Are the Blazers' Young Prospects Developing as Expected?

Despite the lack of NBA experience on the roster, the Portland Trail Blazers currently have the No. 2 record in the NBA. Led by their All-Star tandem in LaMarcus Aldridge and Damian Lillard, the Blazers have been a force on both ends of the floor.

The starting lineup has been routinely dominant, while the supporting cast has filled in nicely, albeit with inconsistent spurts. Some of that is due to youth, but more so because more than half of Portland's personnel has three or fewer seasons of NBA basketball under its belt.

Though a handful of said players wouldn't be considered young in many circles, they still hold the distinction of being a prospect given their lack of NBA wisdom.

Several have shown a great deal of promise this season and last, while others are still fighting to prove their worth. 

Let's take a gander. 

The Older Prospects

Sam Forencich/Getty Images

Right off the bat, the two oldest of Portland's prospects, Joel Freeland and Victor Claver, get the spotlight.

Freeland, who has spent much of his basketball career overseas, will turn 28 years old in early February, while Claver will hit 27 in late August. Both are approaching the prime of their respective careers, but are just in their third NBA seasons.

Joel Freeland

Freeland has emerged as a solid two-way center this season, filling in for the injured Robin Lopez by starting games for the Blazers. He's averaged 5.1 points and 8.1 rebounds in seven starts, as well as 1.1 blocks. 

He's done a remarkable job of defending without fouling, jumping straight up with his arms high to avoid the referee's whistle. Freeland has also added a nifty jumper in the mid-range area, converting 44.4 percent of his attempts, per NBA.com.

He was nothing short of game-changing against the Toronto Raptors on Dec. 30, grabbing 12 rebounds among other things. Freeland became a nuisance to Raptors guard Kyle Lowry, blocking his two game-tying layups in the last 30 seconds, as well as drawing an offensive foul moments before.

Though his statistical output for the season largely mirrors last season's work, the improvements Freeland has made are seen with the in-between plays: defending the right way, boxing out and filling the lane. 

It's difficult to pinpoint his development at his age, but Freeland is doing all the right things as a backup big. As such, it's safe to say he's getting a big thumbs up from the Blazers' coaching staff.

Final Verdict: Yes

Victor Claver

It's entirely possible Claver wouldn't have played a single minute of basketball to this point had Portland's rotation stayed healthy.

He's seen the court just three times so far, putting up 3.3 points and 3.7 rebounds on 36.4 percent shooting. 

Claver's lack of a jump shot has hindered his time in the rotation, converting only 15.4 percent last year, per NBA.com. In addition, he has the unpleasant standing as being without a true position in the NBA.

He has the height and wingspan to play in the frontcourt, but lacks the necessary strength to truly fit in at power forward. That might translate to the perimeter, but it's there that Claver doesn't have the shooting touch or foot speed to keep up defensively as a small forward.

As such, Claver hasn't fulfilled expectations as a prospect. He was selected at No. 22 in the 2009 draft, but has performed perhaps even below what one would expect from a middle first-round pick.

With 3.3 points on 39.3 percent for his career, the 6'9" forward hasn't impressed consistently enough to be seen as up to par.

Final Verdict: No

Will Barton, G

Steve Dykes/Associated Press

Since being drafted with the No. 40 pick in the 2012 draft, Will Barton hasn't exhibited much as a player. He's a swift athlete who can handle the ball well, but doesn't excel outside of that.

Barton's 39.4 percent shot percentage for his career, and ghastly 20.2 percent from beyond the arc, limits his effectiveness as a backcourt player. At 6'6", he weighs just 175 pounds and is easily pushed around on both sides of the court. 

Yet even so, Barton has found ways to stay on the court due to his playmaking and athleticism.

Though the majority of his time comes when the final margin has been already decided (i.e., garbage time), he's done well to stay focused and be efficient despite the lack of importance his play would hold at that point in the game.

Barton had four points and three assists in 14 minutes against the New York Knicks on Dec. 28, and stuffed the box score with four points, two rebounds, two assists and three steals against the Houston Rockets on Dec. 22.

Aside from his jump shot, Barton can sometimes be erratic in terms of doing more than expected. As a young player with a limited role, it's unsurprising to see him try to impress the coaching staff.

