The Portland Trail Blazers are currently in a rebuild. A process that's started since Damian Lillard was shipped off to Milwaukee, the team's start from scratch hasn't really been a pleasing sight from a spectator's standpoint. The Blazers finished with a measly 21-61 record last season, putting them at the very bottom of the Western Conference standings. Of course, the initial stages of a rebuild will always be painful. There's no other way around it. On the bright side, one aspect to look forward to is the development of their young players.
Portland has promising youth in its roster. Names such as Anfernee Simons, Shaedon Sharpe, Scoot Henderson, and the newly acquired Deni Avdija have room to improve to help the team make forward strides. Furthermore, the Blazers just drafted center Donovan Clingan, adding frontcourt depth. But that's where a problem of theirs lies.
Portland is excessively loaded at the center position. Clingan's entry puts another body to a depth chart that already has Deandre Ayton, Robert Williams III, and Duop Reath. In short, there's going to be competition for minutes once the Blazers' training camp ensues in October.
Ideally, the usual rotation allows minutes for two centers: the starter, and the designated backup. However, there are instances where teams have somehow been able to rotate three players at the five. Just take a look at the Indiana Pacers last season. Behind Myles Turner, there was a season-long battle for the backup spot between Jalen Smith and Isaiah Jackson. Regardless, that's already squeezing the most out of it. Even if the Blazers decide to prolong their experimentation for the five spot in the coming season, it's just not practical to let four centers see the floor consistently. At least one of them will be left out of the rotation, and at present, it might be Duop Reath.
Duop Reath will have to compete for his backup spot
After Williams III went down with a season-ending injury, Reath — a then-rookie from Australia — immediately filled the spot behind Ayton. Reath can be described as a hard-nosed backup who sets good screens, runs the floor and isn't afraid to protect the rim. What stands out about him on offense is his ability to shoot the three-ball. On pick-and-pop and kick-out situations, Reath doesn't hesitate to fire away from downtown, where he makes 35.9% of his attempts. The rookie also puts the ball on the floor from time to time, attacking the basket when he sees a mismatch. Playing 17.9 minutes per game, Reath averaged 9.1 points and 3.7 rebounds, per NBA.com.
While his offensive abilities and energy are commendable, Portland doesn't seem to have a paint protector at the moment. Last season, the Blazers ranked 27th in blocks per game (4.3 BPG) and 22nd in rebounds per game (42.7 RPG) among all NBA teams. Deandre Ayton is more of an offensive player than a defensive anchor. Duop Reath has the energy to take on the role, but he's undersized at 6'9 and isn't exceptionally athletic either. A paint protector is more suited for someone with the wingspan and bounce of Robert Williams III or the size of Donovan Clingan.
So what could the rotation possibly look like moving forward? Ayton is the best scorer out of the four, so he'll certainly start once again. Clingan does have upside, but his game needs more polishing. This means that the Blazers will likely give him limited time off the bench as part of his development. In certain situations where Portland needs more toughness down low, Williams is the ideal man to put in, as seen by what he was able to do as the Boston Celtics' rim protector for years.
That puts Reath at the bottom of the depth chart. Unless, of course, he's able to outperform a 7'2 prized rookie and an experienced defensive anchor who are both eyeing minutes. To put it another way, Duop Reath will have to compete really hard in training camp.
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