Today, each Portland Trail Blazer bench player who’s played significant time with the team will get a grade on their season. I know it’s a wee bit cliché to do grades when everybody else does, but this is a Blazer-centric space, and I’ll toss in some player-specific analysis to explain why that player got the grade he did.
What I mean by “significant time” is each Blazer who’s played at least 15 minutes per game, or 41 games. So Tim Frazier and other assorted scrubs won’t be mentioned because they’re not important enough, nor Will Barton and Thomas Robinson, who were traded to Denver. They didn’t play enough games or minutes per to qualify, anyway.
One guy we will look at, though, is Arron Afflalo. He’s the lone exception; the trade for his services was supposed to push Portland into title contention. Sadly, that now isn’t the case, but he still warrants a look.
The Blazers will play the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round this year. I‘ll explain in full detail why my boots are shaking tomorrow. (All stats per NBA.com)
Steve Blake: B-
Season Stats: 4.2 PPG, 1.7 RPG, 3.5 APG, 81 games played, 19 minutes per game, 37/35/70 shooting splits
Thoughts: I’ve described Blake before as a PB & J kind of player, nothing spectacular or flashy, but always there if you need him. The best stat is the games played number; Blake’s a professional to the bone, and tough as old leather.
Blake’s three-point shot has fallen off some this season; 35% accuracy is below-average, and it’s clear teams have sagged off Blake, especially if he played with Damian Lillard in the lineup. His offense wasn’t why the Blazers brought him in, though.
He’s a steady hand and a veteran presence at this point in his career. Blake’s winding down a journeyman career he should be proud of, but it’d be nice if he could dust off the cobwebs and give the Blazers a five three pointer game against Memphis. They’ll need whatever Blake can give them.
Chris Kaman: B+
Season Stats: 8.6 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 0.9 APG, 74 games played, 19 minutes per game, 51.5% FG%, 70% FT%
Thoughts: Air Sasquatch’s signing was originally panned by many observers of the NBA. He had a bad season with one of the worst teams in the league last year, the Los Angeles Lakers. People thought that after striking out on Spencer Hawes, the Blazers got too desperate for help at center, and gave Kaman the mid-level exception out of that desperation.
Early in the season, Air Sasquatch took those words, crammed them down everybody’s throats, then did a clumsy caveman dance. Averaging 11 points and seven rebounds in October/November sounds modest, but Kaman did that in about 20 minutes of action per game, and most NBA teams would kill for that kind of production from a backup center.
After Lopez and Joel Freeland got hurt, Kaman had to play more minutes and start some games, and the increased burden and nagging injuries, coupled with the birth of his first child, took its toll on the soon-to-be 33-year-old. His scoring, field-goal percentage, and rebounding all fell off, and he looked sluggish at times.
He still gets a high grade because I remember the likes of J.J. Hickson and Thomas Robinson trying to play “center” next to LaMarcus Aldridge, and having an actual big guy that can combo with Aldridge every time he steps on the floor is great. That Air Sasquatch actually has an offensive game is gravy on the taters.
CJ McCollum: C+
Season Stats: 6.8 PPG, 1.5 RPG, 1 APG, 62 games played, 15.7 minutes per game, 43/39/70 splits
Thoughts: For the second straight year, McCollum’s season got off to a rocky start because of injury. He broke a finger and sat out most of the games till the New Year, chafing for more playing time.
McCollum’s had a screwy start to his NBA career, but since the injuries to Wes Matthews and Arron Afflalo, he’s picked his game up. He’s shown a great stroke from three, being mere percentage points from the elite 40% mark from downtown. Catch-and-shoot threes are particularly good from him; he’s hitting 41% on those types of chances.
Pull-up threes haven’t had the same amount of success. McCollum’s hitting just 35.7% of those types of threes, and as he grows into more responsibility and playing time, he’ll shoot more of those.
Zach Lowe of Grantland had an excellent interview and feature on McCollum last week. As usual with Lowe’s work, it was informative and enlightening, and if you’re curious to know just what makes McCollum tick, and his unique place in the Blazer hierarchy, go check it out.
