The Portland Trail Blazers made one of the most underrated trades of the 2025-26 season when they landed Vit Krejci from the Atlanta Hawks. The intention was clear, as Portland brought in a career 39.8 percent three-point shooter to help address their most glaring flaw.
Though Krejci is still in the process of learning how to play with his new teammates, his flashes of brilliance have already unlocked a new level of the Trail Blazers' potential.
Portland currently ranks No. 3 in the NBA in three-point field goal attempts per game. That reflects a clear and consistent effort to get shots up from beyond the arc. Unfortunately, it's also No. 29 in the Association in three-point field goal percentage.
Not much more needs to be said about how bad the Trail Blazers have been as a three-point shooting unit than the fact that the only team that's been less efficient has been the Sacramento Kings.
With that in mind, acquiring Krejci was a wise endeavor considering the relatively low cost of doing business and his history of elite marksmanship. Unfortunately, he's shot just 32.1 percent from beyond the arc through 10 games in Portland.
Thankfully, a quick look beyond his averages reveals that he's actually shot well and created a far more versatile look for Portland's offense.
Vit Krejci's shooting, playmaking allow Trail Blazers to play as intended
Krejci shot 1-of-6 from beyond the arc during his debut on Feb. 6, 1-of-7 on Feb. 9, and 0-of-4 on Feb. 22. Subtract those three games and he's buried 41.0 percent of his three-point field goals with the Trail Blazers. He's converted at least 40.0 percent of his attempts in five of those remaining seven outings.
That doesn't even include his most recent performance, during which Krejci posted 14 points, three rebounds, and two assists while shooting 3-of-8 from beyond the arc in a Portland win.
Victory has been a steady theme since his arrival, as the Trail Blazers have won six of their past nine games. During that time, Portland has exceeded its full-season three-point field goal percentage of 33.9 at 35.5, as well as its assists per game average by jumping from 24.8 to 27.6.
Krejci has played a direct role in that success, as his mere presence on the court is forcing teams to stay honest along the perimeter and thus creating wider driving and passing lanes.
It's the type of result Portland has spent the entire season working toward. They're shooting just as frequently, but are finally beginning to hold teams accountable by knocking down the shots that fans were beginning to wonder if they ever could.
In the process, a volume team that relies on wearing opponents down is beginning to show its true potential with efficiency slowly surfacing as an element it can rely on.