Wade Baldwin
Terry Stotts likes to keep his bench rotations the same and will put a guy who doesn’t play too many minutes in the starting lineup so it doesn’t throw off his subbing patterns. Wade Baldwin is a former lottery pick. This would be an excellent opportunity for Baldwin to show the Blazers what he can do while playing meaningful minutes.
The Blazers signed Baldwin to a two-way deal after the Memphis Grizzlies released him. He played 17 games in the G League this season and averaged 18.2 points, 5.0 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game.
He could either start at the point guard spot or could move to the shooting guard spot, and the Blazers could put C.J. McCollum at the point. Baldwin is 6’4″ and has a 6’10″ wingspan. He is more of a defensive guard at this point his career. He could defend the other team’s best guard, and the Blazers could hide McCollum on someone else. The Blazers would have a very long lineup with Baldwin joining Al-Farouq Aminu.
Baldwin’s offensive game is still a work in progress, but he is still just 21. He has a decent shot and is aggressive driving to the rim. He would allow the Blazers to have another ball-handler on the floor and another guy to space the floor.
Baldwin has all the physical tools to be a good player in the NBA. He is a talented, young player and the Blazers should give him a shot to play so they can know if they want to hold on to him for the long-term future.