Portland Trail Blazers: Mario Hezonja is in the last chance saloon

Portland Trail Blazers forward Mario Hezonja has all the skills required for a long career, so why is his place in the league in jeopardy this season?

Mario Hezonja was drafted back in 2015 by the Orlando Magic with the number 5 pick. In an interview with Portland Trail Blazers beat reporter Jason Quick, Hezonja said he was drafted to be the man for the Magic. This was true. As a highly touted prospect out of Europe who could shoot, pass and put the ball on the floor, he had big expectations on his shoulders.

Fast forward five years and he is on a two-year minimum deal with the Trail Blazers. Things didn’t work out with the Magic, so after a one-year stop with the New York Knicks, here he is.

Mario is immensely talented, if you watch him play his 15 or so minutes a night you will see the skill and vision this guy possesses. Putting his earlier years behind him, this year has been a rough one for him too.

He had probably ended up in a perfect situation this year where the injuries on the wing meant that he could step up and salvage his NBA career. But after some promising games when Zach Collins went down early, he had a rough December where some bad shooting and decision-making on both ends meant he ended up out of the rotation. He was then back in the rotation to start the year before a back complaint meant he missed more time.

At the end of February though he seemed to catch another break, where he played a small amount of minutes, impressed Coach Stotts, then ended up playing major minutes the last six games before the NBA hiatus.

With Damian Lillard out, Hezonja was able to give CJ McCollum a rest by being a primary ball handler on the second unit. He is a great passer and because of his size he has to be guarded by the opposition four. He can pass on the move, attack the rim and get other guys open.

His stats below aren’t mind-blowing, but if he can play like this, then he has a place in the league.

Though Mario has a player option on his second year, if he can’t keep his level of play where it was for the last few games, then the Blazers could dump his contract in the future.

He has all the skills to be in this league, but at 25 and on his third team he may not get many more chances. His three-point shooting and finishing at the rim are still massive work-ons, for a guy of his size and frame, finishing at the rim shouldn’t be an issue.

The three-point shooting may never improve though. If Hezonja wants to stay in the league past next year, then he needs to work to his strengths. A career 32% from three probably isn’t going to get any better.

Pushing from rebounds and attacking in transition should be the main thing he does, he has a strong handle and can get to the rim in transition. He has good hands so can get steals, he needs to push from these as well. He should look to get shooters open by pushing the ball down the middle of the floor whenever possible.

Not many players in the league can pass the ball like Mario can, at his size. On second units he needs to use this skill while trying to link up with shooters like Anfernee Simons and Gary Trent Jr. Hezonja is also a good defender, he can defend some of the league’s top wings. Against second unit wings he can make a real difference defensively.

Hezonja needs to reach deep within himself and work hard on and off the court to further his career. There is no doubt he has the talent and physical tools, but this contract with the Blazers may be his last one based on potential. If he wants to stay in the league, the potential needs to be transferred to on court production.

Hezonja can help this team when the season returns, just because he has struggled this year doesn’t mean he can’t help in the future.