Do Blazers Finally Have 2nd Unit to Back Up Star-Studded Starting Lineup?

The Portland Trail Blazers have been on the brink of contention since the beginning of the 2013-14 NBA season. Rip City's starting lineup has been one of the most productive in the league the past two years, but an often-anemic second unit has been the glaring Achilles' heel.

Luckily for Rip City, disappointing bench production just might be a thing of the past. The trade that brought in Arron Afflalo and Alonzo Gee nicely rounds out a second unit that is slowly but surely improving. 

Although fans will miss the highlight potential from Thomas Robinson and Will Barton, proven veterans are far more valuable when you're in win-now mode. Take Gee, for instance. Portland is getting a versatile defender who can impact a game, even when the box score doesn't show it.  

With Afflalo, a statistical impact will be seen. As general manager Neil Olshey has stated:

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Arron's a basketball player. He plays both ends of the floor. He's got a post game. He makes threes. He can catch and shoot. He's got a midrange game. He's a tough defender. I think his defensive numbers will look even better in our system. Knowing how he's been (used) at different points in his career for the coaches he's played, scheme-wise, I think what we do will complement his toughness and ability to move his feet. So he's going to impact both ends of the court.

"

That quote, courtesy of The Oregonian's Joe Freeman, shows just what the 29-year-old brings to the table. A well-rounded player will be appreciated in Portland, but a scoring specialist is what Afflalo should be known as by the end of the year. 

Although Afflalo has struggled with his shot this season (42.8 field-goal percentage, 33.7 three-point percentage), he's knocked down 45.5 percent of his field goals for his career (not to mention 38.4 percent from beyond the arc). He averaged 14.5 points in 53 games with the Nuggets before joining his new squad, and if he can come anywhere near that with the Blazers, his contributions will lead to a revitalized second unit. 

The catch here is that Afflalo must be willing to accept a new role. Before his eight-point, 24-minute debut in Portland on Feb. 22, the veteran had started every game he'd played since the 2010-11 season.

Fortunately for the Blazers, he said all the right things in a submission to The Players' Tribune before officially donning red, white and black for the first time:

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I can’t say how many minutes I’ll play or shots I’ll take per game, but I’m ready. I know I'm not going there as a starter, although I am a proven starter in the NBA, but if it's the depth that I can bring to take this team to the next level then dub me an 'overqualified backup' — as some have already started doing. I'm ready for any role if it means bringing the Larry O'Brien trophy to your city.

"

Not only has Afflalo submitted to the idea of being a reserve, but he said something that's accurate: He is an overqualified backup. Portland won't hesitate to give him a prominent role behind Wesley Matthews and Nicolas Batum, and he'll likely become the sixth man the Blazers have lacked for so many years. 

The hope with Afflalo is that he'll be jolted to new life during the late-season stretch. It shouldn't come as a surprise that a player from the 20-36 Nuggets was struggling, but Portland is a winning franchise despite ranking just 29th in bench scoring, according to HoopStats.com.

But while Afflalo's presence will give the second unit a much-needed scoring boost, he's not going to be the only reserve to produce. Since falling to the San Antonio Spurs in last year's postseason, Portland has jumped up the rankings in numerous categories off the pine.

	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	BPG	SPG	O-EFF	D-EFF
2013-14	30	30	25	17	29	29	30	27
2014-15	27	29	19	18	20	27	24	17

Giving credit where credit is due, the offseason signings of Chris Kaman and Steve Blake jump-started the process. Internal progression also deserves recognition, particularly from players such as Meyers Leonard, Allen Crabbe and Joel Freeland (when healthy).

Along with added scoring, the Afflalo acquisition helps logistically define the playoff rotation. So far this season, head coach Terry Stotts has been willing to experiment. Now, there's no temptation to see what guys like Barton and Robinson can do when given a few minutes here and there.

Will the Blazers instantly jump to No. 1 in bench scoring with the addition of Afflalo? Not likely. Will the team once known for its historically bad second unit suddenly make a claim as having the best reserves in the league? Don't count on it. 

But while those pipe dreams would be ideal for any organization, this franchise doesn't need such a drastic turnaround. All it needs is a second unit that plays consistent basketball and complements a talented starting lineup.

With Afflalo on board, that's exactly what the Blazers now have. Portland's bench is going to be an asset—not an inconvenience—down the stretch, which is something we haven't seen in Rip City in quite some time.