The Portland Trail Blazers’ all-rookie starting lineup is 0-2, but all things considered, the group has performed solidly.
The starting lineup of Scoot Henderson, Kris Murray, Toumani Camara, Rayan Rupert and Duop Reath - used during Monday’s loss at Houston and Saturday’s loss at home to Denver - has produced a positive net rating.
The group posted an offensive rating for those two games of 120.6 and a defensive rating of 108.8, leading to a net rating of plus-11.8.
On the season, the Blazers rank 28th in offensive rating (108.7) and 23rd in defensive rating (116.8) for a net rating of minus-8.2 (27th).
Of course, such comparisons can be skewed by the opponents faced. The Nuggets were without Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray on Saturday. The Rockets played Monday without center Alperen Sengun. The defensive rating for the Blazers’ rookie crew would likely have been considerably higher had those three impact players been available.
Still, the positives were apparent. The group produced a true shooting percentage of 59.2%. The Blazers on the season rank last at 54.5%. Against the Nuggets, the five rookies combined for 76 points on 30-of-60 shooting (50%) and went 9 of 20 on threes (45%).
They fell off against Houston, shooting 18 of 50 (36%) and 5 of 20 on threes (25%).
Scoot Henderson #00 of the Portland Trail Blazers controls the ball against Amen Thompson #1 of the Houston Rockets in the first half at Toyota Center on March 25, 2024 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)Getty Images
Their true shooting was helped tremendously by going 15 of 15 at the free-throw line.
One negative area sticks out. The rookie group had a whopping 17.6% turnover rate. The Blazers committed 33 turnovers over their last two games with the five rookies coughing up 20. Henderson was responsible for nine.
Guard/forward Dalano Banton, a four-year veteran, has thrived while playing with some combination of the rookies over the last two games. At Houston, he scored 28 points with 11 rebounds, his first career double-double.
He said the rookies’ energy and athleticism have made an impact.
“Coach Chauncey preached to us, ‘Let’s run,’” Banton told reporters. “Let’s play. It’s going to be hard for teams to keep up with us.”
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That proved to be true. Billups said the group did a great job of creating pace in the first half at the Rockets.
“I liked our ball movement, our pace and getting it up to try to beat teams down before they can get their defense set,” Billups told reporters in Houston. “We had so many good moments of multiple paint touches on a single possession.”
Alas, ultimately the young Blazers fell apart in the end at Houston. They were outscored 63-41 in the second half. But Billups walked away pleased with his team’s effort and the opportunity to learn.
“We lost our composure some,” he said. “So, there were some good teachable moments for our young guys.”
-- Aaron Fentress | afentress@Oregonian.com | @AaronJFentress (Twitter), @AaronJFentress (Instagram), @AaronFentress (Facebook)
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