Portland Trail Blazers: Each Players' Offseason Work, Part 2

If the Portland Trail Blazers want to be a contending team in the conference, they will have to improve from within as well as from without.

Players are going to have to put the work in to improving their games summer.

There may be a shot for them in the conference. The Spurs may have run their last race. The Lakers are aging and losing Phil Jackson, and the Mavericks are getting up there as well.

The Blazers need to take the window of opportunity that may come in the next couple years. To do that, everyone will have to show their A-game.

Part 1 is here. Part 2 will deal with the Portland bench (which can certainly use the help!)

Nicolas Batum

Batum has some of the highest upside on the team. His game is still far from its best, though.

He should hit the gym and put some weight on so he can play better against bigger guys. He should also add some post moves to take advantage of his often smaller defenders.

Batum should also work on his shot-creation, mid-range game and ball-handling to become an offensive force. Portland really needs him to be a spark.

If he can do these things and fulfill his potential, he's a possible future All-Star.

Greg Oden

The only thing I can really say about Oden is, "Get healthy!"

That includes his mental as well as physical state. He needs to get all the pressure and letdown out of his mind and focus on his rehab and becoming the best player he can be.

Rudy Fernandez

Ah, Rudy. How far he has fallen since his rookie season when he shot 40 percent from three. Now he can barely even seem to hit the open ones.

Fernandez needs to get back to his sharpshooting ways. Also, he needs to be able to finish at the basket. He has some decent moves to get good looks, but that doesn't matter when he can't finish them.

Rudy's shortcomings on offense this season often contributed to scoring droughts when the bench unit was in. If he can improve his game, it would go a long way.

Patty Mills

Mills is a great energy guy and is helpful to team chemistry. He and Armon Johnson look like kids on Christmas whenever Portland makes a good play.

He does need to improve his game, though. Mills has shown playing on his national team and the D-League that he has the ability to pass, shoot and score. He needs to show that he can do so against NBA players, however.

The three-point looks need to go in more, he needs to finish better at the basket, and make fewer mistakes.

Armon Johnson

Johnson needs to work on his shot and his decision-making. He played well at the very beginning of the season but was pulled from the rotation for making too many turnovers.

He gives a lot of effort and has great potential on defense. He needs to show that he can run a team on offense and knock down open threes.

Luke Babbit

Many are quick to write off Babbit after not doing much in his first season. The thing is, he wasn't really given much of a chance. It is a difficult transition, especially for a shooter, to go from being the main option to becoming a little-used role player.

Babbit needs to work on getting his NBA rhythm and confidence. He should also work on his defense and rebounding. If he can contribute in those areas, that would lead to more floor time, allowing him to find his stroke.

Chris Johnson 

You don't want your center to weigh less than Bilbo Baggins.

Johnson brings a ton of energy, athleticism, and shot-blocking. If he really wants to be an impact player though, he is going to have to put on some weight and muscle. To gain 15 pounds before the next season starts is probably a decent goal.

He should also work on some offensive moves other than catching and dunking.

Elliot Williams

E-mail missed his potential rookie season due to injury. Like G.O., he mostly just needs to get healthy so we can see what he can do.

What I do know that he could work on is improving his shooting and ball-handling to complement his outstanding athleticism.

Earl Barron

The man with two royal names has shown he has some abilities during his stints in New York, Phoenix, and Milwaukee.

He is pretty good at rebounding and the mid-range jumpshot. But he needs to make improvements to his defense and post-up game if he wants to become a rotation player for Portland.