The new backcourt player suffered a broken foot and will be suspended for a long time. Are the Blazers personnel rotation in trouble?

The Portland Trail Blazers officially announced that the team's rising backcourt star Blake Wesley suffered a fracture of the fifth metatarsal of his right foot. The injury occurred last Saturday during the Trail Blazers' game against the Denver Nuggets at Moda Center. There is no clear timetable for Wesley's return and his recovery timetable will be determined at a later date.

Wesley was born in March 2003. He is 22 years old, 193cm tall and weighs 86kg. He is a rising backcourt star from the University of Notre Dame selected by the San Antonio Spurs with the 25th pick in the first round of the 2022 NBA Draft. In the NBA regular season last season, Wesley played a total of 58 times for the San Antonio Spurs, averaging 11.8 minutes per game. He averaged 3.7 points, 1.1 rebounds, 2 assists, 0.6 steals, and 0.1 blocks per game. He also had 0.9 turnovers and 0.8 fouls. He shot 43.5% from the field, 29.5% from the three-point range, and 62.3% from the free throw line. Wesley's playing time in the team last season was inconsistent, and his progress was somewhat slow, which also led to him being traded to the Washington Wizards by the Spurs this summer and subsequently waived by the Wizards. In the end, he joined the Trail Blazers with a minimum salary contract.

So far this season, Wesley has played a total of 6 times, averaging 16.3 minutes per game. His averages are 6 points, 2.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.7 steals, and 0.2 blocks per game. He also has 1.2 turnovers and 2.3 fouls. He has a field goal percentage of 41.2%, a three-point shooting rate of 20%, and a free throw shooting rate of 60%. Wesley's performance this season is actually quite bright. Although his efficiency on the offensive end is average and his stability beyond the three-point line is very poor, he still has certain passing and organizational skills, and he can have very good results on the defensive end. With his good performance, Wesley can also get relatively stable playing time. He is also a relatively important rotation player in the team.

For the Trail Blazers, Wesley's long-term absence will also have a considerable impact on the team's lineup rotation. At present, in addition to Wesley, the team's backcourt also has two long-term injuries in Scooter Henderson and Damian Lillard, and Lillard has been confirmed to be out for the season. With Wesley's injury, undrafted Caleb Love, who holds a two-way contract, may get more playing time and performance opportunities. However, his performance in previous games has been very unstable, and he is also a player with very distinct strengths and weaknesses. Whether he can improve his level while getting more playing time is also a huge question mark.