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By Anne Erickson
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As Halloween shops start to pop up, basketball fans know that means the NBA's new season is just around the bend.
The Portland Trail Blazers have reached the point where potential needs to start turning into results.
For the last few seasons, the talk around Portland has centered on what its young players might become. This year feels a little different. The roster is still young, but there's a growing expectation that the Trail Blazers should start climbing the Western Conference standings instead of simply talking about the future.
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A lot of that starts with Scoot Henderson. After showing flashes during his first few seasons, Henderson enters an important year with a chance to establish himself as the leader of Portland's backcourt. His speed, confidence and ability to create for others have never really been in doubt. Now the challenge is putting everything together on a consistent basis.
More news: New York Knicks: Season Preview for the Reigning Champions
He's far from the only young player worth watching.
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Shaedon Sharpe still has one of the highest ceilings on the roster, and if he can become a more dependable scorer every night, Portland's offense takes on a completely different look. Donovan Clingan is another player expected to see a larger role as he continues developing into a full-time presence in the middle.
Those three players will go a long way toward determining where this season goes. The Trail Blazers have spent time building through the draft, adding young talent and giving those players meaningful minutes. At some point, though, development has to show up in the standings.
That's the next step. There will still be nights when Portland looks every bit like a young team. Mistakes happen. Inconsistency comes with the territory. But there should also be more moments where this group shows why the organization has remained patient.
The Western Conference isn't getting any easier, which makes every bit of progress important.
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The Trail Blazers don't need to become contenders overnight. What they do need is a season that leaves fewer questions than answers.
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