Since head coach Chauncey Billups criticized the team’s compete level on Sunday and suggested that lineup changes could be coming, the Trail Blazers have reeled off wins against Toronto and Chicago this week, pushing their record back up to .500 (8-8).
The Blazers didn’t make any changes to their starting lineup in those two games, but the team is leaning a little more on reserves Larry Nance Jr. and Nassir Little, who played more total minutes in the last two games than starters Jusuf Nurkic and Robert Covington.
When Nance and Little played the entire fourth quarter vs. Toronto on Monday while Nurkic and Covington sat on the bench, Billups was asked about the decision. As Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian tweets, the first-year coach said it was more about matchups vs. Toronto than an indication of imminent lineup changes. Still, it seems clear Nance and Little have earned bigger roles with their play so far.
Here’s more on the Blazers:
- After averaging just 17.2 MPG and never playing more than 22 minutes in any of his first 11 games in Portland, Nance has averaged 22.9 MPG in his last five games. That’s a byproduct of the Blazers getting a better sense of how best to use him, writes Jason Quick of The Athletic. “When he came here I wasn’t sure if he was a four that could play five, or a five that could play some four,” Billups said. “Right now, I’m pretty confident that he is a five who could play four, too. But we are better served with him at that small-ball five.”
- For his part, Nance said he’s glad his role has evolved organically rather than having it become an issue the team needed to focus on and figure out. “I think it’s a great thing that we didn’t have to sit down and have a pow-wow about, ‘What’s going on? How do we get Larry involved?'” Nance said, per Quick. “(Billups) knows I’m a guy who you just put me on the floor and I will figure it out. And I pride myself in not being a squeaky wheel.”
- The Blazers’ game vs. the Raptors on Monday was a reminder that last season’s Norman Powell/Gary Trent Jr. swap is working out pretty well for both teams, as Eric Koreen of The Athletic writes. Powell has remained a highly efficient scorer in Portland this season, averaging 16.8 PPG on .494/.438/.818 shooting, while Trent has been a ball hawk on defense in Toronto, leading the NBA in total deflections and steals.
- Powell signed a new five-year, $90MM deal with the Blazers during the offseason, but he’s determined not to get complacent after securing a life-changing payday. “I never really looked at the money as, like, (an) indicator of how good I’ve been,” Powell said on Monday, per Doug Smith of The Toronto Star. “It’s always been the expectations and goals that I’ve set out for myself … and can I get better? There’s no doubt the money will come if I keep doing those things, and it has, and I’m still hungry for more goals.”
If anything the Raptors won that trade considering Trent Jr is only 22 and aswell as being good defensively he’s also a really solid shooter. Not as efficient from 3 as Powell but good enough while being better at the line.
Do the Raptors still win the trade if Trent Jr. leaves before next season starts. That is while the Blazers have Powell locked up for a handful of seasons at a very reasonable rate for the production he’s capable of putting up and for the efficient numbers he IS putting up
Fair point, but Blazers have needed a premier defender. They have had Batum and Aminu in the past and were hoping Covington could be that guy. That deal better served Toronto than Portland.. So yeah, I think Trent has more upside and would consider him the better value.
Covington looked like he was developing into a really good player a few years ago. He should have filled a similar role to guys like Batum or Aminu, but even when he was in Houston for a short time RoCo never quite lived up to expectations.
Why does he leave before next season?
He just resigned for this year, next year and a player option for the year after.
My point is that Gary gives you roughly the same points and although not as good a shooter he’s still pretty good but he’s also a lot better as a defender and much younger.
Trent with Barnes and Anunoby, Siakim and FVV sound like a decent team which has young upside and should be good defensively.
Raptors aren’t trying to prove anything they won a ring and now are trying to rebuild something younger and Trent was a good pick up for what they are trying to do. Blazers are trying to win now and Powell although he helps with that hasn’t exactly made a huge impact in terms of wins
To be fair, this is the first year Trent has been a more capable defender, and most of that is due to being around several really good defenders in Toronto
That being said, i have previously argued that Powell gives them another guy that needs the ball in their hands, and doesnt necessarily fit as well next to their other guards, even though he can play there, and give them shooting and some defense next to them, he makes them small if he plays next to both of them, and takes the ball out of their hands…Trent was more of a spot up shooter, and Portland did better last season in lineups where 1 of Lillard or CJ were out, and he played next to 1 of them, and their defensive wings
The raps gave Trent 3 years @bravesfan.
I’ve been expressing my frustrations with Billups’ rotation decisions, and how it impacts their compete level, since literal day 1….
Nance should start at the 4, and 1 of Powell or CJ should come off the bench.
I would also consider starting Zeller for short minutes, and letting Nurkic come off the bench, as that would take away someone that needs the ball in their hands in that 1st unit, and allow him to take more possessions, while also keeping a lot of the same passing capabilities he has in that first unit with Zeller…
Obviously also the smaller lineups with Nance at the 5, especially since they dont really have a floor spacing big, and also didnt get a pick and roll defending, rim rolling, rim protecting depth big…
Moving Derrick Jones was questionable, as they hurt their finally good wing depth to fill a spot they could have filled with several options in free agency, as much as I like Nance…Snell was out for a while, so he hasnt really had much of a shot to give them what they need at that position off the bench…
I had originally expected to see Little provide some help at the 4, where they were lacking, but after they added Nance, and since they’ve been playing them off the bench together, I could see him maybe giving them some help as a 2, which would fit the defense I’ve mentioned they could use at the guard spots, but it still remains to be seen how that might fit with their wing options in certain lineups. In this iteration, he would likely be at the 4
Lillard, CJ, Covington, Nance, Zeller
Powell, Little, Snell, Nurkic, Simons
Is one way to potentially go