As far as sophomore developments go, it felt like the sort of light-bulb moment that shows a young player is beginning for put things together. With Damian Lillard on the sidelines and the Portland Trail Blazers down double-digits to the Houston Rockets, Wade Baldwin IV got the call. The goal: Lock down two future hall of famers in Chris Paul and James Harden as best you can, and be a chaos engine to disrupt the Rockets’ comfort.



Here was Baldwin, playing just his fifth NBA game of the season late in the year, getting called on for 32 minutes against a top contender, and drawing the toughest defensive assignments. In the second quarter, Baldwin used his 7-foot wingspan to force the MVP into a pair of turnovers, earning a tough rebuttal he didn’t take lying down. Later, he’d help key a 17-0 Blazers run in the final five minutes, a comeback that fell short when Paul hit a game-winner. Head coach Terry Stotts called Baldwin’s...