The Trail Blazer Bench: A 2nd Unit Preview
Much has been made about the new starting five in Portland this season, but few have looked at the bench implications. The massive roster turnover has resulted in a bench rotation that could grow into a bright spot for the Blazers. The new second unit features four first round picks and two returning players from last season. How will this new group look to buck the trend of subpar Rip City backup squads?
According to hoopsstats.com the Blazers came in at a dismal 27th in bench scoring last season. This a clear area in desperate need of improvement. Bench chemistry will prove just as imperative as the starter’s chemistry if Portland is to find success this year. Lets meet the new bench mob:
PG – C.J. McCollum
Coach Terry Stotts has already expressed his desire to have McCollum as the primary ball handler behind Damian Lillard. He is the prototype for instant offense off of the bench. McCollum has displayed a knack for getting to the rim and creating his own shot (.544% on shots at the rim last season). Couple that skill with his .396 three point percentage and we are in for some offensive fire power.
The individual scoring should be there from the start for McCollum. His ability to run an offense might hold a steeper learning curve. Expect to see some stagnation in half court sets to start the year, resulting in rushed shots and turnovers.
SG – Allen Crabbe
Crabbe continues to prove his doubters wrong as we now move into the regular season. The second round pick from Cal now finds himself in a position to capitalize on a strong summer league and preseason. He has had an impressive stat line so far in the preseason(12.7 ppg / .486 FG% / .414 3P%).
Putting up nice scoring in summer league and preseason is one thing, but scoring against NBA rotation guys is another. Crabbe has made massive improvements on offense this offseason; expect the trend to continue with normal playing time.
Oct 8, 2015; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward Allen Crabbe (23) shoots the ball against the Golden State Warriors at Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports
SF – Maurice Harkless
The third year man from St. John’s will find himself as the utility man off of the Blazer bench this year. Harkless leaves behind a frustrating situation that found him buried on the depth chart in Orlando. He has shown the ability to play some of the small ball four already in the preseason. Expect Harkless’s flexibility to be his biggest asset to Rip City.
Harkless must prove that his poor shooting from last year was a product of his surroundings and not a decline in skill. 2014-15 saw his FG% drop from .464 to .399, including a steep drop in three point percentage(.383 to .179). Harkless has been one of the surprises in the Blazer preseason and will hopefully continue to prove the Magic wrong for passing up on his services.
PF – Noah Vonleh
A year after being the ninth overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft Vonleh found himself on the scrap heap in Charlotte. Vonleh has looked like he is deserving of regular minutes after putting up 6.4 ppg and 7.4 rpg in the preseason. We have yet to see his outside shooting, but his willingness to do the dirty work has been noticed. His athleticism should contribute to fast break points and strong help defense.
Vonleh had a mess of a rookie year. A preseason surgery found him showing up late to a jammed Hornet frontcourt. For all intents and purposes this is his rookie year. Expect growing pains, but you should also expect flashes of potential.
C- Ed Davis
The 26 year old is the veteran anchor of the Portland second unit. Davis has finally found a home in Portland after bouncing around the league in his first five years. Davis boasts a .688 FG% at the rim, and should be the glass cleaner on both ends of the court for this unit. While his offense is limited away from the basket, he makes up for it by tough screens away from it.
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Portland has been spoiled the last few years by having big men that can shoot from the free throw line. Davis is not one of these guys. His limited shooting will find him off the court in almost all crunch time situations. Improvement could be coming though. He shot .688 from the line in the preseason, a big step from .487 last year.
What to expect:
This unit’s success is directly tied to the performance of McCollum. Expect confusion and sloppy play until he can get the hang of running things. Once he does get control I expect a lot more offense out of this group.
The pick and roll game should be effective with Vonleh and Davis in the post. If Crabbe can maintain his outside shooting, it will continue to open up the court for a driving McCollum. Expect easy buckets from this group when things get going. All players have looked good in transition in the preseason. Along with fast break baskets expect Davis and Vonleh to get easy put backs off of rebounds. Both big men have looked above average at crashing the offensive boards.
While it might be painful to watch at first. I expect this group to finish well above 27th in bench scoring this year. This group has the pieces to be one of the better Blazer benches of the last few years.