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Blazers: 5 goals for Jake Layman to achieve in his contract season

By Nate Mann

(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /
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HOUSTON, TX – APRIL 5: Jake Layman #10 of the Portland Trail Blazers glides to the basket during the game against the Houston Rockets on April 5, 2018 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. 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 Bill Baptist/NBAE via Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TX – APRIL 5: Jake Layman #10 of the Portland Trail Blazers glides to the basket during the game against the Houston Rockets on April 5, 2018 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. 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 Bill Baptist/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Expand offensive game

Due to his passive off-ball play and limited court time, Layman didn’t display dynamic offensive talent through his first two NBA seasons. It appeared as though his ceiling was an unreliable three-point shooter, but his 2018 Summer League outing showed otherwise.

Across seven Summer League matchups, three-pointers accounted for 38.1% of Layman’s total shots. This rate is significantly less than his shooting tendency in the NBA – over half of his attempts with the Blazers have been threes.

Read. Jake Layman's Summer League might've earned him minutes. light

To decrease his outside attempts, Layman frequently bent around screens for midrange jumpers and attacked the rim to throw down a few big dunks.

Layman showed that he has the athleticism to be more than a perimeter-dwelling three-point shooter. At the 2016 NBA Draft combine, his test results were:

  • Three-quarter court sprint: 3.24 seconds (leader: 3.12 seconds)
  • Shuttle run: 2.82 seconds (leader: 2.64 seconds)
  • Lane agility: 11.35 seconds (leader: 10.45 seconds)
  • Maximum vertical: 39.5 inches (leader: 44 inches)

At 6 feet 9 inches with these athleticism marks, Layman can blow by defenders after selling them on a pump fake and finish acrobatic shots around the rim, including poster dunks (like he did in Summer League).

Terry Stotts likes players who have a multi-dimensional offensive game, but three-point shooting takes precedence to developing his all-around game in the upcoming season. The other aspects of his offense might improve throughout the season, but his offensive success stems from an ability to consistently make threes.