The Portland Trail Blazers are struggling on court to start the season. With the injury to Zach Collins and some of the perimeter additions not doing the job offensively, this may be the chance to blood some of the young players.
Though the Portland Trail Blazers have only played Gary Trent Jr and Nassir Little sparingly this year, the lack of wing depth and injuries may represent an opportunity for them to shine. Coach Terry Stotts has played Kent Bazemore and Anthony Tolliver heavy minutes but both are struggling offensively. Bazemore’s defense hasn’t been up to scratch while they are both struggling to knock down threes, a large part of why they are in the NBA.
Trent was drafted last year with the 37th pick and has only played around 100 minutes in the league so far. Anytime there is a lack of depth on an NBA team this represents a chance for a young player to put his hand up for more minutes. Trent is an excellent player in transition, and at 6’6 he could be the big knockdown shooter the Blazers need.
This team is in desperate need of scoring outside of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. Before Jusuf Nurkic and Zach Collins return they need instant offense to space the floor and attack the rim. Nurkic passing out of the high post will be a great change when he returns, but until then they need to space the floor for Lillard and McCollum.
There are some concerns about Trent’s defense but he has spent over a year with an NBA team and has the defensive tools to at least be competent on that end.
Little was drafted this year and is obviously raw. He is an excellent athlete and though he lacks a consistent outside shot he may be the type of explosive player that can change-up the Blazers offense. There is a distinct lack of athletes on this team, Hassan Whiteside is a lob threat but they don’t have anyone who can attack the rim and change the rhythm of attack.
LIttle’s also has huge defensive potential is also there. With a crazy 7’1 wing span he could potentially defend multiple positions and be a plus rebounder for the second unit.
Though Little and Trent may not play a significant role this season, they can add a spark by playing spot minutes. The energy provided by fresh legs and young players can’t be replicated. It may be a risk playing these two, but if their record was to get any worse it would be worth considering.