{"id":70180,"date":"2024-03-24T08:06:55","date_gmt":"2024-03-24T12:06:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=70180"},"modified":"2024-03-24T08:06:55","modified_gmt":"2024-03-24T12:06:55","slug":"nba-blazers-join-warriors-company-rare-rookie-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/03\/24\/nba-blazers-join-warriors-company-rare-rookie-history\/","title":{"rendered":"Blazers Join Warriors Company with Rare Rookie History"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>On Saturday, the Portland Trail Blazers became just the second team in NBA history to start five rookies as they faced off against the Denver Nuggets.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Tonight\u2019s starting lineup marks just the second time in NBA history that a team has started five rookies since starters were first tracked on league box scores in 1970-1971 (4\/26\/12 &#8211; Golden State).<\/p>\n<p>Per <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/EliasSports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@EliasSports<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/ymsHJECrxQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">https:\/\/t.co\/ymsHJECrxQ<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Trail Blazers PR (@TrailBlazersPR) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TrailBlazersPR\/status\/1771716194497687656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">March 24, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>In their final homestand before a seven-game road trip, the Blazers lost narrowly to the Nuggets, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/game\/den-vs-por-0022301026\/box-score\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">114-111<\/a>. 2023 No. 3 pick, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/h\/hendesc01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Scoot Henderson<\/a>, reentered the starting lineup last week. In the matchup against Denver, the 20-year-old was joined by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/c\/camarto01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Toumani Camara<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/r\/reathdu01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Duop Reath<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/m\/murrakr01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Kris Murray<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/r\/ruperra01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Rayan Rupert<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Blazers Join Warriors Company with Rare NBA History<\/h2>\n<h3>Rayan Rupert<\/h3>\n<p>It was Rupert\u2019s first start of the season after playing 43 combined minutes in the two previous games. Hearing his name called to step up for the hobbled <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/s\/simonan01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Anfernee Simons<\/a>, the Frenchman tallied just three points on 1-2 shooting from the field. However, he dished out five assists in 16 minutes, finding Reath on three.<\/p>\n<p>The 43rd overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, Rupert played for the NBL\u2019s New Zealand Breakers last season. The 6-foot-6 wing been unable to consistently cash in on his deliveries, shooting below 40 percent from the field in the NBL, G League, and NBA. Yet, he\u2019s up to 37.5 percent shooting from 3 in limited attempts (12-32) for the Blazers this season. On Mar. 4, Rupert scored a career-high 13 points, going 3-3 from 3, as the Blazers fell to the Minnesota Timberwolves.<\/p>\n<p>Notably, Rupert is signed to a standard NBA contract rather than a two-way deal, despite being a second-round pick.<\/p>\n<h3>Kris Murray<\/h3>\n<p>Murray (twin brother of Sacramento Kings forward <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/m\/murrake02.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Keegan Murray<\/a>) has played 51 games for the Blazers this season, starting in nearly one-third (18) of those contests. Against the Nuggets, Murray filled up the box score, as he\u2019s been wont to do. However, he struggled to hit his shots from beyond the arc, going 1-6 from 3.<\/p>\n<p>It was his worst game in a week. Murray scored 16.0 points per game \u2014on 57.1 percent shooting from the field and 42.9 percent from 3 \u2014in his previous three games. That being said, Murray\u2019s long been a more streaky outside shooter than his brother, who has knocked down 38.8 percent of his 3s since being drafted by the Kings. He\u2019s at his best when heading towards the rim, whether he called his own number or is playing off his teammates\u2019 gravity.<\/p>\n<h3>Duop Reath<\/h3>\n<p>Starting in place of former No. 1 pick <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/a\/aytonde01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Deandre Ayton<\/a> as <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/03\/14\/blazers-polarizing-deandre-ayton-responds-haters-hot-streak\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">the resurgent center<\/a> recovers from elbow tendinitis, Reath was arguably the Blazers\u2019 best player on Saturday night.<\/p>\n<p>The 27-year-old has tallied 24 points, eight rebounds, two blocks, one steal, and a pair of assists against the Nuggets. He also shot efficiently, going 9-14 from the field and 3-6 from 3. A consistent player for Portland throughout the season, Reath has played well when he\u2019s with the first unit. In 18 games, he\u2019s averaging 14.3 points, 5.9 rebounds and 0.9 blocks in 27.4 minutes per game.<\/p>\n<p>A longtime pro with extensive international experience, the South Sudanese big man is making his presence felt stateside, just as he did in China and his native Australia. The Blazers converted his two-way contract to a standard deal last month.<\/p>\n<h3>Toumani Camara<\/h3>\n<p>A player who should be getting attention for an All-Rookie selection, Camara has started in 47 games for the Blazers this season. In those games, Camara has averaged 8.