National Basketball Association

Trail Blazers: Can Aminu Thrive Against Interior Threats?

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Can Al-Farouq Aminu consistently thrive against the NBA’s top post scorers?

The Trail Blazers failed to bring in one of the many big name centers in this past free agency period. They ended up surprising their fanbase by signing Evan Turner, an undersized small forward from the Boston Celtics. When news came out that Turner was guaranteed a starter spot at the small forward positon, questions quickly arose about how Al-Farouq Aminu‘s role would differ from the previous season.

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The Trail Blazers answered those questions by announcing that Aminu would be transferring to the starting power forward position. The adjustments to the starting lineup are definitely moves that keep offensive versatility in mind. Whereas defensively, the moves don’t make as much sense. Aminu had a breakout season as Portland’s main wing defender. While the talented swingman might have struggled at times on offense, he was able to stay consistent on the defensive side of the ball.

Aminu’s December performance against the streaking Pacers might be the best example of this. Paul George was just named the Eastern Conference Player of the Month, so Aminu made it his priority to stop the hot streak. George played one of his worst games of the season – shooting four for seventeen and finishing with just eleven points. In addition to the awful scoring night, George also had five turnovers.

Aminu displayed that he has the tools to lock-down the leagues best wing scorers. The real question here is: how will he perform against the NBA’s remaining low post scorers? Aminu should have success when it comes to guarding power forwards who stretch the floor like Markieff Morris or Ryan Anderson, as his quickness will give him an edge in those matchups.

Portland Trail Blazers forward Al-Farouq Aminu (8). Mandatory Credit: Godofredo Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Contests against more traditional big men could pose a problem for the Trail Blazers. LaMarcus Aldridge’s turn around fadeaway can’t be stopped by smaller defenders, which could leave Aminu on an island. The best chance to stop Aldridge is to keep him out of position, but the undersized Aminu will struggle to sustain the physicality necessary to do so. Blake Griffin is a lethal scorer with incredible strength. Will Aminu be able to keep LA’s big man away from the hoop?

The Trail Blazers made it a habit of proving skeptics wrong last year, so a successful rotation shuffle shouldn’t surprise anyone. Aminu was very effective playing in the post in the final stages of the 2015-16 campaign, so now it is up to him to sustain that effectiveness for an entire season.

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