NBA Notes: Blazers, backcourt, Nuggets, DeMar DeRozan, Heat

Trail Blazers

The Trail Blazers already had some decisions to make in their crowded backcourt. Shaedon Sharpe’s injury may have bought them some time.

Sharpe is expected to miss about six months after suffering a torn meniscus in his knee. That could keep him sidelined until around February.

As Blake Silverman of Sports Illustrated noted, Portland had been a logical candidate to move one of its guards before the season. Ja Morant, Damian Lillard, Jrue Holiday and Scoot Henderson are all in the mix, with Deni Avdija handling plenty of the ball as well.

Now? There’s less urgency. Sharpe averaged 20.8 points last season and was second on the team behind Avdija. His absence leaves nearly 30 minutes per game for new coach Micah Nori to distribute elsewhere.

That could give Portland several months to see how Morant fits, what Lillard has left after returning from his Achilles injury and where Henderson fits in the long-term picture.

Silverman suggested Holiday still may be the most logical veteran to eventually move, particularly given his salary. But with Sharpe gone for a sizable chunk of the season, Portland doesn’t necessarily have to sort it all out today.

Nuggets

The Nuggets spent the summer shopping in the bargain aisle. Whether they found anything that can keep Nikola Jokic in championship contention is another matter.

Liam McKeone of Sports Illustrated examined Denver’s additions of DeMar DeRozan, Marvin Bagley III and Alpha Diallo, describing them as low-cost swings by a team with precious little flexibility.

Denver is over the second apron and entered the offseason without a tradable first-round pick, circumstances that helped lead to Peyton Watson being sent to the Cavaliers rather than receiving his new contract from the Nuggets.

DeRozan is easily the biggest name of Denver’s additions. The 37-year-old averaged 18.4 points last season and could finally give the Nuggets a reliable offensive engine when Jokic sits.

There are questions, of course. DeRozan’s defense remains an issue, while Diallo arrives from Europe as a defensive-minded wing who shot just 31.4 percent from three last season. Bagley, meanwhile, gives Denver some insurance behind Aaron Gordon.

McKeone’s larger point is a fair one: Denver didn’t have the resources for a major overhaul. So it needs one or more of these inexpensive bets to hit.

Heat

Klay Thompson solves one problem for the Heat. He doesn’t solve all of them.

Thompson is expected to sign with Miami after clearing waivers following his buyout from the Mavericks, and Silverman writes that the move provides badly needed shooting around Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo.

No argument there. Thompson shot 38.3 percent from three last season, and Miami lost plenty of perimeter firepower in reshaping the roster around Antetokounmpo.

The more interesting question may be who gets everybody the ball.

Miami’s primary options for initiating the offense are Davion Mitchell and Antetokounmpo, with Adebayo capable of creating some offense himself. But there’s no traditional high-level playmaker on the roster.

That’s the remaining hole Silverman identified, and there aren’t exactly a lot of great answers sitting around in late August.

The Heat could see what they have and address it later. Thompson at least gives Giannis another shooter defenses can’t ignore.

Sometimes you fix one problem at a time.