Portland Trail Blazers: 3 long-term takeaways from the Blazers’ preseason play

No. 2: CJ Elleby won’t be a contribute-right-away rookie

But here’s the silver lining: there’s absolutely nothing wrong with this revelation.

This season, in some way, shape, or form was going to be difficult for rookie players. With a truncated season working on awkward timing, Elleby wasn’t given the provision of Summer League competition, or even a chance to play for a Blazers’ G-League affiliate. The preseason was effectively baptism by fire.

The raw numbers aren’t going to jump out positively. Elleby clanked 20-of-25 shots from the field — some of which were exceptionally errant; we can chalk those up to either Denver’s altitude or the Moda Center’s A/C unit and go on about our day— including misses on all 11 of his 3-point attempts.

He showed glimpses defensively, and you have to love what he was trying to do on the defensive glass once he realized his shot wasn’t calibrated. But those expecting him to play right away will be disappointed.

Beyond the statistics, Elleby lacks a bit of that “feel.” He’s still in the thinking stage. There was one play in particular that felt worth penciling down: CJ McCollum and Carmelo Anthony worked a pick-and-roll that got Anthony a switch. Upon realizing this, the Nuggets send a strong-side triple-team Anthony’s way, prompting a cross-court pass to the left corner for Elleby, who makes nothing of it.

The right pass is one pass away to Trent Jr., assuming you want to stand still. If Elleby prefers to drive-and-dish, McCollum’s an option at the top of the key.

And that’s fine. Closeouts come at you fast, and life comes at you faster.

Expecting perfection out of Elleby right away would have been ambitious. But it’s something that Portland Trail Blazers supporters are likely to laugh at in a few years.

He’s around high-quality teachers from Lillard to Anthony to even someone like Rodney Hood. And you certainly take it over the alternative — him not playing and earning these reps. But come Opening Night, he will have the opportunity to learn from the sidelines.