Portland Trailblazers

Franchise
Elite
All-Star
Starter
Rotation

Name	Pos	Age	Games	MPG	O Role	D Role	CraftedPM	WARP	Pts	Reb	AST	Stl	Blk
Damian Lillard	PG	30	67	35.8	Primary Ballhandler	Off Ball Wing	4.22 98%	8.53	28.8	4.2	7.5	0.9	0.3
Robert Covington	PF	30	70	32	Spotup Wing	On Ball Stopper	1.46 86%	4.82	8.5	6.7	1.7	1.4	1.2
CJ McCollum	SG	29	47	34	Secondary Ballhandler	Off Ball Wing	2.76 95%	4.5	23.1	3.9	4.7	0.9	0.4
Enes Kanter	C	28	72	24.4	Versatile Big	Hang Back Big	0.84 78%	3.22	11.2	11	1.2	0.5	0.7
Norman Powell	SG	27	69	32	Spotup Wing	Off Ball Wing	-0.37 57%	2.67	18.6	3.1	1.9	1.2	0.3
Jusuf Nurkic	C	26	37	23.8	Versatile Big	Hang Back Big	2.4 94%	2.31	11.5	9	3.4	1	1.1
Derrick Jones Jr.	PF	23	58	22.7	Tall Spotup	On Ball Stopper	-0.94 45%	1.22	6.8	3.5	0.8	0.6	0.9
Carmelo Anthony	PF	36	69	24.5	Versatile Big	Hidden	-1.77 30%	0.84	13.4	3.1	1.5	0.7	0.6
Anfernee Simons	PG	21	64	17.3	Secondary Ballhandler	Off Ball Wing	-2.32 19%	0.24	7.8	2.2	1.4	0.3	0.1
Nassir Little	SF	20	48	13.3	Glue Guy	Hidden	-2.14 23%	0.2	4.6	2.7	0.5	0.1	0.3
Harry Giles III	C	22	38	9.2	FALSE	Versatile Big	-2.41 18%	0.06	2.8	3.5	0.8	0.2	0.3
Zach Collins	C	23				FALSE	-1.1 42%	0
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson	PF	26	11	9.8			-2.95 10%	-0.01	2.5	2.4	1.2	0.2	0.4
CJ Elleby	SF	20	30	6.4		Hidden	-2.99 9%	-0.02	2.3	1.1	0.3	0.2	0.1
Keljin Blevins	SF	25	17	4.4		FALSE	-3.51 3%	-0.03	0.7	0.6	0.2	0.1	0

Projected Net Rating/100

12.0

Lineup Synergy Rating

6.8

Name	Pos	Age	Games	Minutes	Points	Rebounds	Assists	Steals	Blocks	VersatilityRating	CraftedDPM
Robert Covington	PF	30	70	32	8.5	6.7	1.7	1.4	1.2	85	2.44 98%
Norman Powell	SG	27	69	32	18.6	3.1	1.9	1.2	0.3	63	-0.65 23%
Damian Lillard	PG	30	67	35.8	28.8	4.2	7.5	0.9	0.3	58	-1.41 6%
CJ McCollum	SG	29	47	34	23.1	3.9	4.7	0.9	0.4	57	-0.24 44%
Jusuf Nurkic	C	26	37	23.8	11.5	9	3.4	1	1.1	26	2.79 99%

Each team's projected most versatile 5 man lineup, their projected net rating per 100 possessions, and the lineups synergy rating.

Short Story:

Remove the least versatile defenders, unless they happen to be a superstar.
Remove the horrible defenders, unless they happen to be a superstar.
Spit out the four best defenders of the remaining PG's, SG's and SF's.
Spit out the two most versatile defenders among the remaining PF's and Centers.
Spit out the 5 best defenders among the remaining 6 players.

This weeds out the defenders who would likely be exposed in a playoff matchup as well as the least switchable players (think Trey Burke/Greg Monroe). The idea was to find the best/most versatile lineup for those tough playoff matchups.

*Some teams may not have 5 players meet these qualification. These teams are usually garbage, or they have a position of great weakness and therefore did not have 5 players qualify.

Versatility Rating comes from a project put together by both Krishna Narsu and Patrick Miller of Nylon Calculus. A quick, concise explanation of Versatility Rating (higher is better) can be found on the glossary page.

Projected Net Rating/100

12.0

Lineup Synergy Rating

6.8

Name	Pos	Age	Games	Minutes	Points	Rebounds	Assists	Steals	Blocks	CraftedPM
Damian Lillard	PG	30	67	35.8	28.8	4.2	7.5	0.9	0.3	4.22 98%
CJ McCollum	SG	29	47	34	23.1	3.9	4.7	0.9	0.4	2.76 95%
Jusuf Nurkic	C	26	37	23.8	11.5	9	3.4	1	1.1	2.4 94%
Robert Covington	PF	30	70	32	8.5	6.7	1.7	1.4	1.2	1.46 86%
Norman Powell	SG	27	69	32	18.6	3.1	1.9	1.2	0.3	-0.37 57%

Esimated Win Total*

32.6

Name	Age	Games	Minutes	Points	Rebounds	Assists	Steals	Blocks	CraftedPM	CraftedPeakPM	PeakWAR
Derrick Jones Jr.	23	58	22.7	6.8	3.5	0.8	0.6	0.9	-0.94 45%	0.68	2.6
Nassir Little	20	48	13.3	4.6	2.7	0.5	0.1	0.3	-2.14 23%	-0.16	1.8
Anfernee Simons	21	64	17.3	7.8	2.2	1.4	0.3	0.1	-2.32 19%	-0.55	1.2
Zach Collins	23								-1.1 42%	-0.95	1.1
Harry Giles III	22	38	9.2	2.8	3.5	0.8	0.2	0.3	-2.41 18%	-2.15	-0.1

Young Core - players must be 26 or younger with a PeakWAR > 1 to qualify. Win Shares come from FiveThirtyEight's CARMELO Projections. Projections go out to 2025 and take each players peak projected season.

* Estimated Win Total - This is a crude estimate based upon adding these players to a team with slightly below average talent (a 26 win team). We came to this number by taking an average team's minutes distribution, making their three highest minute players replacement level (using -2.5 plus minus as replacement level), and filling out the roster with a group of average (~ -.5 plus minus) players. We then ran this roster through a simulated NBA schedule 100 times, and came out with about 26 wins.

The idea being that the players from the Young Core replace the minutes played by the replacement level players from the 26 win team.

*The Wins Above Replacement player projections come from our player projections, and update periodically throughout the season. While a player like Jayson Tatum is listed at a 9.1 peak WAR, this is what we consider his most likely outcome. It is just as possible that he goes over that 9.1 as he goes under.

Portland Trailblazers

Stats & Analytics

Roster Talent Level

Title Contender

Roster

Versatile

Closers

Young Core

Projected Net Rating/100

12.0

Lineup Synergy Rating

6.8

Projected Net Rating/100

12.0

Lineup Synergy Rating

6.8

Esimated Win Total*

32.6

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