The Portland Trail Blazers will, and should, miss Shabazz Napier
Portland’s steady-handed backup guard Shabazz Napier was lost this offseason to the Brooklyn Nets, per Adrian Wojnarowski.
Free agent guard Shabazz Napier has agreed to a two-year deal with the Brooklyn Nets, league sources tell ESPN. Napier, 27, had his best pro season with the Blazers last year.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 14, 2018
Though not the type of move that creates fireworks around the NBA, Napier was a consistent player off the bench for the Blazers in what was a career-year for him.
In his backup role, he averaged 8.7 points, two assists, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.1 steals in about 21 minutes per night.
While Portland’s offense always looks more dynamic with Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum on the court, Napier served as a reliable option to keep the offense afloat when controlling the second unit.
Among backup guards (those logging between 13 and 24 minutes per game with less than 25 starts) who played 60 or more games, he ranked sixth in PER. Above Napier were players like Sixth Man candidate Fred Vanvleet and Dwyane Wade; below him were guys like Raymond Felton, Manu Ginobili, and T.J. McConnell.
Napier exhibited much of what a team could want in a third guard behind a star-studded backcourt. Efficient, high-level ball-handling, good court vision, a competent defender, and a budding three-point shot.
Last year, Napier hit a career-mark from beyond the arc, hitting 37.6 percent of his attempts from deep. His versatility allowed for Head Coach Terry Stotts to play him both with and without Portland’s best players.
With Napier packing his bags for Brooklyn, the question is not if the Blazers will miss his solid play but how much.