Portland Trail Blazers: Will Jake Layman step up in 2018-19?

The Portland Trail Blazers started Jake Layman in their first game of the preseason. Could this be a sign of a bigger role for the third-year forward?

The Portland Trail Blazers kicked off their 2018-19 preseason schedule in Vancouver, B.C. against the Toronto Raptors. Portland opened the game with four members of their starting lineup. However, starting small forward Maurice Harkless was noticeably absent, as he is still in the process of recovering from a left knee injury. With this loss, head coach Terry Stotts chose to give Jake Layman the starting nod.

In 16 minutes of play, Layman finished his night north of the border with four points on 2-of-10 shooting from the field. One of those made field goals was a potential 3-pointer, but his foot was on the line. One of his misses was a blocked dunk attempt at the hands of Serge Ibaka. Layman also added three rebounds and two assists to his stat line.

Despite the rough night, it is interesting that Stotts chose to give him the start over veteran wing Evan Turner. At this point, Turner is definitely the backup small forward — and the starter for as long as Harkless is out. However, Layman’s start does show that the coaching staff may be considering giving him a bigger role in the rotation.

If that is the case, Layman could be getting the same chance that Portland has handed other reserves in recent years. Namely, it would follow the trajectory of former Blazers Shabazz Napier and Pat Connaughton.

Portland acquired Napier via trade in the summer of 2016, but he spent most of the 2016-17 campaign on the bench. He played only 512 total minutes that season, despite being the only other true point guard on the roster outside of Damian Lillard.

Things opened up for Napier the following season, and he delivered in his new position. In 1,535 minutes, he averaged 8.7 points per game on 42 percent shooting, both career highs. He also added 2.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.1 steals per game. That production earned him a new contract this summer with the Brooklyn Nets.

Connaughton was a draft night acquisition in 2016, originally selected by the Nets. He didn’t earn much time on the court for his first two seasons, mainly developing behind the scenes. He played 459 minutes over 73 games in two years.

Then, in year three, the departure of Allen Crabbe opened up minutes for him to take advantage of. Connaughton managed to bump up his production to 5.4 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game in 2017-18. This improvement earned him a new deal with the Milwaukee Bucks this offseason.

Layman is now entering his third season in the NBA, having only played 409 total minutes in 70 games over his first two. Like Napier and Connaughton before him, he will also enter the summer of 2019 as a restricted free agent. This is the season for Jake Layman to step up, and the team is likely going to give him the chance to take advantage, at least during the early part of the year.

We saw flashes of what Layman can bring to the table during NBA Summer League. In Las Vegas, he averaged 13.4 points (tied for team-high with Wade Baldwin IV), 4.4 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 57.1 percent from the field and 54.2 percent from 3-point range.

He has also impressed in early season practices and training camp, with both Stotts and general manager Neil Olshey singing his praises on Media Day. Olshey says his progress this summer makes him glad they kept him.

"“He’s a guy that, I can tell you, that everyone in my front office breathes a sigh of relief watching him everyday; that we didn’t let him go just to create an open roster spot, to go back into the minimum market to try to replace him. Because, from a talent standpoint, he’s really gifted and it’s starting to click for him.”"

Unfortunately, his night in Vancouver was a step back in the progress. It seemed that his development hasn’t synced up with the speed of an NBA game just yet. Luckily, there are still opportunities for him to turn things around, starting with Friday’s matchup at the Phoenix Suns.

Jake Layman has the tools and opportunity to make a leap in his third year in the league. His start in the preseason opener shows that the team has confidence in him pulling it off. With the Portland Trail Blazers looking to space the floor this season, there is definitely room behind Moe Harkless for another 6’9″, athletic 3-and-D forward in the rotation. We’ll see if Layman can shake off the rust soon and truly show off the progress he made over the offseason.