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Who has been the Portland Trail Blazers’ X-factor this season?

ByTy Delbridge|
Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
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(Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)
(Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)

Shooting

Before Aminu became a Trail Blazer, he had never shot better than 31 percent from the 3-point line. Coming to Rip City, Aminu has turned into a shooter. In the three seasons he has played in Portland, Aminu has become a 36.2 percent 3-point shooter.

This year, Aminu is having his hottest shooting season yet. His 39.2 percent 3-point shot ranks second on the team and top 40 in the league. According to Cleaning The Glass, 54 percent of all Aminu’s shots come from the 3-point line. He is making 46 percent from the corner 2 spot, and 36 percent from non-corner 3s.
This year, Aminu is having his hottest shooting season yet. His 39.2 percent 3-point shot ranks second on the team and top 40 in the league. According to Cleaning The Glass, 54 percent of all Aminu’s shots come from the 3-point line. He is making 46 percent from the corner 2 spot, and 36 percent from non-corner 3s.

Aminu is the best 3-and-D player the Blazers have. When his shot is falling, the Blazers are a hard team to beat. He has been excellent this season at spot-up 3-point shots, and catch-and-shoot 3s.

He can play at power forward and space the floor because of his shooting. That allows the Blazers to get more comfortable drives and shots at the rim because one of the opposing team’s big guys has to defend Aminu on the wing.

The Blazers like to run pick-and-pops with one of their guards and have Aminu as the pop guy. Once teams start to figure that pick-and-pop out, the Blazers will have him slip the screen.
The Blazers like to run pick-and-pops with one of their guards and have Aminu as the pop guy. Once teams start to figure that pick-and-pop out, the Blazers will have him slip the screen.

One of the more significant questions the Blazers faced coming into this season was, who would replace Allen Crabbe’s shooting and role as the 3-and-D player?

Next: 2018 NBA Draft - Early March Mock Draft

Well, the Blazers found their answer in Al-Farouq Aminu.

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