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Trail Blazers: The Long Road Back for Meyers Leonard

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

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Should the Trail Blazers be concerned with Meyers Leonard’s performances so far in the preseason?

It was encouraging news for the Trail Blazers when they learned that Meyers Leonard would be returning to the court ahead of schedule. Since rejoining the team after a seven month rehab process, the former Illinois big man has looked shaky (that might be putting it kindly). While it is only the preseason and he is only two games back from a long layoff – there are certainly causes for concern.

The Clippers made it a point to target Leonard on offense once Mason Plumlee left the game after accumulating six fouls in eleven minutes. This led to standout performances from LA’s post players, as Blake Griffin and Brandon Bass combined for an impressive 42 points (full box score here). A large number of those baskets came against an often out of place Leonard.

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It is easy to place blame on Leonard, as he seems to receive the most criticism of any player on Portland’s roster. In his defense, he has missed a significant amount of time. Leonard has proven that it takes him longer than most players to hit his stride. It took him until the second half of the 2015-16 season before he started to play his most effective basketball.

Leonard’s struggles are likely the driving force behind Grant Jerrett‘s long audition. Of all the players competing for the final roster spot, Jerrett has received the most action. Jerrett appears to be the only other big man outside of Leonard that can connect on shots from beyond the arc. As of now, it appears that the fifteenth spot is his to lose.

It is important to note that this can all change with a solid performance. The Trail Blazers will face a Nuggets team on Sunday that has a plethora of talented post players, so Leonard will have an opportunity to erase some of the doubts surrounding his defense.

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