He gets assists because he studies film on where guys want the ball and he uses Lopez and Freeland to open up passing lanes. Nico can be a very smart playmaker when guys are looking for the pass. His no look pass is the best on the roster. Guys get assists because of court vision, not coaches style of play. I've said many times Nico is the reason Robin Lopez has career double doubles. Ask Lopez how Nico complements his game.
his assists went 1.5 apg nearly every year under McMillan to 5 apg under Stotts. Did he develop that court vision over the summer? I liked Nate alot but his offense was no where near as fluid as Stotts is/
I agree Stotts system is good for every player on the roster, not my point however. Nico is really young and he's vastly improved. One could say playing for the championship for France with Parker also helped. He had his best season for France this year as well. No knock on Stotts. I don't think the style is the main reason Nic has gotten great assist numbers as much as it has been playing with Robin Lopez as well as his own growth as a player. He has sacrificed his offensive game to an extent to focus on defense and assists though. His assists and rebounds are both way up from last season and Stotts coached that one as well. He doesn't have JJ Hickson in the way this year.
I pretty much see 4 kinds of offenses. Drive and kick. Pass around the perimeter looking for an open 3. Isolation. Guy runs around getting multiple picks set hoping to get open for a catch and shoot jumper.
While the backcourt players have quickly developed an identity as one of the best shooting tandems in the league, Nicolas Batum, the team’s starting small forward, is developing his own reputation as one of the NBA’s fastest and most active players; according to data provided by SportVU, of 34 players averaging at least 35 minutes in the league, Batum has the highest average speed, and has traveled the highest total distance this year, logging a staggering 136.9 miles through his first 52 games. He’s one of the team’s main catalysts, barely trailing Lillard in assists, but he sees himself as a gap-filler and is committed to helping the team any way he can, whether by slashing, cutting, screening, or passing. “My goal is to improve my all-around game, set better screens, and help drive and kick to the shooters.” http://grantland.com/features/portland-trail-blazers-success-damian-lillard-lamarcus-aldridge/
Grantland is behind the times. http://sportstwo.com/threads/255391-Batum-and-TRob-fastest-Blazers-and-other-great-Stats
5. Walton with the ball at the top of the key with 4 guys in motion, passing or dropping off the ball to the open man.
Guy runs around getting picks looking for catch and shoot jumper. I would add pick and roll, though it is really a sort of isolation play to get the guard defended by a slower bigger guy.
Yea, I think that this would be a lateral move with the big potential for taking a step backwards during free agency because of no guarantee.
I still see just about every team out there running the Flex offense to some degree and then running options off of that base offense.
Ya but if Deng signed a 3 year deal with the Blazers for around what Batum is getting it might not look to bad.
