Caleb Love’s Unexpected Rise Gives the Blazers a Spark - and a Decision to Make
The Portland Trail Blazers didn’t plan for this. They didn’t script a season where their point guard rotation would be held together by duct tape and undrafted rookies. But here we are, and here is Caleb Love - stepping into the void, and more importantly, stepping up.
Let’s rewind for a moment. Damian Lillard?
Gone. Scoot Henderson?
Yet to suit up. Jrue Holiday?
Available for just 15 of the team’s first 41 games. Blake Wesley?
Nine games in before a foot fracture took him out of the mix. The Blazers have been running on fumes at the point guard spot all season.
So when the opportunity came knocking, it was Caleb Love - an undrafted rookie out of Arizona, signed on a two-way contract - who answered.
Love’s Emergence: From Depth Piece to Key Contributor
Since receiving a significant bump in minutes starting December 23, Love has done more than just hold his own. He’s averaged 16.4 points per game in just over 29 minutes a night.
But the real eye-opener? He’s hitting 40% of his threes on nearly nine attempts per game.
That’s not just volume - that’s efficiency with confidence.
On a team that’s struggled to find consistent shooting, Love’s perimeter game has been a lifeline. Even with Holiday back in the rotation, Love’s production has kept him firmly in the mix - nearly 17 points a night, three made threes per game, and minutes that continue to hover around 30.
One standout performance saw him drain five triples en route to a 21-point night, making him the first Blazers rookie to do that since a certain No. 0 made his debut over a decade ago. That’s not just a nice stat - it’s a signal that Love is doing things in rare air.
Running the Point - and Running With It
While Love came into the league with more of a combo guard label, he’s been asked to play point - and he’s responded. A staggering 94% of his minutes have come at the one, and his playmaking is starting to catch up with his scoring.
In Holiday’s second game back, Love handed out seven assists - topping his previous best of five. It’s not just about filling a role; it’s about evolving within it.
And now, the rest of the league is starting to notice.
Only three undrafted players in the past decade have earned a Rookie of the Year vote - Yogi Ferrell, Rodney McGruder, and Terence Davis. Love is already on the radar, checking in at No. 9 on the latest ROTY ladder. That’s unprecedented territory for a two-way player, especially one who wasn’t even in the draft conversation just months ago.
A Full-Circle Moment
There’s a bit of poetic symmetry in all this. Back in 2022, Caleb Love was named MVP of Damian Lillard’s Formula Zero camp - an invite-only showcase for top college and high school players.
That camp also featured names like Marcus Sasser, Ja’Kobe Walter, and Keyonte George (who’s having a breakout season of his own). But it was Love who stood out then, and it’s Love who’s standing out now.
He’s long called Lillard his favorite player. And while their college paths were different - Love faced stiffer competition at UNC and Arizona than Lillard did at Weber State - their statistical profiles aren’t all that far apart. Both are confident shot-makers, both thrive with the ball in their hands, and both carry a chip on their shoulder big enough to fuel a franchise.
What It Means for Portland
Love’s emergence couldn’t have come at a more pivotal time. The Blazers are getting healthier, the schedule is easing up, and the front office is staring down the midseason crossroads - double down on the youth movement, or pivot toward a more competitive push?
Caleb Love might be shifting that conversation.
His growth has given Portland something it didn’t expect this early in the rebuild: a potential foundational piece who wasn’t on anyone’s radar. And while it’s still early, the signs are promising. The scoring, the shooting, the poise - it’s all coming together.
For a team that’s spent most of the season scrambling, Love has brought a rare sense of stability. And if his trajectory continues, he may force the Blazers to rethink what this season - and this rebuild - is really about.