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With Friday's victory over the Orlando Magic, the Portland Trail Blazers are now an improbable 25-16. With the deluge of injuries within the first two months of the season, this record is nothing short of amazing.
How has this happened and who gets the credit?
Surely one could argue that Nate McMillan and his coaching staff get much of the credit. They have maintained a system and style of play that enables them to plug in any player off the bench when someone else has gone down. One could also suggest that Brandon Roy has been playing elite basketball and has literally carried this team through crisis with numerous Super Star performances. Equally as important have been the great contributions from unlikely role players such as Juwan Howard, Jeff Pendergraph and Dante Cunningham, who night in and night out come in to add much needed hustle, scrap and heart when the team needs it.
No doubt there are a number of players who could be pinned as the Reason the Blazers have been winning, however one who is impossible to dismiss in the conversation is Martell Webster, who in the last 15 games, has been playing arguably the best basketball of his young career.
I went back through all of the game logs this season and looked at Webster's individual contributions each game. Overall, Webster is averaging 21.8 minutes and is shooting roughly 40%. Not surprisingly, he was not making many meaningful contributions to start the season. This could be attributed to a number of factors, not the least of which being his return from a year off due to injury. Some said he was rusty, and I think that is a fair assumption. Nevertheless, through the first ten games, Webster averaged just 7.5 points and roughly 2 rebounds per game and seemed out of sync with the rest of the team. One trend I feel is important to note- his minutes increased when he was rebounding more (majority defensive rebounds), even when not scoring more than his average. This leads me to believe he was rewarded with increased minutes for energetic play on the defensive end. The problem was that he did not consistently deliver on offense or defense. Webster appeared to have trouble stringing together consecutive productive games to begin the season.
Now, consider the most recent sixteen games. The Blazers are 11-5 and Webster has seemingly found his stroke, averaging 14 points per game, scoring more than 10 points in 11 of these games. From the three point line Webster has been remarkable as well, making a total of 35 threes and shooting roughly 39% overall from the arc. He is also dishing out more assists, suggesting he is playing an active role in the offense. Equally as impressive, his rebounding numbers are up, averaging 5.6 rebounds a game- something the team sorely needs.
Webster is earning increased minutes, and noticeably more minutes in the fourth quarter, where previously to begin the season he would have seen those fourth quarter minutes given to someone else. This may have to do with his hustle on the boards and increased defensive efficiency. Not normally recognized as a defensive stopper, he has played outstanding defense on many top tier players in the last 15-20 games, using energy and sound execution to force the opposing player to take more shot attempts. His minutes have increased no doubt because they have to, considering the limited number of healthy and active players available. But McMillan has shown he will not play one who is undeserving, even with the current dilapidated squad. Plain and simple, Webster is playing well and his increased playing time is a show of confidence from his coach.
Outside the numbers, Martell is bursting with confidence and he just seems to get it. Perhaps his great play has boosted his self-assurance; maybe he is becoming more mature. Whatever the cause may be, he is now carrying himself as if he has always been an important contributor. On the court he seems less spastic; he is maintaining his characteristic high energy level and channeling that energy in a controlled way, rather than running around jacking up shots like a kid who ran out of Ritalin. Webster has been playing focused, diligent, in-tune and patient, something the Blazers regularly need from him.
Going forward, the question is whether Webster can continue his recent level of play, or if he will return to the sporadic shooter and confused defender that we are accustomed to. Will Webster's energy on the defensive end begin to ebb once his jumper stops falling? Can he continue to rebound aggressively even if he is playing fewer minutes? Only time will tell. One thing is for certain, the Blazers will need Webster to remain consistent, as the next few months will bring added players into the rotation which will most likely change his role.
Sophia Brugato | Twitter: @sophiabiabia | s.brugato(at)gmail(dot)com
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I think another possible reason for Martell's slow start is his mental disposition. When he shares the court with a lot of talent it seems like he shrinks away. He strikes me as self-conscious to a fault, like he's afraid of what his teammates will think if he's out there going for his. But when there isn't someone above him in the team hierarchy he has no problems being productive. Martell needs to be needed and believed in to thrive.
These injuries could be just the thing for Martell to build some long-term confidence. It will be interesting to watch his production as more Blazers return to the line up. All speculation on my part, but remember this is the guy the team once hired a sports-psychologist for.