Al-Farouq Aminu Must Take Advantage

When the season starts, Aminu will find his spot as the starting PF for the Blazers. While he played significant minutes (30.0) last season, his offensive production had been minimal at best. In 2017-18, he averaged 9.3 points and 7.6 rebounds while shooting .395 percent from the floor including .369 from three-point territory.

What the Blazers are looking for is more slashing to the basket for the versatile Aminu. He has the ability to take a defender off the dribble to create his own shot or set up open looks for teammates. His defense is underrated on the wings which makes his vanishing acts in games confusing.

Aminu averages just 8.4 FGA per game and that will need to change. Like most role players, he gets the ball and waits for one of the volume scorers to get open. If Aminu were to be in attack mode more, he could easily average 11-12 shots per game. If Nurkic can become a better passer out of the post be more on-target for his teammates, Aminu could have just as many open looks from the perimeter as Lillard and McCollum. He just has to want it as much as they do.

Next Up: No. 2