Chris Youngblood is starting to look like the kind of two-way find the Trail Blazers have been hoping to uncover.
Portland general manager Joe Cronin has already hit on a few of those under-the-radar signings, with Sidy Cissoko and Caleb Love both turning into useful pieces in their own ways. Now Youngblood is making his own push to become the next one.
The opportunity is there because the Blazers have needed help on the wing. Portland is 5-1 to open the season and just picked up one of its best wins yet, a 118-110 road victory over the Denver Nuggets on Monday.
The top of the rotation has carried the load, with Donovan Clingan, Jrue Holiday, Deni Avdija, and Damian Lillard all producing. But with Vit Krejci struggling early and getting into foul trouble in this matchup, Micah Nori has had a tough time finding dependable bench wings.
Cissoko has already done more than expected to help cover that gap. Even so, the way Cronin has built this roster has pushed Nori to lean on Youngblood for real minutes in important spots, including Wednesday.
Youngblood answered with one of the most encouraging outings of his young Portland stint. In 15 minutes, he posted 7 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 assist, and he finished with a team-best plus-22. That kind of impact off the bench matters, especially when the Blazers are looking for energy and wing depth.
At 6-foot-4, Youngblood looks more like a guard than a forward, but he fits the type of player Cronin seems to value: defense, ball-handling, decision-making, and versatility. There’s even a little Jrue Holiday to his game, and that flexibility gives Portland options across different lineup combinations.
So far, Youngblood has appeared in only two of Portland’s six games, but his numbers are already at career highs in points at 5.0 per game and minutes at 11.0 per game. The biggest hurdle to earning a steadier role is his shooting from deep. He has hit 31.7 percent of his career threes, and that becomes a problem when Portland needs spacing around Deni Avdija’s downhill game.
Cissoko has already made progress as a more reliable floor spacer, and Youngblood will likely need a similar jump to stick in the rotation. He’s on a two-way deal right now, though Portland still has one open spot on its 15-man roster after waiving Jeremy Sochan. That leaves the door open if Youngblood keeps trending the right way.
He’s not there yet, but Wednesday was the kind of showing that gets attention. If he can keep giving Portland that sort of bench lift, Youngblood could turn into another Cronin steal - and the Blazers could use every bit of help they can get on the wing.
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For the Blazers, the return was always about more than one player, and the draft capital attached to the deal has given the franchise more flexibility as it tries to build forward. Milwaukees decision to waive Lillard to create cap room also underscored how much long-term financial maneuvering came with the trade, leaving Portland with a package that keeps gaining value as the Bucks continue to sort through the fallout. [Read more 🡒]
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For fans, the interesting part is how tight this one looks against the betting market. The simulation projections point toward Portland, but they also suggest a game that could stay close enough to test whether the Blazers can keep turning solid starts into actual results. With the Suns back on the schedule, the margin for error feels slim, and the numbers are leaving just enough room for a tense finish. [Read more 🡒]
Sidy Cissoko Is Quietly Solving A Blazers Problem Joe Cronin Bet On
Joe Cronins decision to stand pat on the wing after the offseason has looked a little less risky with each passing game. The Trail Blazers did not go out and chase a replacement for the players they lost, trusting the roster already in place, and Sidy Cissoko has started to look like the kind of internal answer that can make that bet work. The 22-year-old has carved out a real role off the bench, bringing a steadier offensive touch and the kind of defensive versatility Portland can use in a rotation that still has some sorting out to do.
Through the first six games, Cissoko has given the Blazers something beyond a temporary hot stretch. His shooting has improved, his activity on the other end has fit what the team needs, and the minutes he is getting do not feel accidental. Portland is intentionally making room for him, which says plenty about how the staff views his place in the rotation and how much confidence there is that this two-way impact can hold up. [Read more 🡒]