4. Derrick Jones Jr. – average double-digit points per game
Derrick Jones Jr. was acquired by the Portland Trail Blazers for his defensive versatility, but was eventually benched for his lack of offense. Now that he’s opted in for the 2021-2022 season in Rip City, he and the team will need to see a lot more box score production.
DJJ is now entering a contract year with a lot to prove. If he plays well, he could earn a nice, long-term deal as a young player with potential. If he flames out again, who knows how many more opportunities he’ll get in the NBA?
Jones Jr. is a top-tier athlete in this league, with the size, length, quickness, and verticality to be a threat on both ends of the floor. While he’s shown his physicality on defense, he’s yet to use his gifts to score the ball.
So far in his career, DJJ has been forced into the 3-and-D mold. While it’d be nice to see him improve on his 32 percent deep shooting average from last season, he could do a lot more on offense than just spot-up.
Eventually, with an improved handle, Jones Jr. could be a mismatch at the power forward position with the perimeter skills and speed to blow by opposing fours. For now though, he should focus on fine tuning his deep shooting and screening. With his ability to tear the roof down, DJJ should be a major lob threat in this league.
Under Terry Stotts, DJJ was underutilized and wrongly deployed when he was on the floor. Hopefully, new Head Coach Chauncey Billups will see that he could provide a lot more offense as a roll-man rather than a spot-up shooter. If his skills are applied correctly, DJJ should easily put up 10+ points per game. If so, the Blazers bench could be a lot more lethal than expected.
5. Cody Zeller – avoid regression
Cody Zeller was brought in to be a reliable, consistent backup center behind Jusuf Nurkic. Last season’s backup Enes Kanter was anything but reliable and consistent. While Kanter’s low-post skills give him a much higher ceiling on offense, his inability to survive on defense made him more of a liability than a source to lean on.
Last season, Zeller averaged just under 10 points and seven boards in 21 minutes per game. While it’d certainly be nice to get more production out of him in Portland, it’s not expected or even needed.
What is needed is a solid defensive center who can come in when Nurk is in foul trouble, injured, or just needs a breath. So far in his career, Zeller has been just that.
If he can stay the course next season, backup center is one thing the Blazers brass won’t have to worry about.
6. Rest of the bench
As for Ben McLemore, CJ Elleby, Greg Brown III, and whoever else may finish the season on the Blazers pine, these end of the bench reserves have just one job: stay ready.
If any of these players receives regular rotation minutes next season, it either means somethings gone horribly wrong or just right. None of these players should expect to receive regular opportunities; they’ll have to earn them in blowouts, practice, or worst case scenario, in the case of an injury.
All of these guys have to be ready for when their name gets called in the case one of the starters or regular rotation members go down. Having reliable professionals beyond the 10th man is a luxury that most championship teams have and the Blazers very seldom do. Hopefully, Portland will have that next season.