Portland Trail Blazers Struggle to Address Three-Point Shooting Weakness in Roster Build

The Portland Trail Blazers have made several roster moves this summer, including signing Jeremy Sochan to a training camp contract, aiming to add depth and athleticism. However, a significant weakness remains unaddressed: the team’s lack of proven three-point shooters. None of the new additions, including Ja Morant, Jeremy Sochan, Mika Potter, Brendan Carlson, or Robert Williams, provide reliable outside shooting, a critical element in today’s NBA offense.

Over the past two seasons, the league average for three-point shooting has been around 36%, but the Blazers’ recent acquisitions fall well below this mark. For example, Morant averaged just one three-pointer per game at 24%, Sochan shot 0.2 per game at the same percentage, and Carlson, while hitting 36%, only made 0.7 threes per game. Potter showed promise with 1.5 threes per game at 42%, but he is expected to have a limited role. Williams shot 39% but took very few attempts from beyond the arc.

This shooting deficiency could particularly impact forward Deni Avdija, who had his best season last year attacking the basket but needs spacing around him to be effective. Without reliable shooters, defenses can collapse inside, limiting Avdija’s ability to operate near the rim. Similarly, Morant’s game relies heavily on creating plays with the ball, and he requires teammates who can shoot to open driving lanes.

Last season, Portland ranked 28th out of 30 NBA teams in three-point shooting percentage at 34.3%, despite taking a high volume of shots from beyond the arc (seventh in the league with 1,186 threes). This gap between shot volume and efficiency highlights the Blazers’ ongoing struggle. The recent roster moves suggest the team may not have improved this critical weakness and might have even regressed in outside shooting capability heading into the new season.