We have a lot of guys who are good enough to take that mantle as 3rd best player on any given night. We don't have any guys good enough to demand it on a clear cut permanent basis. Not sure it matters.
In the playoffs it was Plumlee. Let's hope it's Crabbe or Turner, because otherwise their contracts will mock us for years to come.
Even though I think it will be Ezeli, This is the number one reason we really need at least one of the two to be third best. We wont be able to move their contracts if an offer comes up if they don't improve and climb the totem pole
When analyzing players, most people place a premium on scoring. I don't think it's very likely that Ezeli is Portland's 3rd leading scorer. I place a premium on interior D. If he's healthy (which could be said about assessing any player), Festus will be a force at the rim and on the boards & should earn 30 minutes a game. I'll stick with my rich man's Pryzbilla comparison. More coordinated catching the ball on P&Rs & putbacks, same strong rim protection, same crappy Free Throw shooting. STOMP
I put a premium on either being an elite scorer or a really good all around player. For the sake of this question, it seems to be asking about 3rd guy closest to Dame and CJ in terms of talent and on-court performance. It has to be ET this season. Based upon pure athleticism, I'd consider Harkless as a potential number 3. It is also logical to expect Crabbe to step up his game to the next level. Based upon per 36 numbers, Ezeli could be a monster for us and easily be the 3rd best player. The knock on him is his lack of range. But hey, I'll take ~15PPG from him no matter how he gets the points.
The Blazers have many players that could be the third best player. I could not pick just one. But I hope it is one of the paint players. We need to increase the amount of floor space where our team has an advantage against most teams.
I think as it stands, Aminu is our 3rd best player..hopefully he'll have some competition for that status
