Depending on how you look at it there are as many questions about the three position on the Blazer roster as there are at any other position. And that of course is one reason the Blazers made a run at signing Hedo Turkoglu.
Coach McMillian said last season that a starter would not lose his spot in the starting lineup due to injury. He said that after Martell broke his foot the first time. By the end of the season he was saying that young Nic Batum would be the starter this year. Then, as we all know as soon as they had the chance the team did everything it could to sign free agent small forward Hedu Turkoglu.
<img src="http://www.clubblazers.com/download/file.php?id=44" alt="Martell Webster" />
Heading into training camp I see no clear cut choice for a starter at small forward, despite what the coach may say. The top two players at this postion will battle it out for the starting spot.
Nic Batum and Martell Webster....possible starters
Rudy, Roy, Outlaw, and rookie Dante Cunningham will all likely get some PT at this position.
Veteran Martell Webster was ready to have a breakout season last year. And he'd spent all summer working on taking his game to the next level. He looked great during preseason before the unfortunate injury to his foot. I've been worried about his recovery since I visited with him at his home in April and saw that he was still limping. I was happy to learn today that he is less than a week away from being cleared for full action. If all goes well I seriously doubt we'll notice any impact in his game. The season doesn't start for two more months and you can bet that Martell is already in shape, and will do whatever he has to do to be an impact player for this team.
Others may disagree about the effect of him taking a year off and see him coming back a bit rusty. I think they are selling him short, and will be surprised at the player they see. One who runs the floor, moves well without the ball, and is much improved at both defense and rebounding. Oh, yeah, and he has the smoothest shooting stroke you ever did see.
Martell said recently that he doesn't care who starts....he just wants to be the one who finishes. Still, just 22, Webster says all the right things and is a young man who has his head screwed on straight. He isn't quite the defender that Nic Batum is, but the rest of his game is better. It's my belief he will reclaim his starting role in training camp if he can prove his foot is healthy and keep a consistant take no prisoners attitude every minute he is on the floor.
Last seasons biggest surprise came in Nic Batum. The smooth rookie from France who stepped into Martells spot when Webster broke his foot. He quickly became a fan favorite with his outstanding defense and aggressive play. Some have compared him to a young Tayshaun Prince and envision him as a future star in this league. When Nic comes back to Portland from France he isn't going to willingly hand over his starting role to Webster. Its going to be a battle between those two in training camp. I hope the competition serves to make these guys both better players.
I do have a couple of concerns about Batum. One, is his shoulder. After hurting it last year, he didn't rest it during the offseason, and chose to play with the French National team. Its been bothering him again, and that concerned the Blazers enough that they ordered him back to Portland for an MRI exam.
And I'm also wondering about what he will have been accomplished this summer in terms of improving his game. Was he able to work on his offensive game, and work on some of the things that Nate asked him to over the offseason. Or has he simply been busy playing ball in Europe? We'll know soon as players begin to return to the Rose City next month to begin getting ready for training camp. One thing for sure is that Nicolas has proven that he has earned an important role on this Blazer team and one that is likely to grow as the season progresses and as the years go by.
How does that translate into playing time for him and Marty Webster? Thats the real question the coaches will have to answer during training camp, as well as find a few spare minutes for Rudy and the others. Keep in mind Rudy already has said he will expect to play more minutes this next season.
Last year Nic averaged just over 18 minutes and Travis a little more than 27. If you give the starter (Batum or Webster) 25 to 27 minutes, the other guy ends up with 18 to 20. That leaves only about three minutes for whoever else gets time at the three.
Who is your starter at small forward?
How many minutes do they get? How much time does the backup get?
Join the discussion at www.clubblazers.com
Keywords: Blazers, Blazers Blogs, Blazers fan forums, Blazers message boards, Club Blazers, Martell Webster, Nic Batum, Portland Trailblazers, Trailblazers Blogs, Travis Outlaw
