The first practice of the Blazers’ new season already delivered a little clarity on the frontcourt, and Branden Carlson was the name that jumped out.
Portland’s media only gets a limited look at practice - mostly free throws - but Jason Quick of The Athletic relayed the early impressions from head coach Micah Nori, and Carlson was the clear standout. Nori singled out the center’s offensive rebounding and energy, which is not exactly the kind of update fans expected to hear first from a crowded big-man group.
The rest of the notes fit what Portland already knew. Toumani Camara’s perimeter defense showed up.
Scoot Henderson’s pace was there. Ja Morant’s creation and playmaking were part of the picture too.
Those are familiar strengths, and in that sense the first day didn’t reveal anything shocking.
Carlson, though, was the surprise.
That matters because he’s walking into a frontcourt with plenty of bodies already in the mix. Donovan Clingan, Robert Williams III and Yang Hansen are all there, and Williams’ new three-year, $44 million extension gives Portland a proven backup option at center. Nori even talked at Media Day about the possibility of rotating Clingan and Williams through all 48 minutes if needed.
Still, that kind of full-time split sounds more like a playoff idea than an every-night plan. That leaves room for Carlson to make a case for himself, especially if he can establish himself as the third center in the group.
At 27, Carlson is older and more finished than Hansen, who is still more of a long-term project. He also brings a different wrinkle: he made 36 percent of his shots from beyond the arc, which gives him stretch-big potential and, in the right lineup, a path to power forward minutes in double-big looks. That kind of flexibility is exactly what Portland didn’t have enough of in the frontcourt last season.
The message from day one was simple enough. The headline additions matter, but the smaller moves do too. Carlson’s first practice suggested Portland may have found more value than people realized.
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