Well, he never got them . did he? Terry Stotts' last present to the Trailblazers, because it kind of leaves Olshey in a quandary. He (and other teams) don't really know what the Blazers have in this kid. If he had played more, he might have shown he was a really valuable trade asset or shown that he had the potential to break out to star status next year. Or shown that he was missing something and we shouldn't worry about including him in a trade. But he played 13 minutes a game. Terry Stotts chose to not take a risk of missing the playoffs, and didn't play Little down the stretch. Of all the things Stotts did to hurt the team, for me this was one of the worst. His defensive metrics seem to be the reason he didn't play more: "His estimated defensive plus-minus sat at -3.8 at season’s end. That’s the third-worst number in the league and the second worst on the Blazers (Anfernee Simons was just slightly lower at -3.9). His defensive DARKO plus-minus was also bad at -1.1, one of the worst numbers on the Blazers. The individual numbers are not great, and the team on/off numbers with him on the court aren’t fantastic either. According to Cleaning the Glass, when Nassir Little was on the floor, teams scored eight points more per 100 possessions, shot 2.9% better, and turned it over 2.1% less. Those numbers rank in the fifth, eighth, and seventh percentile respectively." Of course, as the writer points out, he usually played with Kanter, Melo and Simons. If you are interested in more: https://www.blazersedge.com/2021/7/...ortland-trail-blazers-stats-trade-rumors-2021
Man! If we could get a talented guy like this. Oh wait, he's on our team. Nas could be that breakout talent under Billups. Bring it on.
I get the impression this is someone NO was talking about when he alluded to having a capable roster and guys not being handled properly.
Is it me, or has Nas grown taller? He's always had a ridiculous winsgspan, but if he gets to 6'7 or so, he has the perfect profile of a starting wing for us. Look at how tall he is in reference to Bridges.
You actually may be right. He’s not even on his tippy toes too. Mikal is 6 foot 7 and Little look roughly the same height as him in those pictures.
I really don't get Bridges' connection with Weber or Phil Beckner or where it comes from. He trained with Dame/Ant/ (along w/ a few others) like Dort/Hutchison/etc last year too.
Both have very long wingspans around 7'1" But from the sources I just checked, Little has a 5" advantage with his standing reach. I honestly think Little can play PF against most teams, especially if he gets up around 230 without losing any quickness. He is not that far away now.
there's a very blurry line between SF/PF these days anyway. Nearly every player swings at both positions around the league. All that said, it was criminal what Terry did for his development. I really hope Chauncey gives Nas a fair shot. We could expect a jump like we saw with Keldon Johnson in SA last year if we forcefeed him minutes in a consistent rotational role. i wasn't happy to see him held out of SL-- i think he would have showed out.
He's probably our most important player coming off the bench if we're looking at the roster right now. Terry was just AWFUL for Nas.
Yeah if Roco can play PF then Little can as well. Nassir is already heavier and just as long. Of course, some will say both are too small and against a few players, and they would be right. But bigger slower PFs do you no good if they can't guard the perimeter and can't get to long rebounds which happens frequently with the amount of 3 point shots taken.
Nas getting pulled from summer league was a very positive sign imo. I think outside of Nurk no one will benefit more from the coaching change.
Bridges has Philly ties, both to the city and the team. Beckner just got hired in Philly as a consultant. Dame for Embiid confirmed.
Been waiting for this. My biggest hope for a jump in this team's ceiling is Nas popping. Given how poorly Terry treated him, this is a welcome development. This testimony is a pretty nasty indictment of Terry's ineptitude. https://theathletic.com/2847354/202...made-an-impression/?source=emp_shared_article Aside from Little’s offseason workouts, during which he said he made close to 1,000 shots a day, the biggest boost to his confidence has come from the Blazers’ coaching change. He said he never really knew what former coach Terry Stotts was thinking, but he has formed a connection with new coach Chauncey Billups ever since he was part of the Summer League practices Billups ran in August. “We are pretty close already,” Little said. “I think we connect pretty well, and work well together. We’ve had a really open line of communication, which I think is good for a young player like myself. He’s been pretty straightforward in what he expects from me, and what my role will be, as long as I continue to do what I’m doing. That’s kind of all I ever wanted. All I could ask for. So I appreciate that.” The role Billups envisions? “He told me he expects me to be one of the first guys off the bench,” Little said. “To just be a 3-and-D guy … hit shots, put pressure on the rim.” That opportunity is there for the taking. After Norman Powell, who is expected to start at small forward, there is no clear-cut backup. Little figures to compete for time with Tony Snell, and perhaps Robert Covington if Billups decides to move Covington from power forward to small forward for spot minutes while Larry Nance Jr. plays power forward. Little also said Billups told him he needs to improve his playmaking skills so he can better fit into Billups’ scheme, where ball movement is emphasized. “He told me he wants me to be a better playmaker this year. That’s not saying I’m going to be a primary ballhandler, but just