Rachel Stern (espn contributor) wrote the following article on ESPN: http://espn.go.com/blog/statsinfo/post/_/id/81257/why-trail-blazers-are-title-contenders "The 20-10 Los Angeles Clippers visit the 23-5 Portland Trail Blazers tonight at 10:30 ET in a meeting of Western Conference division leaders. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, this will be the first meeting between the teams in which each entered with at least 10 more wins than losses. Thanks to a deep, balanced and efficient offense, as well as emerging star LaMarcus Aldridge, the Blazers are legitimate title contenders. Improved Efficiency Portland Trail Blazers - Last 2 Seasons Last Season This Season Off eff 101.3 110.5 * Def eff 109.1 104.5 Pace 93.1 97.1 * 1st in the NBA Last season, Portland ranked 15th in the NBA in offensive efficiency and 27th in defensive efficiency. So far this season, the Blazers have improved both numbers dramatically while also playing at a quicker pace. If they continue their offensive consistency, the Blazers could become the first team since the three-point line was introduced in 1979 to shoot at least 45 percent from the field, 40 percent on three-pointers and 80 percent from the free throw line. Balanced Attack Portland’s starting lineup of Aldridge, Nicolas Batum, Damian Lillard, Robin Lopez and Wesley Matthews outscore their opponents by 13.7 points per 100 possessions. That’s third best in the league among lineups that have played at least 150 minutes together. Portland's starters average 84.4 points per game, the most in the NBA. The Blazers are one of five teams to have two players average 20 points this season and one of seven to have four with at least 14 points per game. Aldridge’s Emergence Aldridge is enjoying the best season of his career, averaging highs in points (23.1) and rebounds (11.0) per game as well as usage percentage (28.5 – the percentage of team plays used by a player while he is on the floor). Aldridge gives the Blazers a force down low. He is averaging 8.3 post-up points per game, fourth among players with at least 50 post-up plays this season (Zach Randolph is first with 9.2). What has made Aldridge such a tough cover for big men is his midrange game. According to player-tracking data on NBA.com, he has taken 353 midrange shots this season. That easily leads the league from that range, forcing defenders to venture outside the paint to contest his jumper. He is shooting 43.9 percent from the floor from midrange, eighth among players who have taken at least 150 shots from that range this season. Blazers with LaMarcus Aldridge This Season On Off Off eff 112.8 103.3 Def eff 102.4 111.7 Aldridge often creates those midrange looks by being the pick-and-pop man. He is averaging 4.9 points per game as the pick-and-roll screener, first in the league among players with at least 50 such plays this season. Not to be overlooked is his impact on defense as well. The Blazers are scoring nearly 10 more points per 100 possessions with Aldridge on the court while giving up around nine more points per 100 possessions with him off the court this season." Leave it to a woman give an accurate picture of Portland's success on a National level, rather than spend all her time making excuses why they won't be successful and why they were wrong.
Copying a full article without linking to it is a big no no. Aside from that while it is nice to see Portland get some appreciation there is no comparison with other teams to show why they are contenders. The major improvements in team off eff and def eff would have a bigger impact if this team was a playoff team last year. The team won 33 games so those numbers needed to improve a lot to make the playoffs. Portland has been great this season and very well might be contenders because they score so well in the half court and that is playoff basketball. That was not a great article at all though. This was a much better article http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/64918/killer-lineup-portlands-offensive-machine one that shows why the Blazers have been a lot more efficient on both defense and offense. Leave it to a man to post an accurate analysis of how the Blazers offense and defense works and why it is successful and where the team struggles.
http://espn.go.com/blog/statsinfo/post/_/id/81257/why-trail-blazers-are-title-contenders Please click on the link for the OP article. More hits means more articles on ESPN. Don't hate the poster, hate the game.
