Look, any season can go any way,” Stotts said. “It’s a fine line. But even though nothing is guaranteed, I’m very optimistic about the possibilities. I think that’s an accurate statement about the mystery. We don’t really know where we fall in that (playoff contending) group that everybody talks about. But I’ve been pleased with what I’ve seen so far.”
It would be foolish to read too much into the Blazers’ exhibition success — they finished 5-2 — but Stotts is encouraged by his team’s defensive improvement during those seven games. Stotts and the players have talked about defense so much since opening training camp on Oct. 1, it’s become tiresome. But the results have justified the constant banter.
The Blazers finished the exhibition season ranked first in the NBA in field-goal defense, allowing opponents to shoot just 38.4 percent from the field. They also ranked first in rebounding (51.7 per game) and defensive rebounding (39.6), fourth in points per game (90.6) and ninth in three-point defense, allowing teams to shoot just 31.9 percent from behind the arc.
Nobody is predicting the Blazers will suddenly morph into one of the best defensive teams in the league. But after ranking among the bottom five defensively last season, if they can merely inch into the upper half, those playoff aspirations would look a whole lot more plausible.
