The Portland Trail Blazers finished the first quarter down 20 points against the shorthanded Oklahoma City Thunder. Duop Reath deserves recognition as the X-Factor in overcoming this early deficit, as Portland defeated the defending champions with a final score of 121-119.
The Blazers' center finished the contest with 12 points and two assists in 20 minutes of play, connecting on four of his five field goal attempts, all of which came from beyond the arc. His floor spacing ability was on full display, contributing to a game-high +21.
The turning point in the game came towards the end of the second quarter when interim head coach Tiago Splitter elected to play a big lineup with Reath at the four along with Donovan Clingan, Jerami Grant, Deni Avdija, and Jrue Holiday. Splitter pushed all the right buttons at that particular moment as the Blazers went on a 12-2 run, entering the half within striking distance, just down eight.
That stretch was significant both in terms of this game and going forward, as it proved that Reath is capable of playing both the power forward and center positions.
Duop Reath became the X-Factor in Blazers' win over Thunder
The Blazers have a logjam at center after investing consecutive first-round picks at the position, so Reath's ability to scale down his position will open up more opportunities. That's particularly important for the Blazers early on in the season as they have dealt with a multitude of unfortunate injuries, missing four players (Blake Wesley, Matisse Thybulle, Scoot Henderson, and Damian Lillard) in this contest.
There was talk of the Blazers playing a double-big lineup of Donovan Clingan and Yang Hansen after the Blazers shocked the world with their first-round selection this summer. But early on, it appears that Reath is ahead of Hansen on the depth chart, as Portland's rookie recorded another DNP - coach's decision.
Reath is stepping up in that increased role and is arguably a better fit playing alongside Clingan due to his reliable three-point shooting. The Blazers managed to come back in this game due to their hot shooting, which was refreshing to see for a team that has struggled from beyond the arc over the past two seasons. They went 19-of-43 (44.2%) in this contest, and Reath seemed to have catalyzed that hot shooting stretch.
The concern surrounding Reath comes on the defensive end. At 6-foot-9, he doesn't offer the rim protection of Portland's other centers, but has limited mobility to keep in front of most fours out on the perimeter. But for the most part, Reath surprisingly held his own guarding both positions. That's going to be crucial for Portland going forward if he's able to sustain that, as Reath is one of the only reliable floor spacers on this injury-riddled roster.
With his shooting and ability to play both positions depending on the matchup, Reath should be able to carve out a role for himself despite Portland's crowded frontcourt.