Assessing the Portland Trail Blazers options at small forward

Small forward option number two – Nassir Little

Rookie Nassir Little probably hasn’t been considered by many fans to be a reliable option for the three, but his size and defensive skills may mean he sees some minutes at this position when the NBA resumes in Orlando.

He doesn’t have the smarts to be a great team defender yet, but at six-foot-six with a six-foot-ten wingspan, he has a great combination of size and speed to deal with the prime wing threats that the Blazers will encounter.

Little is raw in terms of his offensive skill set, but the difference that he could make defensively would make up for anything that would be lost offensively. Little is a tremendous offensive rebounder, and he can block shots.

He was 220 pounds before the NBA’s hiatus, meaning he won’t give away massive amounts of weight to guys like George or Leonard. Playing Little is a significantly better option than three-guard lineups where someone like McCollum or Anfernee Simons could be severely exposed.

Hopefully, the hiatus and then the small training camp in Orlando has given Little a chance to work on his body and his craft. At just twenty-years-old Little has shown enough defensively for fans to correctly think he could be a plus defender in the future.

In terms of his offense, he is a decent finisher at the rim while also hitting on 38 percent of his above the break threes this year. Little is also an excellent offensive rebounder. At one point this year, he led all forwards in the NBA in this specific skill. If he can knock down corner threes at a higher rate, then he can command more minutes at the three and potentially the four.

Little has a strong future in the league, and NBA Orlando may be his time to shine.