Rip City Project
Fansided

Portland Trail Blazers: 3 second chance players to pursue this off-season

By Stevie Cozens

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - FEBRUARY 26: Dennis Smith Jr. #5 of the New York KnicksDennis Smith Jr. #5 of the New York Knicks reacts after a play against the Charlotte Hornets during their game at Spectrum Center on February 26, 2020 in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - FEBRUARY 26: Dennis Smith Jr. #5 of the New York KnicksDennis Smith Jr. #5 of the New York Knicks reacts after a play against the Charlotte Hornets during their game at Spectrum Center on February 26, 2020 in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 3
Next

The Portland Trail Blazers need one or two more pieces in 2020 Free Agency. Which players could they give a second chance to this off-season?

The Portland Trail Blazers are one or two players away from a core that can truly contend for an NBA title. With their strong in-house development, they have taken many second-round picks or late lottery guys and turned them into contributors or full-time starters.

This off-season, the salary cap may be reduced, and also, the Blazers will have limited funds to spend. They need to recruit wisely and spend judiciously. This could mean either in a trade or bringing in a player whose value is low elsewhere. The Blazers may like to work on a young guy or give someone a second chance who has struggled in their first or second teams.

Which players could the Portland Trail Blazers give second chances to in 2020?

Second chance candidate one – Frank Ntilikina

(Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
(Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) /

Frank Ntilikina of the New York Knicks is a young point guard who has resided on the terrible Knicks for three years after being drafted by them in 2017.

He has experienced the ups and downs of playing for one of the league’s worst teams, and also been in a system where guards have come and gone, making things tough on his development.

Ntilikina may have a role in the NBA though; he just needs a better situation to develop and showcase his skills. At just 22, he has already been in the league three years.

Though his offensive game hasn’t come on significantly since year one, he has shown some things over the past year, which bode well for future development.

This past season he took a big step forward in efficiency, taking his career-high in true shooting of 43.7 percent to 49.7 percent. This was made up of a couple of key factors. First was his 39 percent shooting from mid-range, and then an impressive 52 percent from the corners. These were on low volume but shows that he has had some growth in his game.

Ntilikina is a good passer, but defense is definitely his strong point. He is one of very few guards who finish in the top 30% of players on both steals and blocks, and he is also great at stealing rebounds from missed free throw attempts. His quick feet, strong build, and whopping seven-foot-one wingspan give him the tools to be a disruptor on that end.

I feel that a second-round pick or two could be enough to ply him away from the Knicks, with some salary filler also. He could be a nice backup ball-handler who could play alongside Damian Lillard and guard the opposition’s best guard.