To my surprise, the Front Office of Portland continues to impress us with his incompetence. After more than average management of the case Damian Lillardand before extending extend Straw Grant at $160,000,000, they cut Trendon Watford. The idea for an article on the former LSU had already germinated before this event, and I hope not to be the only one to have appreciated the player’s season.
Trendon Watford is an inside, with the physique of a winger. Or a winger, with an inside physique. 206cm for 108kg, Trendon knows how to use his power to generate good opportunities. Despite his size, he is also fast, and can push the ball on the counterattack thanks to good handle and good tempo control. These kinds of qualities also allow him to be a good passer, and that in several situations.
So, in order to talk about a player who goes under the radar and who apparently no longer has his place in the NBA, we will analyze his strengths and weaknesses through a small summer article.
Really effective or only on the surface?
As so often, the first aspect of the game that we will look at in a basketball player is his ability to score effectively. Over 1000 minutes, with a Usage average (16%), Trendon displays above-average efficiency (108 at TS+). His distribution of shots is however not optimal: the volume of three points is quite thin (17% of his shots) and the frequency at the average circle (47% of his shots). Where Trendon Watford takes the most shots is on the Short Mid. The Short Mid corresponds to the area halfway between the circle and the free-throw line.
On his near-basket midrange attempts, Trendon converts 55%, or the 89th percentile for his position. For Trendon, shots in this area often come from moves in the Post-up or simulations of Handoff. Its good handle and its power allow it to easily attack the mismatchs, but also the beefier players. His ball touch then allows him to be effective in this area and he seems to be comfortable taking shots from the Short Mid.
Watford’s other scoring weapon is his efficiency at jump-shotespecially when it is spot-up. With 1.16 points per possession on these situations, Trendon seems to be a real threat offball. Nevertheless, this efficiency seems to be correlated with three-point overheating (39% on this season). But where Trendon caught my attention was on the counterattack. Looking at the previews, he seems to have the weapons to be a good player in transition.
Trendon in transition
On the counter-attacks, Trendon Watford can express his full attacking potential. His power, combined with his handle and his vision of the game, allow him to score or score his teammates. More than 15% of his possessions were in transition this season, for an efficiency of 1.10 points per possession.
These figures do not reflect a remarkable efficiency, nor an extraordinary volume. However, visually, Trendon seemed comfortable on the counterattack for a player of his size. What he might lack is a lack of explosiveness. This also results in a small volume of attempts at the circle. Indeed, if its volume at Short Mid is so important is because Trendon Watford struggles to go straight to the circle.
Another way to solve this lack of explosiveness is his passing game. So, it’s not perfect, but for an interior under 23, I see a lot of potential there. If he manages to trigger his passes even earlier in transition, it can become a formidable weapon for the team which will give him a chance.
Watford in the pass
Let’s be honest, if Trendon caught my eye it’s thanks to his passing game. Before we talk about the terrain, let’s talk about the stats first. Its ratio AST:Usg is at 0.99, which demonstrates a real willingness (and ability) to make assists. Its ratio corresponds to that of Larry Nance Jr. or Cade Cunningham. Among interiors who have played more than 1,000 minutes this season, he is 8th in the AST:Usg ratio, behind the likes of Domantas Sabonis, Draymond Green et Nikola Jokic.
What particularly interested me is the variety of actions on which he can make assists for his teammates. On the Pick and Rollhe can play the screener and make passes on short-roll. But he can also be on the other side of the action, and act like the ball carrier. His size and his ball-in-hand qualities allow him to find good positions for his teammates on the half pitch.
Defense, its Achilles tendon?
In the defensive slump of Portland, difficult to draw conclusions on the defense of a player. Especially since he only played 231 minutes alongside Jusuf Nurkic. But, in view of the matches and the statistics, Trendon Watford seems limited in defense. He provides very little circle protection, which is clearly problematic for a player of his size. Its ability to switch remains very theoretical for the moment.
If Portland cut him, it’s probably because of his defense. But, I would be curious to see him in a better environment. There Free Agency start slowly, Summer Leagues will follow, and I can’t wait to find out who will give him a chance. See you at the start of the 2024 season.
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2023-07-04 20:15:48
#Trendon #Watford #pick #talent
