Column by Brian T. Smith

The Columbian

Nate McMillan knew as soon as it happened that his young team understood.

The Portland Trail Blazers coach did not have to yell, preach or strain to be heard. He did not even have to say a word — the teaching moment was taught in silence.

Blazers small forward Nicolas Batum was out with a shoulder injury.

Blazers small forward Martell Webster was in.

And the point was made: Be ready to go on this team, because any time could be your time.

“It’s an opportunity,” McMillan said. “The challenge is there now.”

And so Webster’s time has arrived. Again.

The 22-year-old Seattle native went from a straight-out-of-high-school rising star to a blinking light in just four quick NBA seasons. And after missing nearly the entire 2008-09 campaign due to a foot injury, Webster momentarily lost not just his starting role to Batum, but his standing on a Blazers team loaded with talent, depth and potential.

Heading into the 2009-10 season, the sixth overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft was just another Blazer. And he found himself fighting for minutes just like every other teammate not named Brandon Roy or LaMarcus Aldridge, making sacrifices in the name of playing time and black-and-red victories.

Now, Webster has another chance.

He is back in Portland’s starting lineup. And after saying and doing all the right things in the build up to this season, No. 23 is again flying high.

He poured in a very efficient 14 points on 4-of-7 shooting in Portland’s 96-87 season-opening victory Tuesday over the Houston Rockets. Webster stuck to his role, never playing outside the Blazers’ offense, while looking strong on the defensive end.

And he shined during the first half Thursday, recording nine points, two rebounds, one assist and one block against the Denver Nuggets.

But statistics only tell part of the story.

Webster is also a changed man.

There is a depth that was not there before. He is a person who now accepts that sacrifice and perseverance are necessary for positive change. A player who understands that flying high and sometimes shooting out the lights are not enough to turn a few quick, fleeting years into a long, accomplished NBA career.

“I think experience humbles you,” McMillan said. “He’s seen a lot now. And he’s seen that he needs to be able to do other things in life that maybe he didn’t really want to do years ago.”

Namely, play defense.

Batum did not start 76 games for the Blazers last season as a rookie because he scorched the nets and required double teams. Batum started because he played selfless basketball and was devoted to defense.

McMillan said that is exactly what Portland needs now from Webster. Not scoring. Not highlight reel-worthy dunks. Just tough, nasty, old-school defense — with the occasional swished jump shot.

Webster acknowledged that defense was a foreign word to him when he entered the league — when a bright, flashy professional basketball world looked wide open and ready for the taking.

“I can be honest about that,” Webster said. “I was young and naive.”

But now Webster has learned. He referred to defense as being all about heart, hustle and determination — characteristics he displayed in clear view as he worked for more than a year to return to Portland’s starting lineup. And he showed off his new belief Thursday night, playing tight, scrappy defense while holding his own against Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony.

Both Webster and McMillan said the transformation of No. 23 has been a survival tactic. Webster wants to last and still make a mark in a league that chews through and dispenses with high school legends with unnerving ease.

He still has a chance.

The future of the Blazers now rests more firmly in the hands of bigger stars, such as Roy and Aldridge. And Webster’s opportunity to be the best and brightest in Blazerland has likely passed. But a renewed, changed Webster — a player who has shown he knows how to survive and is willing to sacrifice — can still play an integral role on the one team that has thus far defined his professional life.

“I know that I have to get better. And I want to get better,” Webster said. “And so that’s my self motivation.”