Gary Trent Jr. was a three-point sniper in college, but then showed his all-around play in Summer League. Here are five goals for the rookie to balance these two play styles.
According to 6% of the 2018-2019 rookies, Gary Trent Jr. was the biggest steal of the draft. Trent Jr. was pick No. 37 by the Sacramento Kings, but became part of the second consecutive draft night trade between the Blazers and Kings.
Swapped for two future second round picks, the Duke shooting guard joined a roster in desperate need of shooting – his role for Portland was therefore evident immediately.
He set the single-season record for most made three-pointers by a freshman with 97, snapping J.J. Redick’s 15-year hold on the title. Despite the high-volume outside shooting, Trent Jr. connected on 40.2% of his attempts, better than all but two Blazers last season.
Portland saw an ability to translate this success to the NBA in the freshman, which is why it had no problem dealing out two second-round picks for one. But in a crowded backcourt rotation, Trent Jr. can’t expect three-point shooting to earn him minutes; he’ll need to display all-around play.
In Summer League, the rookie performed opposite of these expectations. He struggled from a scoring-standpoint, shooting 35.4% from the field and 32.3% from beyond the arc. But to make up for those numbers, he recorded 3.3 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.3 steals per game, in line with his Duke averages despite playing 10.8 minutes fewer.
Here are Trent Jr.’s five goals for the 2018-2019 season to help him balance his scoring from Duke and versatile play from Summer League.