5. Derrick Jones Jr., 2020-21 season
The Trail Blazers’ never-ending quest to find solid wing play and a dramatic roster shake-up at the trade deadline combined to get career journeyman backup Derrick Jones Jr. 43 starts in 2020-21.
Gary Trent Jr. and Norman Powell were sent packing at the deadline along with CJ McCollum and Portland’s desire to win games. That opened the door for Jones Jr., who averaged 6.8 points and 3.5 rebounds in an unnecessarily large role, even on a tanking team.
The lanky 6-foot-5 forward was worth 2.4 win shares and finished the season with a VORP of 0.2. His offensive and defensive ratings were both middle of the pack on a Portland team destined for a top-10 pick.
It’s still the only season in Jones’ career that he started more than 16 games.