Portland Trail Blazers: Keys To Overcoming Wesley Matthews Injury
Two Bench Players
The only way Afflalo doesn’t get the starting job is if head coach Terry Stotts decides the Blazers need his production in a sixth man role and starts C.J. McCollum instead. Either way, there will be pressure on McCollum to produce as a starter or in that designated sixth man role.
In his second season, McCollum is averaging 4.8 points and 1.0 rebounds in 12.3 minutes per game. He’s only shooting 38.6 percent from the field, but he’s converting his three-point attempts at a 39.7 percent rate. With Matthews out, Portland will need McCollum to keep up his efficiency from downtown while also increasing his number of attempts (1.9 per game).
If the Blazers ever plan on seeing if McCollum can produce as a starter, now is the time. Afflalo is still adjusting, CJ knows the system.
— Chris Kirby (@CKirby503) March 6, 2015
McCollum’s not the only bench wing who will need to step up, however. The recently acquired Alonzo Gee hasn’t gotten much action since the Denver Nuggets traded him to Portland in the Afflalo deal. In fact, he’s played a grand total of 16 minutes in three appearances with the Blazers so far.
But if McCollum is unable to get the job done, Gee may get the chance to make a defensive impact.
Gee is only a 33.5 percent shooter from beyond the arc for his career, but on a limited number of attempts with the Nuggets this season, he was knocking them down at a 41.7 percent clip. His reputation as a defensive specialist also gives him an argument to play meaningful minutes with Matthews out.
The fact that Alonzo Gee came with Arron Afflalo is pretty huge now.
— Andy Bailey (@AndrewDBailey) March 6, 2015
Either way, both McCollum and Gee will need to be ready to step up when called upon in order to replace Afflalo’s contributions, which would’ve been coming off the bench with a healthy Wes Matthews.
Next: Time To Be Jealous Of Arron Afflalo