Portland Trail Blazers: Give Freedom a Call
Since the All-Star break, the Portland Trail Blazers roster has been coming up a little short. They have no player over 6’9″. There happens to be a former Blazers fan-favorite available in free agency who can fill the void.
The Portland Trail Blazers are currently running with a small crew. They have nine active players; not one of them is over 6’9″ tall.
In nonbreaking news, this season is a lost season for Portland. The team is using their younger guys more, so the organization can get a better idea of their potential.
Calling for Freedom
Something the team should consider is bringing in a veteran, preferably a big man. There happens to be someone out there, in free agency, that fits those requirements, Enes Kanter Freedom. Of course, it also helps that Freedom is a former Portland Trail Blazers favorite.
Now, it might sound counterintuitive to sign a veteran who can help the team win and take minutes away from the young players who need development. But Freedom can be a good mentor and another set of eyes to help the young players handle the NBA grind.
This isn’t a knock on Drew Eubanks or Trendon Watford. Both players are doing well and showing that they are good enough to be in the NBA. However, Eubanks is signed his third 10-day contract, and the Portland Trail Blazers will need to decide on him.
Also, it’s yet to be determined if he can be more than just a rostered/end of the bench guy. Since the news broke that Jusuf Nurkic would be out with his left foot plantar fasciitis. The Portland Trail Blazers have been outrebounded by an average of 13 per game.
Make the Call
I understand the Portland Trail Blazers aren’t as interested in winning games right now as they are in player development. In their six-game losing streak, the Blazers only scored over 100 points once and were held under 90 points twice.
Subsequently, they are getting destroyed on the boards and the scoreboard. Aside from Saturday’s win, Portland is losing by an average of 32-points per game, a recipe for disaster.
Signing Freedom won’t necessarily change any of that. It will, however, give the Portland Trail Blazers a reliable low post scorer that opponents need to respect. Neither Eubanks nor Watford are players they can throw the ball to and let them go to work.
Both of them get a majority of their points on cleaning up missed shots or rolling to the rim. Freedom is a guy who can score on the post and help with rebounds. So, it’s time for interim GM Joe Cronin to give Freedom a call.
Related Story: Blazers need a Little more Nassir
Enes Kanter becomes the first player in Trail Blazers history to record back-to-back games with 9️⃣ or more offensive rebounds.
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— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) March 26, 2021
What do you think about the Portland Trail Blazers signing Freedom for the rest of this season? Let us know in the comments section below.