FINALLY!
Can you believe Meyers Leonard started an NBA game, played 30 minutes against real NBA players, and didn’t have a turnover?
I mean, it’s nothing personal, but it was a pleasant surprise to watch Saturday night’s game against the Brooklyn Nets and see improvement from one of the Trail Blazers highest draft picks of the last few years.
LaMarcus Aldridge missed the game with an upper-respiratory illness, and Nicolas Batum missed his third straight game with a knee contusion. That opened the door for Leonard to play extended minutes, and in those minutes, he held his own.
Leonard wasn’t the only one, either. Allen Crabbe started his third straight game in place of Batum, and had his best performance this season. Crabbe only scored eight points on 2-of-6 shooting, but he posted a plus-four in +/- with good defense and no turnovers. That kind of solid performance from Portland’s fill-in players is exactly what the Trail Blazers need to break into the top tier of the West.
While Crabbe and Leonard were the two guys Head Coach Terry Stotts chose for the Brooklyn game, the rest of the Trail Blazers’ bench and role players have also been fantastic when called upon; especially Portland’s two free agent signings Steve Blake and Chris Kaman.
On paper, the upgrades of Blake and Kaman don’t seem like franchise-changing moves for a team that made the Western Conference Semifinals the previous season.
| Rk | Player | MP | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P% | TRB | AST | BLK | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Steve Blake | 22.2 | 1.6 | 4.8 | .326 | .343 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 0.1 | 4.8 |
| 7 | Chris Kaman | 19.4 | 4.6 | 7.4 | .612 | 6.8 | 0.8 | 1.6 | 10.1 |
Through ten games, though, it appears as if Blake and Kaman are the perfect players for Portland. They each fit into the offense in their own way, and they’re not taking too many extra minutes from the Trail Blazers’ young players, who will eventually be so vital to Portland’s future.
Even as good as Blake and Kaman have been– and it’s been mostly Kaman– the Trail Blazers’ young guns have played great to start the season, and Portland has needed them to.
Apr 29, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Jamal Crawford (11) scores past Golden State Warriors forward Andre Iguodala (9) during 4th quarter action in game five of the first round of the 2014 NBA Playoffs at Staples Center. The Clippers went on to a 113 – 103 win. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports
All of the good teams in the West have capable scorers and playmakers off the bench. San Antonio has Manu Ginobili, along with an entire roster of guys ready to contribute. Golden State is bringing either David Lee or Draymond Green off the bench once Lee is healthy, and Andre Iguodala off the bench as well. The Clippers have Jamal Crawford to bring the offensive firepower.
The Trail Blazers have the weakest bench of the four, but the experience and rhythm gained early in the season will pay off down the stretch and in the playoffs when the Trail Blazers need a guy like Leonard or Crabbe to fill-in for a few minutes.
Look, we know the Trail Blazers starters are going to get theirs over the course of the season. Damian Lillard, Wesley Matthews, and Aldridge are going to be the main offensive weapons. Batum and Robin Lopez are going grease the wheels. Those are givens.
Who else is going to step up and make a big shot or grab a big rebound? That’s what we’re finding out in November. We might not know who exactly will be on the court for the Trail Blazers by the end of the season, but we now know that there are players waiting in the wings ready for when the opportunity strikes.
Without Aldridge and Batum, the Nets game would have been an easy throw away game for the Trail Blazers– the Hornets game too. Winning both of those games says a lot about Portland and the shift in attitude this season. The Trail Blazers are ready.