston are potential openings as the Thunder have traded Chris Paul to the Suns, while James Harden is doing all he can to force his way out of Houston. The Warriors are sure to take one of those spots. That leaves the Blazers, Grizzlies, Pelicans, and Suns fighting for the last spot. I’m confident Portland can hang with any of those teams in a playoff race.
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This is my first article writing for Belly Up Sports and I’m thankful to them for allowing me to contribute and anyone that took the time to read! Click the link for more NBA offseason content as we’re churning out a lot of good stuff. Give me a follow on Twitter @JMacchitelli23 as well for more #sports content.
