wizenheimer
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it's not going to be quite what the title suggests, but the title might get people a little ehgaged, one way or the other
* (and here is the obligatory 'it's way way early..sample size variance' asterisk)
defensive rankings under Stotts:
2012-13 - 26th
2013-14 - 16th
2014-15 - 10th
2015-16 - 20th
2016-17 - 24th
2017-18 - 8th
2018-19 - 16th
2019-20 - 28th
2020-21 - 29th
2021-22 - 21st
if you want to go by average, for Stotts, it was 20th; one slot better than the current team. And it's as low as 20th because of the last two rosters Olshey gave Stotts to work with...and injuries to Nurkic and Zach
the actual rating number is lower this year, but it's first season under the new defensive rules that allow defenders a hell of a lot more contact than any year under Stotts. It was also the shortest off-season in NBA history. And there is a new basketball being used this year that almost no player likes. Those may or may not have any mitigating value, but they are at least worth mentioning as all would seemingly impact the efficiency of offenses
now, if you assign a lot of the blame/responsibility for those shabby defensive ratings the last 2 years under Stotts to piss-poor defensive roster building by Olshey AND key injuries, and disregard those two seasons, then in the first 7 years of Stotts, Portland's average defensive rating was 15th. That does seem to go quite a ways in creating a little different perception about Stotts and defense.
The Billups' defense may be getting a substantial perception boost because of recency bias against last year's historically bad defense. Stotts was not the one who put Kanter-Melo-Simons in position as first three off the bench. That was roster construction. But I think Stotts had lost the team, especially on defense, by half-way thru last season...and maybe much sooner. Giving him a pink slip was justified IMO
But, when you think about Stotts defenses you have to at least give him credit for the good ones if you blame him, entirely, for the bad ones. And when his average defense could be arguably in the 15th-20th slot, the current 21st ranking isn't so remarkable. I think the Blazers will probably have a decent defense this year, but I doubt it will reach the 15th spot; maybe beat the 20th spot.
* (and here is the obligatory 'it's way way early..sample size variance' asterisk)
defensive rankings under Stotts:
2012-13 - 26th
2013-14 - 16th
2014-15 - 10th
2015-16 - 20th
2016-17 - 24th
2017-18 - 8th
2018-19 - 16th
2019-20 - 28th
2020-21 - 29th
2021-22 - 21st
if you want to go by average, for Stotts, it was 20th; one slot better than the current team. And it's as low as 20th because of the last two rosters Olshey gave Stotts to work with...and injuries to Nurkic and Zach
the actual rating number is lower this year, but it's first season under the new defensive rules that allow defenders a hell of a lot more contact than any year under Stotts. It was also the shortest off-season in NBA history. And there is a new basketball being used this year that almost no player likes. Those may or may not have any mitigating value, but they are at least worth mentioning as all would seemingly impact the efficiency of offenses
now, if you assign a lot of the blame/responsibility for those shabby defensive ratings the last 2 years under Stotts to piss-poor defensive roster building by Olshey AND key injuries, and disregard those two seasons, then in the first 7 years of Stotts, Portland's average defensive rating was 15th. That does seem to go quite a ways in creating a little different perception about Stotts and defense.
The Billups' defense may be getting a substantial perception boost because of recency bias against last year's historically bad defense. Stotts was not the one who put Kanter-Melo-Simons in position as first three off the bench. That was roster construction. But I think Stotts had lost the team, especially on defense, by half-way thru last season...and maybe much sooner. Giving him a pink slip was justified IMO
But, when you think about Stotts defenses you have to at least give him credit for the good ones if you blame him, entirely, for the bad ones. And when his average defense could be arguably in the 15th-20th slot, the current 21st ranking isn't so remarkable. I think the Blazers will probably have a decent defense this year, but I doubt it will reach the 15th spot; maybe beat the 20th spot.
