Rip City Project
Fansided

Trail Blazers Free Agency: Olshey’s Eye For Centers

By Steven Dewald

Dec 12, 2015; Portland, OR, USA; New York Knicks center Robin Lopez (8) and Portland Trail Blazers center Mason Plumlee (24) fight for position at Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 12, 2015; Portland, OR, USA; New York Knicks center Robin Lopez (8) and Portland Trail Blazers center Mason Plumlee (24) fight for position at Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

Trail Blazers Free Agency: Neil Olshey will look to keep his solid record of evaluating centers going into summer

The Trail Blazers will be looking to upgrade their big man rotation this offseason. Luckily for Portland, Neil Olshey is the man behind the scenes putting the roster together. As GM, Olshey has done a solid job evaluating the the centers on the Blazers’ roster. He has made key decisions that have laid the ground work for Portland’s recent success. Once again he will be asked to find another big man capable of elevating the Trail Blazers’ status in the NBA.

More from Blazers News

Since arriving prior to the 2012-13 season, the Trail Blazers have done a solid job of identifying underutilized big men. In his second offseason with the team, Olshey was able to steal Robin Lopez away from the Pelicans (Hornets at the time). Lopez made an instant impact with the fans and his teammates. His style of play was a perfect match with LaMarcus Aldridge and they both flourished in their first year together.

Landing Lopez for a series of second round picks was impressive, but not paying him a huge salary last offseason might have been just as wise. While Lopez was certainly missed by the fans, his numbers haven’t returned to the level of what they were in his first year in Portland. Injuries took a toll in his second campaign with the Blazers and he struggled at times with the underachieving Knicks this year. Even with the cap spike, paying Lopez 55 million dollars over four years is a steep price.

Letting Lopez walk isn’t anywhere close to Olshey’s finest example of addition by subtraction. J.J. Hickson started 80 games for the Trail Blazers in 2012-13. While Hickson averaged double digit points and rebounds that season, he clearly wasn’t a fit playing next to Aldridge. Portland wasn’t in a position to lure a free agent that summer, but they still elected to let Hickson walk. Dodging his 16 million dollar deal with the Nuggets certainly looks wise after he was cut from Denver earlier this season.

Dec 8, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets center JJ Hickson (7) reacts during the first half against the Orlando Magic at Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 8, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets center JJ Hickson (7) reacts during the first half against the Orlando Magic at Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports /

Olshey’s latest example of talent evaluation might be his most impressive, as Mason Plumlee put together a solid year in the starting rotation. The former Duke big man had only started 67 games in his first two years in the NBA, but he still managed to catch the eye of Portland’s GM. As a full-time starter, Plumlee saw statistical gains across the board. The biggest of all might be his improved shooting mechanics, which led to his enhanced free throw percentage this season (.495 in 2014-15, .642 in 2015-16). After you combine his improvements with Brooklyn’s low asking price, you have proof of another smart move by Olshey.

Next: More From Rip City Project

This summer will prove to be another test for the Trail Blazers and Olshey alike. Adding a rim protector will be imperative for Portland’s hopes at becoming a contender. While they might not land the biggest name on the market, you can bet it will be a smart move. In a small market, sometimes intelligent moves are the best you can hope for.