Trail Blazers News: Second Round 2023 Draft Pick Proved Worthy of More Run Time Next Year

The Portland Trail Blazers are in a weird state currently as they aren't a very good team and don't have a true star that they can build around. So for teams like Portland, the best course of action is to build strong pieces around the roster to create good depth to work with.

One player that could see more run time next season is forward Rayan Rupert, who was a second-round pick in 2023. He performed well for the Blazers this past season and deserves to be part of the organization moving forward. Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian/OregonLive explained.

"As a rookie, Rupert demonstrated enough ability and promise to justify giving him ample time to grow as a player. The most encouraging aspect of his development came from beyond the three-point line. The Blazers, while building around point guard Scoot Henderson, need good defenders with length who can consistently knock down an open three."

Rupert averaged 4.0 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game with the Blazers last season. He only played 16.2 minutes per game so with more playing time, he could see a big increase.

In the G-League, Rupert put up impressive numbers, averaging 13.4 points with 6.1 rebounds. He also shot 37.8 percent from beyond the three-point line. If he can be given a chance to really develop, the Blazers may have found a solid role player to have moving forward.

Portland is in no rush to compete for a title so there should be leeway for him to grow his game more. If he can produce, he will surely see more game action this coming season.

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