being able to see the layers of the defense and making the extra pass, because he knows my ability to get past the first defender,” Little said. “So that’s something I’ve been focusing on, and which I think I’ve improved greatly.” With the carrot of a rotation spot dangled before him, Little said he has been able to narrow his focus. He knows he has to show consistency to earn that rotation spot, but he said it should help to have clear communication and confidence shown in him. “With Chauncey, I think the biggest difference is just communication,” Little said. “Last year, I was going into games not knowing if I was going to play or not. That’s tough for a guy in his second year not knowing if he was going to get a DNP (Did Not Play) or play 20 minutes. It’s hard to expect a guy to lock in, execute a game plan when night-to-night he has no idea what’s going on. And with Chauncey so far, it’s been ‘Here’s what you can expect … this is what I expect you to do … you are going to get these kinds of opportunities. …’ That way, as a player, I’m not guessing.” A key moment in Little’s summer was hiring a chef. After playing last season between 233 and 234 pounds, Little said he will report to training camp next week between 220 and 222 pounds. “I stopped eating BS, bro,” Little said. “No more hamburgers. No fried food. I haven’t been eating bread, not that much pasta. And I cut out sugar — that was probably one of the biggest things. I’m eating more vegetables, drinking more water and getting more sleep.” He said people will be able to see the difference. “The thing is, even though I’ve lost 12 pounds, I’m stronger than I’ve ever been,” Little said. “My arms are bigger than they were, my body is more defined. It’s a significant difference.” He said the changes to his body have translated to the court. “I’m faster, I’m quicker, I’m more explosive,” Little said. “I can run longer and jump higher for a longer period of time.” While trainers Randy Hadley and Brian McGill transformed his body, trainer Darryl Hardin fine-tuned his shot. He worked on floaters, mid-range and 3-pointers. “Through your work, you build confidence,” Little said. “And we’ve been going at it, working on the details, the small stuff to make sure my shot is fluid. We’ve been focusing on having the same release every shot. And as I got more confidence, it just gets easier and easier, to the point where it becomes second nature in a sense.” The structure of his workouts did not change, but the intensity was heightened, Little said, because he knew he was chasing his first big chance. “To be honest, it wasn’t really a major change as far as approach,” Little said. “I feel like I’ve always been a hard worker. But I locked in on it and focused more on it because I knew I would have an opportunity. And off the court, I was just super laser-focused.” All of it — the shooting, the playmaking, the fitness — was enough to catch the eye of the Blazers’ brain trust. Now, all that’s left is for Little to back it up once practices start on Tuesday. He knows nothing is promised, and that’s just the way he wants it … across the board. There will be competition for playing time, and he can’t wait to show he has earned consideration. “To me, it’s just a clean slate,” Little said. “There’s no preconceived notions on who is going to get what. Everything is being looked at with a clear-eyed view. If I showcase that I am deserving, then that’s what it is. There’s no prior relationships, or any promises that were given. So from this point, everything is genuinely earned. For me, that’s all I’ve ever wanted, ever since I left high school – just a fair chance. “I knew once they announced there was going to be a staff change, it was my opportunity to have a clean slate and show, ok, this guy can play,” Little said. “So that’s why I’m excited for it and eager to see what happens.”
I think this speaks volumes about Stotts. Stotts didn't develop younger players for shit. I know the team likes to say the players "3rd season" was the breakout year, but I don't think that works when you don't let the player know what to expect. I remember how it would all the sudden be that a player (Laymen, Patty C, DJJ, Simons, Little, etc) would be in the virtual dog house with Stotts.
If we are unable to pull of the Simmons trade, then our best hope for success this year is Nas playing his way onto the starting lineup. I believe this kid has star level potential and I have since we drafted him. Stotts was absolutely atrocious in the way he jerked Nas around and would never let him play through mistakes. Meanwhile vets like CJ and Melo could be ice cold and bricking shot after shot with open shooters at the 3pt line and Stotts would just give them more minutes and more touches. Nas and Ant are the key to any hope of a great season this year unless we make the Simmons trade. Also, Nas and Nance are why I would absolutely do the CJ plus RoCo for Simmons trade, just not the future 1sts or swaps. I'd rather not trade RoCo, but I think with Simmons, Nance and Little we could cover the 3/4 rather nicely. I'm torn with whether I'd be more willing to trade Little or RoCo to be honest, as Nas is easily my favorite young guy and I think he has the most untapped potential of anyone on the team.
Also love hearing that Chauncey wants him to improve his handle because he is going to emphasize playmaking from everyone (and not just Dame/CJ).
brahh Stotts was awful at everything except enabling Dame and CJ to do whatever they wanted. We know it. The players know it. And I agree, that third year pop was always bullshit. Stotts never gave anyone outside Dame a fair shake early in their careers. Trent only played because Hood got injured. I’m confident Nas will be a beast. Just stay healthy please.
