Despite a slow start in Sacramento, there are many things that Trevor Ariza can still do to help the Portland Trail Blazers make a serious playoff push.
Before we begin, let me set the record straight: I do not think that Trevor Ariza is a better player than Kent Bazemore, at least not at this moment in time. However, whether or not he is a better fit for the Portland Trail Blazers remains to be seen.
Last Saturday, the Portland Trail Blazers and the Sacramento Kings made a somewhat surprising trade. Although five players were involved, the trade was primarily made to save Portland $12.3 million in luxury taxes at the bittersweet price of two second-round picks.
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN first broke the news, here’s a look at how the exchange shook out:
Sadly to say, most Blazers fans are probably not very fond of Trevor Ariza. He has never sought out the affection of fans, and spent most of his memorable years with two rival franchises — the Los Angeles Lakers and the Houston Rockets. Despite being a solid 3-and-D option on a multitude of successful teams, Ariza is probably best known in Portland for one thing: his cheap shot on Rudy Fernandez.
While I have never liked dirty players, I genuinely hope that Blazers fans welcome Ariza to Portland with an open mind. Many fans were against Carmelo Anthony‘s arrival earlier this season because they feared that Anthony would be a locker room “cancer,” and that has not been the case at all. Even if Ariza does bring a little bit of personality to Portland, are we sure that will be a bad thing?
Maybe a veteran player who isn’t afraid to hold guys accountable and stand up for his teammates is just what the Blazers need. Jimmy Butler was hated for this type of attitude in Minnesota, but received praise for it in Philadelphia and Miami. Portland’s locker room is notoriously tight-knit and should have no trouble absorbing the veteran wing.
After the trade was made official today, Terry Stotts told NBC Sports Northwest that Ariza will “probably be our starting small forward,” stating that he is a “very good defender,” a “good 3-point shooter,” and a “good guy.” With the Blazers struggling so much on the defensive end (currently ranked 24th in the NBA, giving up 112.2 points per game), Ariza could bring real value to this team.
Following this season, Ariza is only guaranteed $1.8 million in the 2020-2021 season. His contract, however, becomes fully guaranteed if the Blazers do not waive him by June 30th.
This year, Ariza has averaged a disappointing 6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.6 assists on 38.8 percent shooting from the field and 35.2 percent from three in 24.7 minutes per game. While these are barely even rotation-worthy numbers, it is important to remember that some situations just don’t fit for some players. Last year, Ariza averaged 14.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.8 assists on an improved 40.9 percent shooting from the field and 32.2 percent from deep for the Wizards.
While those shooting numbers don’t look great, they calculate out to an effective field goal percentage (which weights 3-pointers more heavily than twos) of 50.2 percent, which is pretty good for a then 33-year-old being overworked to the tune of 34 minutes a night.
Which Trevor Ariza will show up to play for the Blazers is yet to be seen. But regardless of whether or not Portland gets the elite 3-and-D player that helped the Houston Rockets reach the Western Conference Finals (and almost the NBA Finals) two years ago, they will certainly benefit from finally having a small forward that isn’t undersized for their position (no offense, Bazemore). Other than Ariza’s size, here are a few of his other strengths and weaknesses that I would like to point out:
Strengths:
- Solid defender with the ability to be great
- Confident 3-point shooter, elite from the corner, spaces the floor
- NBA Finals experience
- Veteran leadership
- Length and size to guard stronger wings
- Basketball IQ
- Finishing around the rim
Weaknesses:
- Age. At 34-years-old, Ariza probably doesn’t have much left in the tank
- Has shown a big production decline so far this year
- Potential to be a problem in the locker room
- Below average playmaker
- Doesn’t fit in well with long-term plans
- Could find trouble staying motivated
What do you guys think? Will Trevor Ariza return to his old form and help the Blazers make a playoff push, or will he continue the poor play he has shown so far this season?
Catch Ariza’s first game with the team on Thursday as the Blazers take on the Dallas Mavericks at home at 7:30 P.M. on TNT.