Arron Afflalo: Incomplete
Season Stats (With Portland): 10.5 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 1.1 APG, 25 games played, 30 minutes per game, 41/40/85 splits
Thoughts: When the Blazers acquired Afflalo from the division rival Denver Nuggets, it was with the thought of turning him into a super-sub, the third tall wing player that could give Matthews and/or Nicolas Batum more rest without the severe drop-off in production that came from playing McCollum, or the lack of size that led the Blake/Lillard pairings to get obliterated defensively.
The first few games here, Afflalo was easing into the role, as you’d expect; I’d have been shocked if he came out and lit the world on fire. Then Matthews blows out his Achilles, and Afflalo ends up starting, then Afflalo hurts his shoulder, and he’s done until the playoffs.
He did good work for the positions he was put in, but since his role changed practically every week he was here, I didn’t feel comfortable grading him. I likely wouldn’t have said much about him in this kind of review anyway, but the importance the Blazers placed on this trade, and the large amount of time he played when he got here, demanded I take a look.
Meyers Leonard: A
Season Stats: 5.9 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 0.6 APG, 55 games played, 15.4 minutes per game, 51% FG%, 42% 3PT%
Thoughts: Considering where he was before the start of the season, a fifth big man on the cusp of being sent to the minor leagues, what Leonard did this year has to be a leap. His shooting accuracy and rebounding both went up, and it’s the three-point shooting in particular that I want to highlight.
In this day and age in the NBA, as a big man, you either need to shoot from range, protect the rim, or both. Aldridge can shoot from anywhere on the floor, while Robin Lopez can seal off the paint. For the first two years of his career, Leonard struggled to choose which side he wanted to be on. As a result, he couldn’t do either, and his NBA future was in question.
This season, though, Leonard’s taken two threes a game in his limited time out there, and not only did he can 42% of them, an incredible number, but his shooting stroke looked…good.
It was stupefying: I wanted Meyers Leonard, a guy I killed both among my friends and on this site for a solid year, to shoot MORE. Like, MUCH MORE.
Congratulations, kid. You’ve found a place in the NBA.
Joel Freeland: C+
Season Stats: 3.5 PPG, 4 RPG, 0.3 APG, 48 games played, 12.9 minutes per game
Thoughts: Before he got hurt, Freeland was a solid bruiser off the bench. Coach Terry Stotts was looking for toughness out of the other backup big man spot, and with Air Sasquatch’s offensive skills, when Stotts needed to rest Aldridge and Lopez at the same time, he turned to the Brit instead of the youngster Leonard.
After Freeland recovered, his playing time dried up due to Leonard’s emergence as a stretch threat, and Stotts’ need for more scoring after Matthews got injured. While Freeland’s possessed of a solid 15-foot jumper, he’s got hands of stone, and will never be in Leonard’s or even Kaman’s league as a jump-shooter.
It’s still worth keeping Freeland around; Lopez and Kaman aren’t the most durable big men. Just keep in mind that at age 28, Freeland is going to be what he is for the rest of his career.
Dorell Wright: C-
Season Stats: 4.6 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 0.9 APG, 48 games played, 12.3 minutes per game, 38% 3PT%
Thoughts: Wright was brought to Portland to do one thing: shoot the three. His accuracy shooting it gets him a passing grade (barely), but his frequency shooting it, and inability to earn more playing time despite his very good shooting, keep him from getting a better grade.
Playing 12 minutes a game for 48 games before breaking his hand, Wright didn’t get a bunch of opportunities, but there were times when he was playing that he’d refuse to jack one up when he got the space. It seemed like once he missed his first couple shots, he lost all desire to continue putting them up.
Often playing in small-ball lineups designed to take advantage of his shooting skill, this was not what Stotts needed from Wright. Wright’s history with knee injuries also has sapped some quickness; faster or smaller wings can blow right by him on defense.
This inability to defend wing players was why the likes of Blake and McCollum, shorter players better suited for combo guard work, were playing with Lillard. This was why Matthews often played the three position instead of his natural two when Batum sat. This was why Portland traded for Afflalo.
In the end, there wasn’t much of a place for Wright this year. Once he gets healthy, and remembers why he’s on an NBA roster, he can secure more playing time either here or elsewhere, and continue what has been a solid NBA career.
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