One of the biggest stories of the 2013-14 NBA season was the reemergence of the Portland Trail Blazers from the dregs of the NBA lottery back into the national spotlight. The All-Star duo of LaMarcus Aldridge and Damian Lillard led the way, but this was no two-man show. Fellow starters Nicolas Batum, Wesley Matthews and Robin Lopez all had career years and, together, helped round out what many considered to be one of the top five-man units in all of basketball. With those five guys on the floor, the Blazers could confidently compete with (and best) any and all comers, particularly in the raucous Moda Center.
The bench, on the other hand, was another story. While the Blazers arguably had one of the best starting fives in the NBA, there was no argument when came to the bench. The second unit was, without a doubt, the most anemic in the league, finishing last in both scoring (23.8 ppg) and minutes played (13.8 mpg) for the second consecutive year.
While the lack of scoring was the most frustrating for those watching at home, it was the inability to even earn time on the court that was most troubling in regards to the teams long term success. Not every bench can be full of scorers and playmakers, as there are only so many of these types floating around the league. However, if you can fill your bench with a litany of role players who may not light up the scoreboard, but can simply eat up some quality minutes, you’ll find yourself in pretty good shape. It may not always look pretty, but, it’s a surefire way to keep your team healthy and well rested come playoff time.
The Blazers may have gotten lucky in the health department, but it was clear that once Damian Lillard dispatched the Houston Rockets in dramatic fashion, the Blazers were toast. They just didn’t have another 7 games worth of high level basketball left in them. Heck, they may not have had even one. They were taken to task by the much older, yet also much fresher, San Antonio Spurs. The same Spurs team that, not so coincidentally, led the league in bench minutes per game.
So, with the top five already locked up heading into this season, Blazers General Manager Neil Olshey made a concerted effort to use what little free agent money the team had to build up the team’s depth. That depth came in the form of veteran center Chris Kaman and former Blazer legend (to some, at least) Steve Blake, making his triumphant return to Rip City for a third go-around.
While neither addition was splashy or made league-wide headlines, it was clear that Olshey had a plan in mind and sought these players out for a reason. Kaman was the kind of tough, inside presence on both ends of the floor that the Blazers lacked off the bench last year. And while Blake may lack Mo Williams’ scoring punch, he provides a steady hand to keep the offense flowing when the Blazers young wings take the floor, plus a level of effort on defense above any that Williams could provide (that level being “any”).
Already this season, we’ve seen Kaman be an efficient and effective go-to scorer without any starters on the court, at times single-handedly out-pacing other teams’ reserves. Blake, meanwhile, has not only gotten big minutes down the stretch of games, there has been times where has taken over games (short times, but, times nonetheless!) with the kind of veteran moxie and court savviness that were sorely missed in recent years. Heck, we’ve even seen Joel Freeland play every minute of a dramatic 4th quarter comeback, crashing the boards and playing fantastic defense, all the while giving Robin Lopez a much deserved night of rest, and allowing him to slide seamlessly into the role of towel waving cheerleader.
Look no further than the most basic (and, really, the most important) of advanced stats: point differential (or “plus/minus”). Plus/minus (+/-) simply measures who scores more during each game when you are on the court: you (plus) or your opponent (minus). The higher your plus, presumably, the more you’re helping your team.
Last season, the only Blazers with a +/- of over 1 ppg were the starting five, with all of them falling in the +3.8 to +5.1 range, and all falling in the top 40 in the league among starters. Meanwhile the bench was led by Mo Williams at 1.0 (t-51st in the league off the bench), while most the rest of bench players like Thomas Robinson, Meyers Leonard and Will Barton were solidly in the negative. Suffice to say, that’s not good. Particularly for a 50 win team.
Flash forward to this season, and the starters are still as good as ever, but, the real surprise is that they aren’t leading the team. In fact, none of them even crack the top three. No, the top three current Blazers according to +/- are CJ McCollum (+7.0), Steve Blake (+6.5) and Chris Kaman (+6.5). What’s even more impressive is that they are doing that in limited minutes, so, they are really taking it to opposing benches during their time out on the court.
With this newfound productivity comes confidence from Head Coach Terry Stotts. The starters’ minutes are down a couple ticks each, helping keep their legs fresh for the end of season playoff push. And, while no minutes in the NBA are truly “stress free,” the fact that the starters aren’t constantly asked to do all the heavy lifting is sure to save their legs a bit. Instead of consistently leaving with the lead and returning tied or behind, we are finally seeing a bench that can not only hold on to a lead, but extend it.
(“Is that even allowed?” asks most Blazers fans. Yes. Yes it is.)
This new look bench isn’t just about the top three guy, though. They are getting contributions up and down the bench, and from some of the players who you’d least expect it, and it’s paying dividends with a couple starters already missing time.
Last year, the Blazers had a shockingly good run of health, with four starters playing in all 82 games, while LaMarcus only missed a few games late in the year. It was a near certainty that such spectacular health among those guys wouldn’t happen again. Batum and Aldridge have already missed games, and there will almost certainly be more to come.
Last year, this would mean sliding one of the few productive bench players into the starting rotation, thus re-strengthening that unit, but, at the same time sending the bench screaming back down to the anemic levels of years past. But this year, with a little more confidence in his overall depth, Stotts went all Popovichian on us, resisting the urge to promote Kaman or McCollum in order to keep the successful bench unit intact.
Instead, he slid seldom used bench fodder Allen Crabbe and Meyers Leonard into the starting lineup, while upping Will Barton and Joel Freeland’s minutes a touch to fill in the gaps. Sure, Crabbe and Leonard were no Batum and Aldridge, but, they were able to hold down the fort enough to allow everyone else to maintain their heretofore successful roles.
What was once a bench comprised of rookies and second year players with little to no experience, is now starting to grow up, find their niche and understand their roles on the team. Throw in a couple of savvy vets to lead the way, and what was unarguably the worst bench in the NBA, is now turning into a strength of sorts.
Now, we’re not exactly talking Spurs-level bench production, but, making the jump from a distant 30th in both minutes and scoring up to the (admittedly) modest heights of 24th in both categories is progress nonetheless.
With the continued elite play of the starters, even a below average bench may be enough to push this team to the greater heights the players and fans desire. And, with the team still learning how to play with newcomers Kaman and Blake, as well as a plethora of young talent still developing in (and on) the wings, there is still room for further improvement along the way.
While this team will still ultimately only go as far as LaMarcus Aldridge, Damian Lillard and their starting unit will take them, they can’t do it all by themselves. They are going to miss games, have off nights, and need to take a breather once in a while. But have no fear Blazer fans, you no longer need to shield your eyes during those moments, for you have on your side something you haven’t had in a long time: a competent bench. Considering what you’ve had to put up with the last few years, that’s definitely something to get excited about.
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