Portland Trail Blazers: Enes Kanter Proving Critics Wrong

Enes Kanter has become a trustworthy running mate alongside McCollum and Lillard. He is a consistent scorer, works hard on defense, and is among the league leaders in efficiency and offensive rebounding. With Nurkic’s return uncertain, Kanter could be a long-term fixture in Portland.

Enes Kanter has found a home with the Portland Trail Blazers. In today’s NBA where players take games off to simply rest, Kanter played in the Blazers’ series-clinching win over the Oklahoma City Thunder after suffering a separated shoulder in the first half. He mentioned in his press conference after the game he took a shot from the trainers during halftime and played through the pain. Kanter’s grit and toughness inspired his teammates and is exactly what the Blazers need to advance further in the playoffs.

Originally signed to bolster the bench, Kanter was thrust into the starting lineup after the gruesome leg injury to Jusef Nurkic, who suffered a compound fracture of his left tibia and fibula. Similar injuries to Paul George and Gordon Hayward point to a likely two-year recovery for Nurkic. However, Kanter has filled in admirably since Nurkic went down.

In 23 regular season games for the Blazers, Kanter had a player efficiency rating (PER) of 23.5 while averaging 13.1 points per game and 8.6 rebounds. He shot 57.7% from the field and ranked fourth in the NBA with 3.8 offensive rebounds per game. The average distance of his shot attempts was just 4.1 feet, so he plays close to the rim. Kanter also shot 63.2% on field goal attempts within 0 to 3 feet of the basket. He had a usage rate of 23.4% as the offense often ran through him when CJ McCollum and Damian Lillard were on the bench. Kanter had a wins share per 48 minutes of .196, which ranks higher than even LeBron James (.179). He did all of this while only averaging 23.5 minutes per game. The Blazers were a +2.7 with Kanter on the court, compared to a -1.4 with him on the bench.

He was dogged early in his career when his former coach Billy Donovan was caught on camera in a playoff game versus the Houston Rockets saying, “can’t play Kanter.” This stigma stuck with Kanter when he was traded to the New York, as he would come off the bench, averaging a double-double, yet see no playing time during close games. He would fall out of the rotation and was eventually waived by the Knicks.

Those fortunes would turn as Kanter responded with 20 points and 18 rebounds in his first playoff game for the Blazers. For the series, Kanter averaged a double-double (13.2 points and 10.2 rebounds) while shooting 57.4% from the field. The fans have embraced his rugged, old school style of play, reminiscent of Blazers great Bill Walton. Kanter is not a contemporary center who stretches the defense or steps out on the perimeter to attempt 3-pointers. However, he effectively positions himself for offensive rebounds and is an efficient scorer.

He’s also crucial for the Blazers to make a deep run in the playoffs. The better he plays, the less reliant the Blazers are on Lillard and McCollum to lead the team. Kanter is motivated to prove his doubters wrong and to show he belongs in the NBA. This is also a contract year for Kanter. He becomes an unrestricted free agent at the conclusion of the season and with Nurkic likely out for the foreseeable future, Kanter has become a valuable contributor for this Blazers team looking to dethrone the Warriors in the west.