After a rookie season which gave him a lot of playing time starting in March, Rayan Rupert hopes to keep the momentum going for his second campaign in Oregon. If he takes a few days of vacation back home, the French rear/winger is never very far from the courts…
“I'm going back and forth between France and Portland at the moment. And that's going to be the case all summer. I train on both sides”he explained to our colleagues at bein Sports.
Responsible, with more than 32 minutes in April, among the freewheeling Blazers very quickly, Rayan Rupert was able to gain a lot of experience and get used to the hellish pace of the NBA. He who says he has sometimes played “8 matches in 8 days” with his “two-way contract”!
“It’s been a good year of learning. At the beginning, it's true that I was more in the G-League to work on my game and gain confidence. And at the end of the season, I had more opportunities in the NBA and I tried to make the most of them. In any case, it allowed me to progress enormously. »
At 6 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists on average in this famous month of April, plus good defensive sequences, Rayan Rupert showed that he could already assume a role as a complementary player. But, at 26% on shots including 31% from 3-point range, he also revealed his limitations, obvious at this stage of his very young career.
“Making your place in the League is done step by step”
“I don’t want to stop at one position. I know that making your place in the League has to be done step by step, so obviously it's going to be about defending hard, hitting my 3-point shots and little by little trying to move up. I’m someone who can play position 2 and position 3.”
Well aware of the procedure to follow, and guided by Chauncey Billups, the former Insep and New Zealand Breakers can fully integrate into the new Blazers project. Behind the trio of backs (Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe and Anfernee Simons) and DeAndre Ayton, there are places to be taken among the “role players”.
“Scoot had a bit of a complicated start to the season but he always kept a smile on his face every day. His mindset hasn't changed, nor has his work ethic. He didn't stop going to the gym to work,” concludes Rayan Rupert. “He is a leader who communicates a lot. […] We talk a lot among ourselves, young and old alike, and we are motivated to come back next year to aim for the play-in. »
| Rayan Rupert | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2023-24 | POR | 39 | 16 | 33.5 | 35.9 | 76.0 | 0.6 | 1.7 | 2.4 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 0.3 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 4.0 |
| Total | 39 | 16 | 33.5 | 35.9 | 76.0 | 0.6 | 1.7 | 2.4 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 0.3 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 4.0 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
