The Portland Trail Blazers came into the 2025-26 season with a real sense of momentum. After finishing last year on a high note, there was hope that this young squad could build on that progress. But early-season optimism has given way to a harsh dose of reality, thanks in large part to a brutal combination of injuries and a relentless schedule.
According to Spotrac’s NBA injury tracker, the Blazers rank ninth in the league in daily salary lost due to injuries-$12.5 million per day. That’s not just a number; it’s a reflection of how much talent has been sidelined and how much adversity this team has had to weather. Key players like Jrue Holiday and Scoot Henderson have missed extended time, and interim head coach Tiago Splitter has been forced to dig deep into his roster.
That’s where two-way players Sidy Cissoko and Caleb Love have come into the picture. Cissoko has held his own, starting six games and giving Portland a much-needed dose of size and defensive versatility on the wing. He’s not a game-changer, but he’s helping them stick to their identity.
Love, however, is a different story.
Caleb Love’s Role Is Becoming a Problem
Let’s be clear: Caleb Love is in a tough spot. He’s a rookie on a two-way deal, thrown into a larger role because of circumstances beyond his control. But the truth is, his current production-and more importantly, his fit-just isn’t working for Portland right now.
Love’s defensive rating of 120.4 is the fifth-worst on the team, and that’s largely due to his size and lack of physicality on that end. He’s being asked to defend bigger, stronger guards and wings, and it’s not going well.
On offense, where he could potentially make up for those shortcomings, he’s stuck in a no-man’s land. He’s not a true point guard-his playmaking isn’t strong enough to carry the offense in the absence of Holiday and Henderson-but he’s also not efficient enough to thrive off the ball.
Through 12 games, Love is averaging 8.3 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.2 assists while shooting just 32% from the field, 26% from three, and 75% from the line. Those are rough numbers, particularly for a team that’s trying to emphasize ball movement and efficient shot selection.
Portland made a point this offseason to move away from stagnant, isolation-heavy offense-part of the reason they moved on from Dalano Banton and, to a lesser extent, Anfernee Simons. But some of those same issues are creeping back in with Love on the floor.
Yes, there have been flashes. Love’s 26-point performance in Portland’s NBA Cup upset over the Golden State Warriors was a reminder of his scoring talent.
But those moments have been the exception, not the rule. More often than not, his shot selection has disrupted the flow of the offense, and it’s hurting the Blazers’ ability to stay competitive.
Time for Splitter to Reassess the Rotation
This isn’t all on Love. He’s a rookie on a two-way contract, and ideally, he wouldn’t be playing this many minutes or carrying this much responsibility.
But the Blazers are short-handed, and Splitter has had to make do. Still, it might be time to shift gears.
Players like Kris Murray and Sidy Cissoko offer more value without needing the ball in their hands. They defend, they cut, they move the ball-things that align with the style Portland is trying to establish.
If the Blazers are committed to developing young talent, it might also be worth giving first-round pick Yang Hansen a longer look. He brings size, upside, and a different skill set that could help balance out the rotation.
The bottom line is this: the Blazers can’t afford to let inefficient hero ball derail the progress they’ve made. Love has potential, no doubt. But right now, his role needs to be reevaluated-for the sake of both his development and the team’s overall cohesion.
Injuries have forced Portland into some tough decisions early this season. But if they want to stay competitive-and continue building toward something sustainable-Splitter has to start making adjustments. And that starts with taking a hard look at how Caleb Love is being used.