Blazers Need to Play Vit Krejci More After Trade

It's been nearly a month since the Portland Trail Blazers acquired Vit Krejci in a trade with the Atlanta Hawks for Duop Reath.

Krejci has been brought to Portland to help the team's dismal 3-point shooting, which hovers around the bottom of the league. Bleacher Report writer Dan Favale believes Krejci deserves more playing time.

"Vit Krejčí is on course to graduate from this list since being traded to the Portland Trail Blazers. His role with the Atlanta Hawks, while not entirely unpredictable, wasn't what you'd call steady—particularly near the end of his tenure," Favale wrote.

Krejci Fills Big Blazers Need

Portland Trail Blazers guard Vit Krejci warms up before the game against the Memphis Grizzlies. | Soobum Im-Imagn Images

The Blazers are still trying to figure out how to get Krejci involved in the offense in the midst of the season as other players hop in and out of the lineup with injuries. However, Krejci's shooting speaks for itself and the Blazers just need to plug him into more lineups.

"The Blazers' offense needs a knockdown shooter to boost its 29th-ranked conversion rate from three-point land. Krejčí can be a tad volatile from beyond the arc, but he's draining 42 percent of his triples over the past three seasons on nearly seven attempts per 36 minutes.

"Having so much depth on the roster could interfere with a more ambitious minutes plan. Krejčí's 6'8" frame and secondary ball-handling give Portland options across the guard and forward spectrum. It may come with a defensive trade-off, but an offense that's dead last in half-court efficiency can't afford to care."

In nine games with the Blazers, Krejci is averaging 8.7 points per game while shooting just 31.3 percent from beyond the 3-point line. That is well below his 40 percent average for his career, but he is still getting into a rhythm with the Blazers.

The way Krejci can become more comfortable in the offense is by shooting more. The only way he can do that is if he gets more minutes. Perhaps Tiago Splitter will incorporate more lineups with Krejci in it on the five-game road trip when they will be playing a lot of basketball in a short amount of time.

Krejci and the Blazers return to the court tonight to take on the Chicago Bulls, who have lost 10 consecutive games and are falling lower in the Eastern Conference standings. Tip-off is scheduled for 5 p.m. PT inside the United Center in Chicago. Fans can watch the game on Rip City Sports Network or stream it on NBA League Fest.