They don't have quite the same skillset, but Caleb Love and Dalano Banton have served similar purposes on the Portland Trail Blazers' roster. Seeing as Portland moved on from Banton last summer, that could -- and should -- be a concerning sign for Love's future in Rip City.
Banton was serviceable as a microwave scorer off the bench, providing Portland's second unit with a scoring punch they lacked elsewhere. Despite being an undrafted rookie and two-way player, Love had a similar role this season.
Both helped fill the void in Portland's offense, particularly when their backcourt was injured, or they needed a "break glass in case of emergency" situation. Both have even single-handedly won the Blazers a few games over the past few seasons, thanks to their ability to score in bunches and turn the tide in just a few possessions.
Blazers need more scalable role players at the end of their bench
The downside of having that player archetype on the end of your bench is that his role isn't very scalable when the roster is at full strength. We saw that as Banton's production declined last season. He's someone at his best with the ball in his hands, but an NBA-level team simply can't run an efficient offense that way.
There's a concerning overlap in that regard with Love, who is somewhat of a combo guard in all the worst ways. Tweener is commonly used to describe undersized bigs caught between the four and five, but it applies to Love in this case. He's caught between being a point guard and a shooting guard, as a 6-foot-3, 212-pound score-first guard. The NBA has embraced positionless basketball, but that doesn't mean players don't have clearly defined roles on the court.
Defensively, he's vulnerable to getting hunted. Offensively, his lack of court vision or willingness to involve teammates prevents him from being a table setter. Perhaps the biggest red flag of them all is the shooting efficiencies of 38.8 percent from the field and 31.8 percent from beyond the arc.
Caleb Love's game doesn't translate to winning basketball
The talent and entertainment factors are all there. He was even valuable as an NBA-ready rookie, averaging 20.7 minutes in 49 games played. Hopefully, Love can carve out a role elsewhere if Portland ultimately decides to move on. But similar to the realization Portland reached with Banton, they must recognize that Love's brand of basketball is not conducive to winning at the highest level.
The Blazers emphasized more ball movement by moving on from Banton, and they can't afford to revert to old ways with Love. GM Joe Cronin has established a roster identity built for postseason success, and Love isn't an ingredient in that formula.
Love's rookie year was fun, and he was even top ten in the Kia Rookie Ladder for a portion of the season. But he was also a 24-year-old rookie, suggesting the ceiling is limited compared to the rest of his draft class.
Love is a restricted free agent this summer, and though it's a polarizing decision, the Blazers would be better off letting him walk. As they did with Banton, Portland needs to save its final roster spots for players who are more scalable in a limited role. Players who can impact winning without the ball.
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