With such a late draft selection, it's hard to fathom how much has been expected of him to this point. He hasn't show much improvement since coming out of Memphis, with his assets staying the same and his weaknesses remaining as glaring.

Given that evaluation, it's likely Barton hasn't fulfilled expectations regardless of what they might be.

Final Verdict: No

Allen Crabbe, G/F

Sam Forencich/Getty Images

After a very quiet rookie season, Allen Crabbe is rounding into a respectable reserve for the Blazers.

He averaged just 6.7 minutes during his rookie turn, but has carved a niche this campaign with 15.1 minutes per game. Crabbe has already played more games this year (27) than last (15), and started six of them as Nicolas Batum recovered from injury.

He was underwhelming in that role to say the least, shooting 32.1 percent from the field and 27.8 percent from three-point range. Off the bench, though, Crabbe has shot much better percentages of 49.1 percent and 44.1 percent, respectively, from the aforesaid areas.

He represents another of Portland's young players, at age 22, and was selected late in the 2013 draft with the 31st pick. As such, Crabbe hasn't been a game-changing talent but instead has been a good role player so far.

He's been an accurate shooter from outside and in turn has kept the spacing in the Blazers' offense and played solid defense. Per 82games.com, Crabbe has kept opponents to a PER (player efficiency rating) of 10.6 at shooting guard and 8.7 at small forward. The league-average PER checks in at 15.00. 

Considering his draft selection and age, Crabbe has likely fulfilled expectations. He was a great shooter at California, and has done just that so far. He still needs to put in work in terms of creating his own offense, as 94.6 percent of his made field goals have been assisted on, per NBA.com. 

It'd be welcome to see the swingman score in different ways, but Crabbe is a pure shooter. It could be hazardous for him to go outside the team's offense to try and get his, but he could reach a different level as a player if he improved his arsenal.

Either way, Crabbe has been a bright spot off the Blazers bench and should continue to be going forward, but still needs to improve further.

Final Verdict: Yes

C.J. McCollum, G

Steve Dykes/Associated Press

NBA life just hasn't been fair to C.J. McCollum.

The 6'4" guard has faced a multitude of injuries in his young career, some of which have severely hindered his development and growth with the Blazers.

McCollum's rookie debut was shelved for months last season due to a broken foot, not coming until Jan. 8 against the Orlando Magic. He went on to average 12.5 minutes per game for the season, along with 5.3 points on 41.6 percent shooting.

For this season, a broken right index finger led McCollum to miss a stretch of 14 games. Things looked bleak as he shot a combined 16.7 percent in his first three games back. But since then, he's upgraded his production to 7.2 points on 56.5 percent percent shooting from the field and 58.3 percent from three-point range.

The rest of the season should be telling in terms of McCollum's production, as it'll be one of the first chances in his young career to showcase his talents.

Though he returned for a chunk of last season, he didn't have a true role behind the starting backcourt and Portland's first guard off the bench in Mo Williams. Now with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Williams was the primary reserve scorer in the backcourt for the Blazers. 

Portland has newcomer Chris Kaman in that reserve scoring role, but McCollum can take the reins and put pressure on defenses from the perimeter. He has good size and a sharp eye shooting the ball, hence it's just a matter time before McCollum gets a chance.

Due to his inconsistent availability, while not his fault, McCollum hasn't truly lived up to expectations just yet. He was a dominant scorer at Lehigh before breaking his left foot (the same foot he went on to break his rookie year), and can fill such a role for the Blazers. 

Final Verdict: No (special consideration)

Meyers Leonard, C

Sam Forencich/Getty Images

Though he's made strides this season, Meyers Leonard hasn't fulfilled expectations. But in the best way possible.

At 7'1" and 245 pounds, Leonard has shifted away from the traditional big-man model. Per Jason Quick of The Oregonian, he is fully aware of the trajectory his career was expected to take and its actual route:

"

There are a lot of things I feel like that have gone against me, and people are like, 'What the heck? We took him early (11th pick in 2012), we're expecting a lot' ... and I think it's just taking a little bit of time. I think people see a 7-footer ... pretty strong ... big ... wide shoulders ... and everyone thought I was a five. There was no point in trying to impress people in something that I was not that great at. I wanted to continue to work on defense and rebounding, but also be what they brought me in to do: Be skilled. Run the floor. Shoot the ball when you are open. Be athletic.

