Vit Krejci, the newest Trail Blazer, made his debut in Portland last night in a loss to the Suns. The wing played 13 minutes, finishing with five points, two steals and one assist on 2/7 from the field and 1/6 from three. That’s a quiet stat line, but Krejci still showed exactly how he’ll be able to help Portland win.
Here are three key takeaways from his debut:
Krejci’s shooting could be a game-changer for the Blazers
Krejci has proven himself as a sharpshooter. Defenses have to respect him on the perimeter, especially because he’s more than just a standstill threat. He’s a dynamic movement shooter who can get his feet set quickly and hit tough looks on the run.
Watch this attempt, his first in a Blazers uniform. He gets Oso Ighodaro in the air with a pump fake, then steps to the side and elevates into his shot before Ighodaro can get a strong contest. Yes, he missed this one, but this is a shot that Krejci can make with consistency. That can’t be said about many guys on this Portland roster.
Three-point shooting is one of Portland’s weaknesses right now. Krejci is going to make them better in that department, and not just because he’s efficient, but also because he can fly around and knock down a variety of shots while attracting defensive attention. They don’t call him “Heat Czech” for no reason.
Krejci can fit into Portland’s growing defensive identity
While his shooting ability is what immediately jumps out, Krejci has more layers to him. He’s a very capable team defender who can pull his weight on and off the ball. The 6’8” wing had a few solid defensive possessions last night that should have coaches and fans alike excited about how he can fit on this team.
Here, Krejci picks up Dillon Brooks in isolation, contains him and gets the stop. He flips his hips to stay glued after Brooks’ crossover, and then he alters the layup attempt with his length. Krejci has the frame and flexibility to make a defensive impact and that’s exactly what he did on this play:
On this play, he cuts off the initial drive from Royce O’Neale, then executes a clean stunt-and-recover, goading Allen to pass before reattaching himself to O’Neale and forcing the turnover. This is what quality team defense looks like.
With the core of Donovan Clingan, Toumani Camara and Deni Avdija (plus Jrue Holiday, if he sticks around), the Blazers have the foundation for an elite defense. Krejci is going to help build this team up on that end.
Krejci needs some time to find his rhythm
As mentioned, Krejci shot just 2/7 from the field last night. He was already in the midst of a slump with the Hawks before the trade, shooting 30.4% from downtown in the month of January. There’s no need to be concerned, though. History and the larger sample size say Krejci will soon get hot again.
When he does, he might become a fan favorite in Rip City.