Portland Trail Blazers: 3 Positives Enes Kanter Brings to the Roster
By Jakob Ashlin
Rebounding
As I previously stated, Kanter is averaging 10.5 rebounds per game. However he is not just a good rebounder, he is one of the best in the league. Kanter is fifth in the NBA in rebounds per 36 minutes. That is a higher mark than Joel Embiid, Anthony Davis, and Rudy Gobert.
He is particularly dominant on the offensive glass; he is third in the NBA in offensive rebounds per 36 minutes. Kanter’s rebounding prowess should afford the Blazers second unit with many second chances on offense. That could be deadly for opposing defenses considering that Kanter is expected to share the floor with efficient scorers such as Seth Curry and Jake Layman.
The Blazers are already a strong rebounding team. They are third in the NBA in rebounds per game and second in rebounding percentage. To put those statistics in perspective, no other team that is in the top three in total rebounds is also in the top three in rebounding percentage giving the Blazers a combination of efficiency and volume on the glass that is unmatched around the association.
Having the luxury of Kanter subbing in for another double-digit rebounder in Jusuf Nurkic should only increase the Blazers dominance on the glass.