"

Coming out of Illinois, Leonard was an all-around center who could rebound, pass and shoot. His strength wasn't his strong suit (ha, get it?), but he was being asked to do more than he was truly capable. But no more.

He's averaged 3.8 points and 2.9 rebounds so far, while shooting 42.1 percent from both the field and from long range. Leonard has attempted 1.6 three-point field goals per game in 12 contests, with two starts against the Brooklyn Nets and the Houston Rockets.

He had seven points and a career-best 12 rebounds against the Nets on Nov. 15, and scored 13 points on 3-of-7 shooting from long range against the Rockets on Dec. 22. 

Leonard has reinvented himself as a stretch big man, which fits perfectly within Portland's system. With Freeland, Lopez and Chris Kaman doing work inside, he has the opportunity to explore such a role with ease. That may have not been possible in the past, but Leonard's had great success so far. 

He's still been able to rebound and defend, but his offense has come in a different way. In that vein, Leonard is beginning to round into an impact player and fulfill expectations. He just has to do it more consistently.

Final Verdict: Slowly, but surely

Thomas Robinson, F

Sam Forencich/Getty Images

Thomas Robinson hasn't fulfilled his NBA expectations, let alone those of the Blazers.

The Sacramento Kings selected Robinson with the fifth overall pick in the 2012 draft, but he has since bounced to Houston and now Portland. All in three NBA seasons.

His play at Kansas had scouts raving about his athleticism and motor around the rim, gathering rebounds and playing strong defense. But over the course of his NBA career, Robinson has struggled to find himself and a role with a team.

As has been seen on multiple occasions with the Blazers, the 6'9" forward can sometimes exert himself to do more than is expected. Much like his teammate, Barton, Robinson thrives when he's playing to his strengths. 

His 15 points and 16 rebounds against the Milwaukee Bucks on Dec. 17 were promising, as he shot 5-of-8 with all his attempts coming in the paint. Robinson went just 5-of-15 from the free-throw line, but his number of attempts points to just how aggressive he was from the outset. 

His plus-15 rating for the game was the highest mark for any Trail Blazer.

Robinson hasn't wowed the NBA with his play too much, with his high draft selection acting as a ton of pressure. Portland's front office has already informed the 23-year old that it would not be picking up his option for next season, per Joe Freeman of The Oregonian. 

But, per Freeman, Robinson has said all the right things concerning a telling chance to prove himself:

"

It's a business. That's all you've got to understand. You've got to realize that it's bigger than you sometimes in this league. At the end of the day, it's just a business. So all I can do is keep working hard. I know I belong in this league, I know I'm a worthy player in this league. I actually think I'm above average if I had the chance. But, like I said, it's all about just working and understanding that it's a business. You can't take nothing personal. 

"

An athletic, bruising and hustling rebounder is almost a must-have role for contending teams, and Robinson can build himself into that.

He just has to remain focused and keep at his craft, which has been huge for the Blazers in the past. He hasn't lived up to expectations so far, but he can prove he truly does belong in the NBA if he completes the aforesaid task(s). 

Robinson just has to be himself. 

Final Verdict: No

Damian Lillard, G

Cameron Browne/Getty Images

Let's keep this short.

Has Damian Lillard developed as expected?

Um, yes. A thousand times yes. And then some.

In his third NBA season, Lillard has compiled a lavish resume with an All-Star berth and All-NBA Third Team honors last season. In addition, he snatched the Rookie of the Year award away from New Orleans Pelicans superstar Anthony Davis with a unanimous selection for his 2012-13 campaign.

So far, he's averaged career-best numbers of 21.9 points and 4.8 rebounds, with his 6.4 assists trailing the 6.5 per game in his rookie year.

Lillard has already made a name for himself as one of the league's deadliest shooters, and with almost 500 made three-point shots already, he has a chance to go down in NBA history as one of the most prolific players from outside.

Ray Allen, the all-time leader in three-point shots made, converted 2,973 of them over an 18-year career. Lillard is almost a fifth of the way there, but in just one-sixth of that span. And we still have a lot of basketball left this season.

In addition: #LillardTime.

What else needs to be said?

The Blazers must be pretty chipper about their point guard's development.

Final Verdict: What do you think?