Blazers’ Jake Layman Discusses Breakout Season

Trail Blazers forward and former Maryland standout Jake Layman is finally getting his shot to prove himself on the court. Layman has provided timely offense and energy for Portland in recent weeks, which included an unbelievable burst of offense in a victory over the Pelicans. Despite seeing limited action in his first two season, it appears that Layman is on the right path to become a regular contributor.

Don Markus of the The Baltimore Sun recently spoke with Layman about how he has navigated his contributions on a team filled with veterans.

“I started off the year playing with the starters, but I think it took a little time learning how to be effective with that group,” Layman said. “I think it’s just finally started to show, watching film, finding spots [to contribute], learning from vets like Moe Harkless, learning how to be effective with CJ [McCollum] and Damian [Lillard] on the court. There’s not really plays being run for you. Just learning how to impact the game on different levels.”

Layman goes on to discuss the mental challenges that come along with not getting regular playing time, the need for preparation, and maintaining an aggressive mindset. As with many previous Blazers draftees, the third year tends to be a breakout year. Currently, it is certainly looks like Layman is the next player to find similarly-timed success.

You can read Markus’ entire post by visiting The Baltimore Sun.