Blazers’ Webster Gets Shot At Forward

TUALATIN, Ore. - Martell Webster has already made a strong impression this preseason. Now the Portland Trail Blazers are giving him a shot to take another step forward.

Webster, who attended Seattle Prep, will start at small forward Friday against Sacramento, and the move is more than just a preseason experiment.

There are many aspects to Webster’s game - notably his athleticism and shooting ability - that Blazers coach Nate McMillan would like to see in the starting lineup. And McMillan likes the combination of Webster and leading returning scorer Brandon Roy in Portland’s starting lineup.

So the interest and opportunity is there. Now McMillan wants to see if Webster can seize the moment.

“If we can have the two of those guys on the floor at the same time, that to me is a pretty good lineup,” McMillan said. “He can be a solid three. He’s big enough, strong enough to do that. And if he can become that three that can handle, shoot it, defend, then we’re talking about a nice combination.”

It is a surprising situation, though, because the 20-year-old Webster was widely viewed as a dark horse in the fight for starting spots when training camp opened. He was coming off a pair of inconsistent seasons, and he had shown little progress since the Blazers drafted him out of high school in 2005.

Portland had already made offseason moves to address their small forward position, re-signing Travis Outlaw and acquiring James Jones in a draft-day trade. And it had the reigning NBA Rookie of the Year in Roy at shooting guard. So the perceived role for Webster was backing up Roy in the backcourt and slipping over for some minutes at small forward.