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 0.9 blocks in 26.1 minutes per game. A complementary two-way playmaker, the 23-year-old was the 52nd overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.<\/p>\n<p>Camara looks to be a placeholder in the starting lineup, either for the injured <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/s\/sharpsh01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Shaedon Sharpe<\/a> or a player yet to be drafted. To that point, several forward prospects will be available in the lottery. This includes JL Bourg sharpshooter Zaccharie Risacher and former G League Ignite focal point Ron Holland.<\/p>\n<p>Nonetheless, Camara\u2019s contributions can\u2019t go unrecognized. He\u2019s had a respectable rookie season and has gained valuable experience. Moving forward, his well-rounded skillset and savviness should keep him in the rotation, even if he\u2019s supplanted as a starter.<\/p>\n<p>On Saturday, he recorded 16 points, seven rebounds, six assists, one block, and one steal against the Nuggets. He also went 2-4 from 3-point range.<\/p>\n<h3>Scoot Henderson<\/h3>\n<p>While Reath may have been the Blazers\u2019 best player on Saturday night, and Camara performed well, Henderson stole the show with 22 points, six assists, and two steals in 28 minutes.<\/p>\n<p>Shooting 9-20 from the field and 2-4 from 3, it was Henderson\u2019s second consecutive game scoring at least 20 points while shooting at least 44 percent from the field. It\u2019s only the fourth time Henderson has accomplished that feat this season.<\/p>\n<p>Despite an underwhelming rookie season, the 20-year-old <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/03\/10\/blazers-rookie-returns-looking-to-end-season-on-high-note\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">is finishing strong<\/a>. In his last five contests, he\u2019s averaging 17.8 points, 5.6 assists, and 1.8 steals per game while shooting 40.0 percent from 3. In that time, Henderson\u2019s blended his pace and speed well when attacking the rim. He consistently manipulated defenses to create open shots for himself or his teammates.<\/p>\n<h3>Warriors Rookies<\/h3>\n<p>When the Warriors started five rookies on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/boxscores\/201204260GSW.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Apr. 26, 2012<\/a>, it was the final game of the regular season. Starters <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/c\/curryst01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Stephen Curry<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/l\/leeda02.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">David Lee<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/w\/wrighdo01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Dorrell Wright<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/b\/biedran01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Andris Biedrins<\/a> were all sitting out. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/t\/thompkl01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Klay Thompson<\/a> \u2014the 11th overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft \u2014was joined by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/t\/tylerje01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jeremy Tyler<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/w\/wrighch01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Chris Wright<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/j\/jenkich01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Charles Jenkins<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/g\/gladnmi01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Mickell Gladness<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Aside from Thompson, who has gone on to win four championships in a storied career, none of the aforementioned players lasted long in the NBA. Gladness, then 25 years old, never played another NBA game. Wright\u2019s career ended after just eight more games, which he played with the Milwaukee Bucks two seasons later.<\/p>\n<p>Tyler, a 2011 second-round pick who had flashed promise with the New York Knicks, lasted until the 2013-14 season as well. Jenkins, another 2011 second-round pick, played 47 more games with the Warriors. Traded to the Philadelphia 76ers, he would play 12 more games before going unsigned in free agency. Tyler and Jenkins started in 51 combined games for the Warriors in their rookie season.<\/p>\n<p>The Blazers will hope their rookies\u2019 futures turn out better than that.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On Saturday, the Portland Trail Blazers became just the second team in NBA history to start five rookies as they faced off against the Denver Nuggets. Tonight\u2019s starting lineup marks just the second time in NBA history that a team has started five rookies since starters were first tracked on league box scores in 1970-1971 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5008,"featured_media":70183,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[62,1608,25,3,23],"tags":[49022,70,4900,98,4702],"class_list":["post-70180","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nba","category-basketball","category-warriors","category-news","category-trailblazers","tag-duop-reath","tag-klay-thompson","tag-kris-murray","tag-nba-draft","tag-scoot-henderson"],"modified_by":"Quenton S Albertie","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70180","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5008"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=70180"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70180\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/70183"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=70180"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=70180"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=70180"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}