The Portland Trail Blazers did next to nothing to be proud of Monday night during a 134-106 drubbing at the hands of the Milwaukee Bucks.
But one statistical line from the box score jumped out: 11 of 18 from the field, 5 of 7 on threes for 30 points.
Damian Lillard being Damian Lillard?
No. Nassir Little being Damian Lillard.
In a game that saw the Blazers (10-9) suffer their worst loss of the season, Little offered something positive to cling to. Could Little be the next young Blazer to forge a path to success?
Gary Trent Jr., a second-round pick in 2018, began to make his mark last summer at the NBA bubble. Anfernee Simons, a first-round pick in 2018, has played the best basketball of his career during the past five games. On Monday, Little, a first-round pick in 2019, set a career high for scoring while making his seventh NBA start.
“I had a good game,” Little said. “In regard to a breakout, this is a reminder to myself and everybody that I’m a good player. And I’m going to try to build off this game going forward and see what happens.”
Portland coach Terry Stotts called Little’s performance the “bright spot” of the night.
“It’s good to see him get out there and see the ball go in the basket, get some extended run, and I was really happy for him,” Stotts said.
Little went through a lot of trying times during the past year. He didn’t play much during his rookie season, then suffered a concussion prior to the restart at the NBA bubble when he hit his head on the court in July. After recovering, dehydration kept Little on the injured list.
Prior to the start of training camp in December, Little became infected with COVID-19. He returned to the team in early January and saw his first action Jan. 7 during a win over Minnesota.
Little had worked hard during the offseason, Lillard said, getting up extra shots at the facility and working on his game. Little faced the difficult task of having to compete for playing time after the Blazers had brought in forwards Robert Covington and Derrick Jones Jr.
“I could just tell he was itching to get back out there because he didn’t play at the bubble,” Lillard said.
Little’s bout with COVID-19 at times became extremely difficult, he said, but never life threatening. Being out for so long certainly set him back with the team.
Lillard said he thinks Little’s performance on Monday could have boosted his confidence.
“It’s good for our team to see him have that type of game,” Lillard said.
So, what does all of this mean moving forward? That’s anyone’s guess. Little has started the past two games in place of Derrick Jones Jr., out with a sprained foot, and partly because Rodney Hood is on a minutes restriction.
Jones will eventually return to the starting lineup. The Blazers, when fully healthy, have six other players who see time at forward. It’s difficult to see how Little will crack the lineup very often under those circumstances. However, the Blazers have rarely been fully healthy this season. So, opportunities for Little could continue to present themselves.
If so, then it’s up to Little to make himself too valuable to leave on the bench. Maybe, Little is starting along the same path previously paved by Trent.
Little’s performance Monday, Lillard said, reminded him of when Trent last season scored 30 points on 12 of 18 shooting during a 119-106 loss at Oklahoma City on Jan. 18, 2020.
“We lost the game, we weren’t in the best place at that time, but we found something,” Lillard said of Trent. ‘Now he’s figured it out. He’s a rotation player. He’s a big part of what we do and a big part of our team. So, to see a similar performance from Nas, tonight, I think, for me personally, this might be it. We might have found another young wing that can continue with confidence and help our team continue to improve.”
Maybe the most eye-popping aspect of Little’s performance Monday was his three-point shooting.
Little, who shot 23.7% on threes last season, said he had been working on his shooting range in preparation for this season. He entered Monday with 16 career three-point field goals on 64 attempts (25%) and made five on Monday.
“It’s just a matter of getting opportunities and the chance to kind of showcase that,” Little said of his deep shooting. “I’ve been having trouble with injuries and stuff like that, so I stayed ready. Stayed in the gym. And it paid off tonight.”
Most every team suffers a big loss at some point during a season. Portland’s biggest loss so far this season came on Monday. But in the process, a young talent who had suffered a series of setbacks finally took a major step forward.
“I’ve been through a lot so it feels good to have a game like this,” Little said. “I just want to keep building off of it. This isn’t the end for me. This is just kind of the beginning.”
-- Aaron Fentress | afentress@Oregonian.com | @AaronJFentress(Twitter), @AaronJFentress (Instagram), @AaronFentress(Facebook).
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The Link LonkFebruary 02, 2021 at 02:25PM
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Nassir Little shines during Trail Blazers’ ugly loss at Milwaukee: ‘It’s good for our team to see him have th - OregonLive
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