NBA Opening Night: What to watch for in each match-up

Blazers: Evan Turner/Allen Crabbe

The decision to commit $145 million to two players to split time at the three seemed a bit odd at the time, but the timeshare between Evan Turner and Allen Crabbe may not be so simple. Mo Harkless projects to keep his starting spot at small forward, so neither of these $70 million men will be in the starting lineup. They still figure to play early and often.

With a lack of depth on a roster that includes undrafted rookie Tim Quarterman, second round rookie Jake Layman, second year second rounder Pat Connaughton and unproven point guard Shabazz Napier, the team does not exactly have an abundance of wing options. Instead, Damian Lillard, C.J. McCollum, Harkless, Turner and Crabbe could all see starter minutes as the only five players seeing time at spots one to three. At an average of 28.8 minutes, the idea is certainly possible, though Napier will likely play a bit.

Turner was best with Boston when running the offense off the bench. He had a very productive (and easy to remember) slashline of 10 PPG, 5 RPG and 5 APG in 163 games with the Celtics over the last two years. His 26% shooting from three point range is the clear weakness. Instead of standing around the wing waiting for an open shot while McCollum and Lillard do their thing, Turner would be better suited to play the majority of his minutes without Lillard, enabling him to set up shots for three-point specialists like McCollum and Crabbe.

Crabbe proved to be an effective member of the bench, averaging over 10 points a game in 26 minutes. He also did not provide much else, with just 1.2 APG and 0.8 SPG. His defensive rating of 110 was not awful, but was far from stellar.

In order to make good on his big contract, Crabbe should stick with what he is good at and not try to force anything new. He can team up with Turner on the second unit as the lead scorer and also provide another scoring option at the three position if the Blazers need to make a comeback late in a game. Look for how these players minutes are staggered or combined to see if they are being used to their strengths. With a great coach in Terry Stotts, it can be virtually assured they will be, but make sure to watch for how many minutes they play and if they are pressing after both signing big deals.

Bonus to watch: Mason Plumlee awkwardly, yet effectively, running the fast break.