When you think of a third wheel, endearing thoughts rarely come to mind. But for the Portland Trail Blazers, finding someone to consistently complement the scoring tandem of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum is far from an awkward addition—it’s a necessity.
Entering Saturday’s contest against the New York Knicks, the duo of Lillard and McCollum had accounted for 43.4 percent of the team’s total scoring on the year. Against the ‘Bockers, they combined for 51 (46.4 percent), and yet the team dropped a close one 112-110.
The moral of the story here is that while these two have become a top-tier backcourt that provides endless entertainment, they simply can’t do it on their own. The team’s 10-15 record is admittedly better than most anticipated at this point in the process, but a spot in the postseason still seems unrealistic despite its current position two spots out of the eighth seed.
Assuming the Blazers have no interest in tanking, a push for that eighth seed is going to take priority to avoid the purgatory that comes from being a middling organization in the Association. That means the team needs to establish a consistent third option, but the question is: Who is most ready to become that tertiary scoring threat?
Following the game against New York, Al-Farouq Aminu and Allen Crabbe are the two options behind Lillard and McCollum scoring in double figures. The former is averaging a career-best 10.9 points per night, while the latter is also obliterating his previous career high (3.3 PPG) with 10.2.
The problem is that both of those are clear dropoffs from the 24.4 and 19.9 points per game that Lillard and McCollum are averaging, respectively, creating an obvious gap for third fiddle that used to be occupied by the likes of Wesley Matthews and Nicolas Batum.
Of the two, Crabbe appears to be the more likely option to have a higher scoring ceiling. Aminu has been more consistent from Day 1, but Crabbe has shown the ability to score in bunches and appears to have a more deadly set of weapons on that side of the floor.
After these two, it’s a guessing game. Will Meyers Leonard ever become more than just a threat when open on the perimeter? Can Noah Vonleh expedite his development with more looks in his second season?
Banking on development will be an impossible task for this franchise if nobody steps up organically, but that’s where the “break glass in case of emergency” option kicks in. General manager Neil Olshey designed this roster with flexibility in mind. There is plenty of cap space for free-agent pursuits in the coming offseasons, but there’s also the option to swing a lopsided trade with a team looking to unload a star or disgruntled prospect.
Whether or not Portland makes that move to accelerate the process, the fact is simple: Portland’s dynamic duo in the backcourt needs help. This team has blown too many big leads (a la Knicks) and lost too many close games (a la Knicks again) for a squad that isn’t realistically in position for a top draft pick.
Another piece to the puzzle doesn’t have to be a third wheel, and the Blazers need all the help they can get if they hope to contend in the near future.
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