The Blazers finished with a measly 21-61 record last season, putting them at the very bottom of the Western Conference standings. Of course, the initial stages of a rebuild will always be painful. There’s no other way around it. On the bright side, one aspect to look forward to is the development of their young players.
Portland has promising youth in its roster. Names such as Anfernee Simons, Shaedon Sharpe, Scoot Henderson, and the newly acquired Deni Avdija have room to improve to help the team make forward strides. Furthermore, the Blazers just drafted center Donovan Clingan, adding depth to the frontcourt. But that’s where a problem of theirs lies.
Portland is excessively loaded at the center position. Clingan’s entry puts another body to a depth chart that already has the likes of Deandre Ayton, Robert Williams III, and Duop Reath. In short, there’s going to be lots of competition for minutes once the Blazers’ training camp ensues on October.
Ideally, the usual rotation places emphasis on two centers: the starter, and the designated backup. However, there are instances where teams have somehow been able to rotate three players at the five. Just take a look at the Indiana Pacers last season. Behind Myles Turner, there was a season-long battle for the backup spot between Jalen Smith and Isaiah Jackson. Regardless, that’s already squeezing the most out of it. Even if the Blazers decide to prolong their experimentation for the five slot in the coming season, it’s just not practical to let four centers see the floor consistently. At least one of them will be left out of the rotation, and at present, it looks like that may be Duop Reath.
Duop Reath will have to compete for his backup spot
After Williams III went down with a season-ending injury, Reath — a then-rookie from Australia — immediately filled the spot behind Ayton. Reath can be described as a hard-nosed backup who sets good screens, runs the floor and isn’t afraid to protect the rim. What stands out about him on offense is his ability to shoot the three-ball. On pick-and-pop and kick-out situations, Reath doesn’t hesitate to fire away from downtown, where he makes 35.9% of his attempts. The rookie also puts the ball on the floor from time to time, attacking the basket when he sees a mismatch. In 17.9 minutes per game, Reath averaged 9.1 points and 3.7 rebounds, per NBA.com.
While his offensive abilities and energy are commendable, Portland doesn’t seem to have a paint protector at the moment. Last season, the Blazers as a team ranked 27th in blocks per game (4.3 BPG) and 22nd in rebounds per game (42.7 RPG) among all NBA teams. Deandre Ayton is more of an offensive player than a defensive anchor. Duop Reath has the energy to take on the role, but at the end of the day, he’s undersized at 6’9 and isn’t exceptionally athletic either. A paint protector is more suited for someone with the wingspan and bounce of Robert Williams III or the size of Donovan Clingan.
So what could the rotation look like moving forward? The Blazers drafting Clingan indicates that they have long term plans for the 7’2 rookie. Clingan is still raw and needs time to polish his game, but he’ll likely be given limited time on the floor as part of his development. Ayton is the best scorer out of the four, so he’ll certainly start once again. Behind Ayton, the most optimal option is Williams. In situations where Portland needs more toughness down low, Williams is the ideal man to put in, as seen by what he was able to do as the Boston Celtics’ rim protector for years.
With a 7’2 rookie and an experienced defensive anchor eyeing minutes this season, Duop Reath will have to compete hard and show that he deserves to keep his position in the second unit.
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