It’s been a rough month for the Portland Trail Blazers. Half the players and a majority of the coaching staff have found themselves in health and safety protocols as the Omicron variant runs wild through the NBA, CJ McCollum hasn’t played since his right lung partially collapsed in a loss to the Celtics, Damian Lillard has been in and out of the lineup with a nagging abdominal injury, all of which has resulted in Portland winning just three times in their last 14 tries, a stretch that includes losing streaks of seven and four games.
But one of the constants in the few instances in which the Trail Blazers have come away with wins in the last month has been timely plays by Nassir Little. Often times it’s an offensive rebound that turns into second-chance points. Sometimes it’s a steal leading to a dunk. Or late-game free throws. While Little not be the primary reason the Trail Blazers bested the Hornets, Grizzlies and the Hawks, there’s little doubt they would have won those games without him.
“I think if you just look at the games I’ve been in late, I feel like I continuously make plays in some way, shape or form,” said Little, who has started his last 10 games. “Whether it’s a rebound or a layup or a three, whatever the case may be, I think I make these plays late. It’s starting to just become a part of what I do as a player.”
Little numbers might not jump off the box score -- he’s averaging 8.9 points on 47 percent shooting from the field, 5.7 rebounds, 1.1 assists and just under 1.0 blocks in 24.1 minutes per game this season -- the hustle and tenacity that the 6-5 guard/forward plays with makes him incredibly valuable on a team that has seemed to lack energy at times this season.
“He makes so many winning plays for us. It’s never, ever about the numbers with Nas, even though he will get some numbers,” said Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billips. “He’ll come up with a big steal, he’ll come up with a big block, offensive rebounds -- you can’t keep the dude off the glass. Just so many winning plays.”
For example, while Anfernee Simons’ career night was the main reason the Blazers were able to come away with a 136-131 win versus the Hawks Monday night at Moda Center, there’s no way Portland pulls that game out without Little’s contributions, particularly in the fourth. He made two three-pointers that bookended a 12-2 Portland run that gave the Blazers the lead in the fourth, one they would not relinquish. And he got an offensive rebound that turned into a Norman Powell 17-footer during a point in the fourth in which Portland held Atlanta scoreless for over two minutes of play.
Nas brings something to the table that nobody else on our team can bring to the table,” said Damian Lillard. “Super talent, humble, great teammate, just wants to do the right thing, wants to win. You see him hit a three and then get a steal in transition, he dunking on people, get an offensive rebound, get an and-1, get a deflection, block a shot, he just does so many things.
“Just such a well-rounded player and to be so young and still finding his way in the league, he’s huge for our team. So many things that he’s doing on the court where I’m like ‘Man, he just got us that extra possession, we hit a three.’ It’s like, nobody could have got that rebound but Nas. The ball is loose and I see people chasing it, it’s like I expect him to get it. When I see him put his head down and go to the rim, I’m expecting him to finish. I’ve got a lot of faith in what he brings to our team.”
In a season that has been short on causes for optimism, the play of Little certainly qualifies as a bright spot. After playing sparingly in his first two seasons, Little, selected out of North Carolina with the 25th pick of the 2019 Draft, has looked more and more like a foundational piece for the Trail Blazers going forward. He might not be a go-to scorer or a certified stopper, at least not yet, but he’s doing more than enough to be one of Portland’s most valuable young players.
“I don’t think I be out here trying to do the most but I think I’ve kind of figured out a balance of when and where to be aggressive and pick my spots,” said Little. “It’s just been great to have my teammates kind of help me, encourage me and coach me on when to pick my spots. I think I’ve been able to be effective in that role, add something big to this team.”