Nassir Little Working the Rust Off as Small Forward Battle Heats Up
The Blazers' fifth starting spot is still undetermined going into the final two preseason games.
TUALATIN, Ore.—Three preseason games down, two to go, and the Trail Blazers' starting small-forward battle, the biggest point of intrigue in training camp, is still unsettled.
Josh Hart got his turn with the starters on the opener against the Clippers in Seattle. Justise Winslow got the start the next night against Utah. Nassir Little has yet to get his turn with the regular starters, but that could be coming Sunday in Sacramento.
In the first two preseason games, Little struggled coming off the bench. It was obvious he was forcing things in his first return to action after missing nine months with shoulder and core muscle surgeries. It was only last week that he was officially cleared to play full-contact five-on-five, days before the Seattle game, and he remains on a minutes limit.
Little started and played 18 minutes Thursday night against Maccabi Ra'anana, a game in which none of the Blazers' other regulars played, and he looked much more comfortable, shooting 5-of-7 from the field.
"Getting used to the atmosphere, I think that's something that people don't really account for," Little said after the Blazers' Saturday practice. When you don't play, the depth perception, the fans, the adrenaline, I've got to re-learn all that stuff. I felt like I was getting a little better each game."
Head coach Chauncey Billups hasn't made a decision yet as to who will get the start on opening night alongside locked-in starters Damian Lillard, Anfernee Simons, Jerami Grant and Jusuf Nurkic. Entering training camp, Little was presumed to be the favorite. The early preseason showing proved he still has a little ways to go in getting fully back in gear after his offseason of recovery from the surgeries.
"I feel like Nas has put a little pressure on himself, because he's worked so hard to get back," Billups said Saturday. "And I get it. I've been there. You feel like you can get right back to the spot you left. He was playing incredible last year when he got hurt. So the frustration of not hopping right back and being that guy, I think has been a little tough for him. But I'm seeing him make gains every day."
Indeed, Little was in the midst of a breakout year last season before he underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder in February, which shut him down for the season. Three months later, he underwent the same core muscle surgery that shut down Lillard for the year. He's spend the summer rehabbing both of those injuries, which has put him behind the curve when it comes to getting integrated with a mostly new set of teammates.
(If you missed it or are a new subscriber, check out my extended interview with Little from over the summer detailing his rehab and recovery from both of the surgeries here and here.)
"In September, when we were playing five-on-five and working out, I'd see him coming in early, and then [the training staff] would be like, 'OK, that's it,'" Lillard said. "Cutting him off. And he'd be sitting on the sideline mad because he wanted to play. I'd be looking at him like, 'I was there.' Thinking you can just go, but you've got to pace yourself. And then when they finally cut him loose, he was running all over the place. I understand that ramp-up is tough, but just getting the rhythm and timing of getting back into NBA action is different, and that's where he is."
"I actually prefer the slow ramp-up," Little said. "Even with my career, I feel like things that come fast don't last that long. I'm looking for the consistent run."
As the Blazers shift into dress-rehearsal mode in their final two road preseason games, Sunday against the Kings and Tuesday against the Warriors, Little will likely get his chance to play with the starters. Long-term, the best outcome for the Blazers would be for him to win the starting job over Hart and Winslow. He's the youngest of the three, and the only one drafted and developed by the organization. That may ultimately be what happens by the end of the season, but as he works the rust off and rounds back into physical form, his readiness for that role may take time.
"All three guys are going to have such a big impact on our team," Billups said. "Whoever starts, who knows if they'll finish? Who knows how many minutes they'll play? We don't know. But I really value all three guys, and for us to be a good team, they all have to play well.
"For me, it's not that big a deal. For the guys, I'm sure it is."