For the first time since December, Portland Trail Blazers center Meyers Leonard has missed three consecutive games, though “missed” is a loose term. He has been fully available, but Head Coach Terry Stotts has elected not to play him. Even when teammate Chris Kaman was sidelined with a strained shoulder on March 25th, Leonard remained on the bench.
So what is going on? As Leonard rounded into form during the latter half of the 2014-15 NBA season, it appeared as if his days as a healthy DNP were becoming stuff of memory. However; this recent stretch of inactivity has shown that Leonard may not yet be a staple of the Trail Blazers’ rotation.
Stotts likes to tweak the lineup more than most, so despite the disappointment, this comes as no major surprise. The Trail Blazers have a variety of viable frontcourt options that each need playing time when their skill sets are most needed. For now, Joel Freeland has taken Leonard’s spot as the second big off the bench behind Kaman.
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The timing of this move is interesting, though. The Trail Blazers had lost five straight leading up to the adjustment, and are now winners of their last three. Does Stotts think Freeland to be a better option to close out games as Portland competes for playoff position? It is difficult to argue with results, so we may see more Freeland in the immediate future. Yet, it is also difficult to solely fault Leonard for the Trail Blazers prior struggles.
Mar 21, 2015; Memphis, TN, USA; Memphis Grizzlies center Marc Gasol (33) goes to the basket against Portland Trail Blazers center Meyers Leonard (11) during the game at FedExForum. Memphis Grizzlies beat Portland Trail Blazers 97-86 Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports
In years past, we could readily point to Leonard’s defense as reason enough for him to ride the pine. This is no longer the case. As recently as March 22nd, we saw him use his quick footwork to stay in front of the Memphis Grizzlies’ Marc Gasol—a premiere center in this league. Gasol struggled to score (4-15), and Leonard’s defensive efforts were instrumental to what was almost a surprise comeback.
Offensively, the Trail Blazers have little to complain about either. Leonard leads the team in 2-point percentage (58.1), 3-point percentage (42.7), and free throw percentage (92.6). It should be noted, though, that Leonard has not been effective in recent games, shooting just 4-of-20 since the Trail Blazers began their fateful road trip two weeks back.
Perhaps there lies the primary reason behind his benching. It seems likely, to me, that Stotts is giving him some rest and the opportunity to press the “reset button” before Portland’s final regular season push. The growing concern that Leonard has fallen out of favor is valid, but probably premature. As long as the Trail Blazers continue to win, this mini-hiatus is for the best.
Leonard will be back in rotation soon enough. I will be surprised if we do not see him play meaningful minutes this week. With just 10 games left, Stotts is balancing player fatigue as best he can, so prepare for some roster-wide playing time fluctuation anyway, but bear in mind that trying to predict his next move is often futile. Leonard will reappear when he is needed and not a moment sooner.
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