Portland Trail Blazers: Mario Hezonja struggled in 2020, but is back in ’21

Portland Trail Blazers forward Mario Hezonja struggled in the 2019/20 season, but with a second year on his contract, he can redeem himself in 2021.

As we break down the Portland Trail Blazers season and look to review every squad member from 2020, Mario Hezonja is next.

The six-foot-eight Croatian had an up and down year, but with a second year on his contract, he has the chance to redeem himself. This second year of his contract is a player option, but it’s almost certain that he picks it up after a disappointing year.

Injuries to himself and others though, didn’t help Hezonja’s case. Brought into the squad to be a point forward, he wasn’t able to have the ball in his hands as much with Anfernee Simons starting the year as the backup ball handler. All the previous plans though were out the window when Zach Collins and then Rodney Hood went down injured.

CJ McCollum and Damian Lillard played a more considerable amount of minutes than expected, alternating second unit minutes. The signing of Carmelo Anthony also changed the way this team played, as Anthony had his hands on the ball a lot as the team’s power forward and third scorer.

If Zach Collins was fit, it’s likely that Melo wouldn’t have been signed, and then Hezonja may have taken on more ball-handling responsibilities.

After a few rough games with too many turnovers or fouls, Hezonja was out of the rotation, then had a pesky back injury to deal with. Then in the new year, with Dame injured and the second unit desperate for a ball-handler, he was back in the rotation.

This was by far the best stretch of the season, and though it was only 12 games, he added value.

He shot 58 percent from the field and 47 percent from three. Though his counting stats weren’t anything to write home about, he was only playing 15 minutes a game.

Mario also had some strong showings in seeding games, averaging six points and four rebounds, while even playing some great defense on some bigger wing threats.

If he is to play a consistent 12 – 20 minutes a night on this team in 2021, he needs to utilize his size and skill to get to the rim while also trying to make plays for others. In the second unit, he can combine well with Simons, who is better off the ball. By pushing the ball and using Simons and Wenyen Gabriel in transition, Hezonja can play to his strengths on bench units.

I also think some Blazers fans are confused around Mario’s role on the team. Any player that is signed on the minimum isn’t expected to provide 20 points a game. If players on minimum salary slots work out, then great, but they aren’t signed to provide role player or star production.

Defensively, he wasn’t bad this year, and in the seeding games, he showed he could guard some of the more skilled forwards in the NBA. He didn’t embarrass himself defensively in these crucial games.

Every year of Hezonja’s career before this one, he has been on rebuilding teams where he has significant roles and has not had to play in meaningful games. Still only 25, I hope that this year was a good learning curve for him and that he can come back next season and add value as a role player off the bench.

Hezonja will never be a star in this league, but he can still play an essential role for this team. As he is on a cheap contract, if he works out next season, this is huge for the Blazers as they will be capped out for the foreseeable future.