(Fifth in a multi-part series on the inside story of the Trail Blazers’ summer of change)

There will be many new players in a Trail Blazer uniform this season, but what cannot be overlooked is the expectations for a couple of guys who were on the team last year.



Much is expected from Anfernee Simons and Zach Collins and, indeed, part of the reason for dealing some of the players who were not brought back was to open playing time for the youngsters.



And there is no doubt the most mystery surrounds Simons, the 20-year-old second-year player who did not play college basketball. Practices are closed to media in the NBA but word leaks out and there was a constant stream of praise last season from Portland players and coaches about how well Simons played in practice. Then, in the final game of the season when, given a full 48 minutes against Sacramento, Simons scored 37 points, including 7-11 on three-point shots. He led a 28-point comeback that resulted in his team garnering the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference. He followed that up with a solid summer-league performance.



The Trail Blazers plan to plug Simons into the off-the-bench scorer role that Seth Curry played last season.



Collins, who will turn 22 in November, moves into his third season with a chance to be the starting power forward in place of departed Al-Farouq Aminu. He is a shotblocker and solid defender who must show improvement offensively. If Collins can consistently make corner threes he’s going to be a big factor.



The front office is very optimistic about the future of both players, as Neil Olshey, the team’s president of basketball operations, details in the accompanying video.