The Portland Trail Blazers were able to secure a pair of wins this week over the Charlotte Hornets and Washington Wizards. They also lost to the Orlando Magic and Boston Celtics to bring their overall record for the week to 2-2.
As the season winds down and the Blazers’ rotation gets shorter and shorter, it becomes harder to not feature the same players every week. However, this week there is a clear answer for a standout performer, even if he was featured recently. This week’s Blazer of the week is Jabari Walker.
Walker has been forced into a greatly increased role recently due to the host of injuries the Blazers have suffered. He has taken that in stride and continued to increase his production almost nightly. That showed this week where Walker averaged 14.3 points and 15.5 rebounds per game.
The tenacious work that Walker does on the boards plays a huge role in the success of Portland, as his ability to play alongside Deandre Ayton presents massive problems for opponents. Despite Walker putting up career best rebounding numbers during the week, Ayton still averaged 13.8 rebounds himself. That rebounding prowess from the front court helped the Blazers out-rebound all four of their opponents this week.
Walker’s work on the boards also gives him easy opportunities near the basket for second-chance points. He grabbed 3.8 offensive rebounds per game this week, including a career-high six against the Celtics. His ability to create second chances for the offense is a valuable tool, especially when the Blazers struggle to make shots.
His efficiency from the field this week did leave some to be desired, however. He shot just 33.3 percent from the field during the week and 31.3 percent from 3-point range. For most of the season, Walker has been fairly efficient when operating around the rim. However, he still has room to grow when operating as one of the main offensive options. As he continues to progress, seeing if he is able to be an offensive focal point will be something to watch.
The honorable mention for this week is Scoot Henderson.
Henderson has had his fair share of growing pains this season. However, he has been slowly but surely improving his play as the year goes on. This week he averaged 17.3 points and 8.5 assists per game. He shot 44.1 percent from the field and 43.5 percent from deep during the week, both well above his season average.
After an incredibly poor start to his career, Henderson has been showing signs of improvement over the last few weeks, a good sign for his progression due to the increased defensive attention he is being shown as more and more Blazers hit the injury report. Henderson’s potential as a playmaker and scorer has made him an important part of Portland’s rotation in the late part of the season, and his ability to improve on the aspects of his game that he struggled with early is a good sign for his future success.
Which Blazer impressed you the most this week? Let us know in the comments!
