Micah Potter didn’t need long to show Portland what it’s been missing.
In his preseason debut for the Blazers on Wednesday, the newly added big man put up 13 points in 13 minutes and grabbed six rebounds, including three on the offensive glass. More than the box score, though, Potter flashed the exact blend of skills Portland has been hunting: a switchable stretch big who can rebound.
That kind of player was supposed to be Jerami Grant’s lane, but Potter looked like the better fit for that job right away. He checked in for Deni Avdija with 7:28 left in the third quarter and needed only 12 seconds to get on the board, drilling a three-pointer. Potter hit 42.3% of his threes last season, a mark that would stand well above anyone Portland had a year ago.
He kept giving the Blazers useful minutes from there. His six rebounds in that short stretch were a strong sign of why he matters, especially for a team that has been looking for more size and more finishing on the glass from its frontcourt. Only four times last season did Grant match or top that rebound total while playing nearly triple the minutes.
Potter also showed he can work in different areas of the floor. In the fourth quarter, he stepped into a 13-foot push shot that pulled his defender away from the paint and opened space for Yang Hansen underneath.
It was the same kind of action Charles Bassey used to bother Donovan Clingan with all night, except Potter made the shot. And because he can pass, the play becomes even more useful.
His other make came on a tip layup after a Jrue Holiday three-point miss, another example of how he can finish without forcing the issue. Potter never tried to do too much, and he stayed within the flow of the game. For a Portland team that has been looking for exactly this type of frontcourt piece, that mattered.
Potter arrived after being waived by the Indiana Pacers on July 8 and claimed by Portland on July 10. Indiana had signed him to a two-year deal the year before, and he spent most of his time there at center. But he also played alongside both Robert Williams III and Yang Hansen, which is exactly the sort of setup Portland needs this season: size at power forward and real shooting to go with it.
In Other News...
Yang Hansen Still Has One Big Hurdle In Portlands Rotation
Yang Hansens first year with the Trail Blazers left him still searching for a foothold in the rotation, a familiar place for a young big man trying to earn trust in the frontcourt. The 16th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft flashed enough promise to stay on the radar, but his role heading into the 2026-27 season is still very much unsettled as Portland sorts through its depth inside.
A recent preseason outing offered another small step without changing the larger picture, and that is where the intrigue sits for the Blazers. Hansens development will matter, but so will the competition for minutes around him, and Portlands willingness to carve out a real role for him may depend on how quickly he can separate himself in a crowded front line. [Read more 🡒]