2. Terry, trust the bench to keep you in games
While we’re on the subject of backups, let’s talk about Portland’s miserable second unit. The Trail Blazers’ bench ranks 29th in points scored per game, and 28th in net plus/minus. These are not numbers that indicate the makings of a potential title contender.
Fortunately, these numbers don’t also tell a full story. Much of the bench’s shortcomings can be attributed to the horrendous performances from players like Mario Hezonja, Anthony Tolliver, and Kent Bazemore — all of whom find themselves no longer in Portland’s rotation. Meanwhile, certain overlooked players are beginning to impress now that they’ve had the opportunity to sink their teeth into a sizable role.
Gary Trent Jr. has without a doubt been the star of this resurgence, scoring 13.0 points on 43.6 percent shooting from deep over his last 13 games, even after submitting a pair of poor outings entering the All-Star Break. Even better, he’s been doing all this while playing lights out defense. Speaking of defensive bulldogs, Nassir Little has improved his 3-point shooting to 38.1 percent dating back to January 7.
The aforementioned Swanigan has been a force on the offensive glass and Rip City’s frontcourt is only going to become stronger once Nurkic can offer substantial minutes off the bench. This team is going to fall apart at the seams if the starters continue having to play 40 minutes a night in the postseason, so a trial by fire seems the only appropriate route to take at this point in the season.