How Could Rondae Hollis-Jefferson Help The Trail Blazers Most?
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson said it himself last February, moments after playing perhaps the best game of his journeyman career. Much as he'd like to function as a scoring, playmaking wing, his most optimal role in the modern NBA is as an undersized big man.
"When I first transitioned to, like, becoming a small big, I was kind of hesitant to accept that role," Hollis-Jefferson, then with the Toronto Raptors, told reporters after his team beat the Minnesota Timberwolves. "And I was like, 'No, I want to come off the screen and shoot, too!' you know? So I just had to make that adjustment. I feel like it was a growth, maturity factor, you know, that you just gotta learn from. And then after I got over that hump, I feel like it was smooth sailing from there."
What hasn't been smooth sailing is Hollis-Jefferson's 2020-21 season to date.
He opened the year penciled in as Minnesota's starter upfront next to Karl-Anthony Towns, a snug fit for both players on paper given their respective strengths and weaknesses on either end. The Timberwolves cut ties with Hollis-Jefferson once the preseason was finished, a surprise move that nevertheless seemed unlikely to leave him without a job for long.
But he went unclaimed on the waiver wire, and it was another three-plus months before the Blazers came calling.
It's not hard to see why Hollis-Jefferson went unsigned for so long after being cut by Minnesota. There isn't much room in today's league for wing-sized players who not only fail to space the floor, but actively scrunch it further.
Hollis-Jefferson can guard five positions against many teams without being exploited. He has the base to hold up in the post against all but basketball's best behemoths, as well as the feet to switch onto quick ball handlers. Other than Derrick Jones Jr., Hollis-Jefferson might be Portland's most viable point-of-attack defender of superstar wings. He also way out-rebounds his size.
Still, Hollis-Jefferson is a far cry from even current Draymond Green when it comes to defensive versatility and overall impact. Like the self-described "best defender to ever play in the NBA," though, he's by far his most effective at small-ball center – the only spot he should ever play for the Blazers.
Portland has spent 371 minutes with Robert Covington on the floor absent Jusuf Nurkic, Enes Kanter and Harry Giles III this season – far more than any single five-man unit, per NBA.com/stats. Terry Stotts obviously won't be committing to small-ball whole hog in the playoffs, and could pivot away from rotational time for those units altogether in certain matchups.
But there's also a chance the Blazers downsize more than ever in the postseason, and that's when they may need Hollis-Jefferson most. Carmelo Anthony has been at power forward for all but 10 of the minutes Covington has played small-ball 5, per NBA.com/stats. Those lineups' defensive rating? 116.6, a hair worse than Portland's 29th-ranked overall mark.
When the Blazers go small in the playoffs, can they really afford switching Anthony onto LeBron James or Luka Doncic without the aid of a rim-protector behind him? Where will 'Melo hide if the LA Clippers put Marcus Morris at center? Is Stotts really comfortable playing small against the Denver Nuggets with Covington as the only semi-passable matchup on the floor for Nikola Jokic?
Hollis-Jefferson isn't a panacea. Portland won't suddenly morph into the "Death Lineup" Golden State Warriors defensively when he's dusted off to play downsized center.
But the fewer defenders opposing superstars feel comfortable targeting against a switching defense the better, and Hollis-Jefferson gives the Blazers another wing the likes of LeBron will avoid when they go matchup hunting. That he has the handle and court sense to make smart passing decisions in space is an underrated bonus.
Make no mistake: Hollis-Jefferson won't be in Portland's postseason rotation, or even a permanent fixture of small-ball units. His defensive value doesn't come close to compensating for his offensive limitations.
But a team's every weakness is magnified in the playoffs, and Hollis-Jefferson gives the Blazers another capable defender with legitimate wing size – Norm Powell and Nassir Little, wingspans be damned, don't fit that description – behind Covington and Derrick Jones Jr. He'd be worth a bottom-roster flier for filling that personnel hole alone.
It's Hollis-Jefferson's proven utility playing small-ball center, though, that makes his addition a bit more intriguing – and potentially valuable in specific matchups and certain situations come the postseason.