I brought that up in another thread. It's certainly a philosophical contradiction. I'd love someone to ask Stotts about that.
The difference is Aldridge is good at it. With the increased emphasis on 3-point shooting in recent years, very few players have a solid mid-range game. It seems like most of the scoring in the league these days is either dunks or 3-pointers. This is what kids are learning from an early age - if you aren't big enough, or athletic enough to dunk, you'd better be a damn good 3-point shooter. Very few kids grow up focusing on their mid-range games these days. BNM
By the by, our DRtg has moved up to 15th in the league (104.6) ; it's still below average (104.2), but now it's within shouting distance of average. Our ORtg continues for be 3rd in the league.
What a great article. You rarely see stories with this much insight into a team's defensive strategies. I loved learning, for example, that a key part of the Blazers' approach is keeping the other team from shooting 3-pointers. And the fact that Aldridge and Lopez have been told not to jump out on the pick and roll helps explain why Aldridge is rebounding better this year. This kind of stuff is so helpful to us as fans. I think the next time I watch a game I'm going to have a much better understanding of what Stotts is trying to accomplish on the floor.
The article explains why Hickson seemed out of position. Stotts' defense had him guarding 4 opponents on 3 Blazers. Defending 2 opponents will do it.
Clicking on that link, the Blazers aren't on the list. That's because they've improved since the article to #25 in the NBA. http://bkref.com/tiny/JeWxq
Really? Many people are saying it. The article said it, and you just said it again: "What the Blazers are doing IS by design...". That's simply NOT true. Only defending the 3-point line is by design. Giving up high-percentage shots near the hoop is most definitely NOT by design. Pointing out that the defense needs to improve does not cover up the fact that the defense isn't working by design. And, as Brian pointed out (which I've also brought up in the past), there is a clear disconnect in our offensive and defensive philosophies. It's bizarre. I enjoy that it's working at the moment, but question whether it can work over the long haul.
