Portland Trail Blazers: Jake Layman has the talent, but consistency will keep him in the rotation

As Jake Layman has gotten playing time in these last few games, one thing’s for certain, He has the talent to be part of the Portland Trail Blazers rotation. The question is, Can he be consistent?

This season, the Portland Trail Blazers have sifted winger Jake Layman through a variety of roles, both in and out of the rotation. From starter-to-backup-to-bench-warmer, he’s seen it all and back again. Over the last three games, he’s playing 15-20 minutes per and performing well. In fact, he recorded his first ever double-double in a Blazers win over the New York Knicks, scoring 10 points to go with 10 rebounds.

So, when will he inevitably fall out of the lineup?

He’s done this before, after all. Remember when he put together a career-night against the Phoenix Suns? He had been sidelined a couple weeks before and wasn’t playing; in fact, he was only in that game because CJ McCollum was injured. But he made good on the opportunity, dropping in 24 points and grabbing seven boards in 26 minutes.

But the next night, against the Minnesota Timberwolves, he put up a total clunker. He scored six points on 20% shooting, including 0-for-6 from deep. Two games later, he was back on the outside of the rotation looking in.

There’s no denying that Layman has the talent to play NBA minutes. The question is whether he will put up consistent performances or spikes. Can he develop into a reliable option off the bench and find minutes throughout the rest of the season?

With Nik Stauskas’s struggles and absence from the rotation, along with Maurice Harkless‘s knee injury flaring up again, Layman will no doubt get opportunities to prove himself.

As “The Snake” has slowly wrapped himself around the hearts of Trail Blazers’ supporters who have ardently called for the team to give him more minutes, everyone will now see how he answers these calls at the pivotal mid-point in the season.