Game Thread GAME# 11: BLAZERS @ KINGS - NOVEMBER 12, 2019 - TUESDAY, 7:00 PM, NBATV & NBCSNW

the defense is bad, but we knew that Portland downgraded defensively over last season

but the offense hasn't been good either, especially if you look at everybody else besides Dame. And it's not like the Blazers have played a lot of defensive juggernauts. Look at the defensive ratings of Portland's opponents:

5 Philadelphia 76ers
8 Denver Nuggets
11 Los Angeles Clippers
12 Oklahoma City Thunder
17 Atlanta Hawks
19 San Antonio Spurs
21 Dallas Mavericks
24 Sacramento Kings
26 Brooklyn Nets
30 Golden State Warriors

they've had 2 games against teams in the top third, 4 against teams in the bottom third, and 7 games against teams in the bottom half. They really have to get better on both ends of the floor

offensively, they are putrid in getting assists. They are averaging 17 a game, which would be the worst mark in the NBA (by far) in the last 10 years. They also need to improve their offensive rebounding

 

Um that's not what happened. The genius Stotts instructed his players to fight through picks instead of switching picks in that situation most other coaches know as common knowledge.

 

What "great set" have they referenced?

 

Im with you Bones I’ll like to see that

 

Well I don't have specific examples but I only watch the other team's broadcasts for Portland games and they're always gushing about his offense and his sets he runs. Jim Peterson from the wolves broadcast is particularly fond of stotts.

 

I'd trust someone who watches the Blazers game in and game out and who's charted their sets over another teams commentator.

 

I think both have some interesting perspectives on it if you think about it. One is seeing every team in the league up close and in person and has a broad view of what each team likes to run, go-to sets, all that. One is more of a micro-level view and knows the sets in and out for one particular team. Both have flaws, but both views have value as well.

 

I just need to buckle down and make a video illustrating what I'm seeing. Maybe then people can offer their different perspective on more specific things, or they'd see my perspective. Or they'd continue to deflect and call me out on live TV. Hahaha.

 

Well It’s interesting I have hated parts of their sets and go-to plays for years. The side screens and flares and running around the perimeter all the time. The thing is I watch almost every game so its clearly is annoying to watch the same plays I dont like over and over. I would bet that almost every tenured coach is kind of like that though, the fans have seen their stuff over and over. So to that extent sometimes the “micro” can be somewhat flawed,

my bigger issue with the Blazers has been their defensive schemes, not mixing it up, not putting guys in a position to be successful, and this year in particular they seem totally out of sync. Stotts basically employs one strategy defensively and it works if you have right personnel and or the other team is missing shots. The problems defensively really hurt their ability to get in transition and to get easy baskets too.

Not sure its “all Stotts”, but I dont think he’s a championship caliber HC, he’s been a good regular season one though.

 

There's just not enough variety. I understand those sets if they're part of a package that has some variety of action so they can turn do other types of actions when their perimeter movement isn't freeing them up or if they're not hitting shots off of it, but they don't.

100% agree on defensive schemes.

It's definitely not "all Stotts". The teams hurt... Rosters not as deep as it should've been. But people use that to completely excuse Stotts when it's a product of both.

 

Good thing Stotts is an "Offense Genius" or ir would be even worst !