4 Blazers That Need to Step up the Most Against Golden State

Mar 11, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward Meyers Leonard (11) passes the ball out against Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) during the second quarter at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 11, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward Meyers Leonard (11) passes the ball out against Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) during the second quarter at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
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Jan 21, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward Meyers Leonard (11) dunks the ball past Boston Celtics forward Jordan Mickey (55) during the first half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 21, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward Meyers Leonard (11) dunks the ball past Boston Celtics forward Jordan Mickey (55) during the first half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

Meyers Leonard needs to Silence the Haters with Confident Basketball

Rip City’s Leonard feelings are summed in this scene from the Disney Channel classic BRINK!

Just play better Meyers, just play better!

It’s easy to poke fun or criticize Leonard. The fans have simply grown frustrated by his inability to play up to his potential.

So this isn’t a call for Leonard to make five threes a game (although that would be nice). And it’s not a call for solid rim protection (again, that would be a plus and I wouldn’t mind). This is simply a plea that Leonard clear his head and focus on just having fun.

When Leonard is confident and has no pressure put on him, he can thrive.

Yeah, yeah, get your jokes out about the ridiculous faces he makes, but those celebrations would be welcomed and on t-shirts if he made plays like these consistently.

The Warriors have Green down low, but other then that not really any dominating rim-protection. Leonard will most likely be the biggest body on the floor whenever he plays. That alone should infuse confidence.

If Leonard let’s the game come to him, not force anything and most importantly play with a chip on his shoulder, then there is no reason why he can’t put up some solid numbers. The critics and fans have been hard on him. However to silence them, no monster game needed, just a consistent one.

A productive Meyers Leonard could blow this series wide open.

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