Blazers on the Block: Week 1 Recap

With four games under their belt lets take a look at the big guys on the Blazer squad. After an impressive opening night the post players have under performed. Two losses to the Suns have left the Rip City faithful wondering just how steep the learning curve will be for this group.

It isn’t all doom and gloom, one positive is how Mason Plumlee has looked in transition. For a center he has looked extremely comfortable with the ball in his hands. Plumlee racked up six assists against the Pelicans as he found open teammates throughout the night. While his ball handling has been a surprise addition, his horrid free throw shooting has left more to be desired. Through four games Plumlee’s free throw percentage sits at .273, well below his career average.

Oct 31, 2015; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers center/forward Mason Plumlee (24)

With Gerald Henderson still recovering, Ed Davis has stepped into the sixth man role. Davis has reached double digit rebounds in three of the first four games. Opening night showcased an impressive double double for the first year Blazer. Davis has shown a real knack for picking up garbage points, but we have yet to see his ability to be a force on the pick and roll. Davis is not alone on this front, all Portland big men have struggled to secure the ball off of screens.

It has been three games since Meyers Leonard hit his last shot from beyond the arc. Leonard has seen a massive decline in all his shooting numbers. His .118 three point percentage is by far the most concerning. It is imperative for Leonard to find his shot. Poor floor spacing has led to stagnation for the Blazer’s half court offense. The new role and foul trouble has certainly led to the slow start. No need to hit the panic button yet.

Finding a proper role for Noah Vonleh is looking like it will be a tougher task than expected. His .300 FG% is a testament to his shaky play so far. Vonleh’s 3.3 rebounds per game looks much worse on paper than in reality. His second unit post partner has left few boards for Vonleh to pick up. Expect more of the same as the season gets going, the 20 year old has a lot of learning ahead.

The second game against Phoenix saw Portland use Al-Farouq Aminu for long stretches at power forward. I would expect this more and more as the Blazers face a league trending toward smaller lineups. This also could be a product of strong play from Maurice Harkless. The back up forward has shown he is deserving of more court time, which has led to Aminu being shifted down from the small forward spot.