Joe Freeman, The Oregonian: Luke Babbitt was one of the few reasons to watch the Blazers over the final month of the season. But there remain questions about his game and role with the team. Can he develop into more than a long-range shooting specialist? Does he have enough athleticism and basketball savvy to adjust after team's scout to limit his three-point shooting? Can he develop into a capable defender? Shooting is a wanted commodity in the NBA, so I think Babbitt will stick in the league. His game should only get better with more experience. But his ability to answer the aforementioned questions will determine what role he has with the Blazers moving forward and whether or not he can become a dependable backup small forward.
Matt Calkins, The Columbian: Before the final game of the season, in which he went 1-for-8 from deep while trying to reach the 3-point qualifying mark, Luke Babbitt was shooting 45.6 percent from beyond the arc. That's good.
At the same time, while I can't tangibly back this up, I'm pretty sure opponents whom he was guarding were shooting 96.7 percent. That's not as good.
Doesn't matter, though. If you look at some of the NBA's all-time great 3-point shooters — Steve Kerr, Jeff Hornacek, Tim Legler — they certainly haven't always doubled as defensive specialists. But the difference between Babbitt and the aforementioned gunners, is that he's 6-foot-8.
When you have someone who can stretch the floor like Luke but also body up an opposing post player, you have to get him on the court.
Also, Chalupa. I have no real reason for typing that word, but my laptop wouldn't let me send this write-up without doing so.
Ben Golliver, Blazersedge.com and CBSSports.com: Any time a role player on a rookie deal is among the NBA's leaders in a valued category -- as Babbitt was this season with his three-point shooting -- he's a keeper through the duration of his rookie deal. But Babbitt leaked too many points to track on defense this season and his net impact while on the court was drastically negative. The biggest development this year was that he no longer looks terrified of life. He also revealed a subtle, sly sense of humor; the coaching change seemed to do wonders for his confidence and comfort. His stroke and range are plenty refined but he'll need to work on reading defenses, hitting mid-range shots off the dribble and his strength. His plan to put on weight this offseason is a good one. He figures to get meaningful minutes next season, which could wind up as a make-or-break year in terms of assessing his ceiling.
Kevin Pelton, Basketball Prospectus: What Luke Babbitt proved over the last two months of the season is that he has an NBA skill in terms of his ability to shoot the three-pointer, which was up for debate during his limited action over his first year and a half in the league. Two things changed. First, Babbitt had the confidence to fire away knowing he wasn't headed back to the bench with a miss. Second, Kaleb Canales putting Babbitt at power forward really opened things up for him. Historically, perimeter-oriented tweeners tend to perform much better (and their team better) at the four rather than the three because it's easier to get open looks against slower defenders who don't like to step out on the perimeter. Babbitt looks like he's always going to have a tough time finding a good matchup defensively at either forward position, so the Blazers may as well at least maximize his offensive contributions by putting him at the four against most opponents off the bench.
