Portland Trail Blazers forward Nassir Little is about to enter his third NBA season. Drafted in 2019, the exciting Little showed some flashes last year as he took more of a role in the Blazers rotation.
Now, as the team prepares for the 2022 season, with a rotation light on traditional forwards, Little comes to light as a guy who could play a role.
Which goals should Nassir Little try to achieve for the Portland Trail Blazers in 2022?
Goal #1 – average 16 minutes a game
Though it seems arbitrary to have a minutes goal rather than one related to production or efficiency, looking for a regular role in the rotation is key for a guy in his third season.
Little’s role on the team has waxed and waned in his first two seasons, but as a backup forward on a team that has very few traditional forwards, Nas should be able to establish himself in the rotation. Derrick Jones Jr is likely to play between the three and the four, backing up both Norman Powell and Robert Covington, and he will battle against Little for minutes off the bench.
Both players are six-foot-five with huge wingspans, but Little has the better body for defending bigger players. Jones has more athleticism, but Little is a pretty impressive athlete himself.
Where Little should have the edge over Jones Jr, is with his offensive feel and shooting. Little already has a higher assist percentage than Jones Jr and can make reads after just two seasons in the league. Little’s shooting is already at the same level as Jones Jr, but he has far better mechanics and has already shot 35 percent from three once, compared to 31.6 percent that Jones has as his best.
If Little can play both sides of the ball, and make smart decisions when he has the ball in his hands, he can be a permanent part of the rotation.