Trail Blazers: Putting the Best Man Forward

Which Trail Blazers addition has made the biggest impact?

The Portland Trail Blazers have added several new pieces to the team over the summer. Let’s take a look at who has made the biggest impact since coming to Portland and who is still struggling to fit in.

Best Fit: Mason Plumlee

When the Trail Blazers acquired big man Mason Plumlee, Portland began to sense that major change was coming to their front court. Rumors began to surface that LaMarcus Aldridge was on his way out, and the Blazers needed a replacement. The Trail Blazers got a jump start on reconstruction with a draft night trade with the Nets (a trade that also netted rookie Pat Connaughton).

Plumlee has definitely made a name for himself when it comes to the tenacity he brings on the court. However, there were also concerns about his lack of being a stretch big man in the modern NBA. In his last year with the Brooklyn Nets he played 21.3 minutes, averaged 8.7 points (shooting .573 from the field), tallied 6.2 rebounds, and started in 45 out of 82 games.

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Since being added to the Blazers roster, Plumlee shows no signs of slowing down as a dominant force in the paint. His numbers have improved in almost every category. Plumlee has not only played, but started in all 36 games with the Trail Blazers. He’s averaged 26.7 minutes, 9.3 points (while shooting .519 percent from the field), and 8.1 rebounds. Not to mention that he has been a double-double machine. There is no question that Plumlee is taking his new role on the Blazers by storm, giving Terry Stotts and the rest of the organization excitement about what is to come from their young talented big man.

Jan 3, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Kostas Papanikolaou (16) guards Portland Trail Blazers guard Gerald Henderson (9) in the fourth quarter at the Pepsi Center. The Trail Blazers defeated the Nuggets 112-106. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports /

Struggling to Find Footing: Gerald Henderson

For veteran Gerald Henderson, this hasn’t been the season he expected. Coming into the season off of hip surgery, Henderson found himself sidelined with a slow rehab. This made him the back up to rising shooting guard CJ McCollum (a role once thought to be in contention). When he finally returned he flashed some signs of progress. He scored 12 points (shooting 6-10 from the field) in 18 minutes, during his debut. Inconsistency started to take over in his play afterwards. In the following games, Henderson would barely see time on the court.

He then came to another set back when fellow guard Allen Crabbe started to break out in the month of December. This has resulted in him being moved down further in Terry Stotts’ rotation. It seems as if his opportunity to get consistent time on the court will continue to be prolonged. Determined to turn things around, Henderson has kept striving to prove that he is a valuable asset to the team.

Recently he scored 19 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists off the bench in the Trail Blazers victory against the Nuggets. For the season he has averaged 7.0 points, 2.5 rebounds, and played 16.4 minutes per game. Henderson isn’t unaware of his struggle. He was quoted in a recent interview:

"“I don’t feel like I can really play worse. I look at myself … I know how to play…..and it will turn around at some point … but I feel like I can help the team, obviously more.’’ – Gerald Henderson"

This sounds like a man who is trying to give those around him a sense of hope. Luckily, the season is far from over. The Blazers organization will just need to have a little more patience when comes to Henderson’s progress. Hopefully he can finish the year out strong.