Blazers: 5 goals for Meyers Leonard to achieve in the 2018-2019 season

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PORTLAND, OR – MARCH 17: Meyers Leonard #11 of the Portland Trail Blazers dunks the ball during the game against the Detroit Pistons on March 17, 2018 at the Moda Center Arena in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Cameron Browne/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Recover shooting percentages

To qualify for the elusive 50-40-90 club, a player must make at least 300 field goals, 82 three-pointers, and 125 free throws. The list of players to do so is:

Larry Bird (twice)
Mark Price
Reggie Miller
Steve Nash (four times)
Dirk Nowitzki
Kevin Durant
Stephen Curry

In 2014-2015, Leonard shot 51% from the field, 42% from three, and 93.8% from the charity stripe. Although he hit all three marks, he failed to reach the minimum qualifications. (Leonard converted on 125 field goals, 47 threes, and 30 free throws.) Nonetheless, a 63.1% true shooting percentage in 15.4 minutes of play time per game is no easy feat, especially for a stretch forward in his third NBA campaign.

The following two seasons, when he got his best chances to solidify a rotation spot, Leonard failed to shoot at the same rate. He converted on 44.8% of his field goals in 2015-2016, then 38.6% in 2016-2017. His three-point percentage followed the same trend as his minutes and attempts dwindled.

If shooting 50-40-90 and vacated frontcourt rotation spots helped him earn more minutes in 2015-2016, the same can go for this upcoming season. He has the opportunity to assume Ed Davis‘ role with the bench unit alongside Zach Collins, and knocking down his minimal shot attempts will go a long way in Terry Stotts’ decision of who to give the minutes to.