TBpup
Writing Team
- Joined
- Nov 15, 2013
- Messages
- 22,657
- Likes
- 34,641
- Points
- 113
https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/...lls-continue-to-trend-in-troubling-direction/
" I still like Portland's ability to at least credibly match up defensively in the playoffs. They have switchable parts, but any team that is starting McCollum and Lillard is going to be vulnerable at the point of attack."
*****************************************************************************************
"Entering Tuesday, teams were shooting 67 percent inside the restricted area vs. the Blazers, which ranks 25th league-wide. Nurkic, as the primary defender on such shots, was giving up buckets at a 58 percent clip, which isn't awful but isn't even close to elite. He's shown he can defend at the rim at a 53 percent clip as recently as 2018-19, and he has to get back to at least that given that McCollum and Lillard are going to be compromised a lot on penetration.
The bench unit is an even bigger problem. Right now Terry Stotts is playing Enes Kanter and Carmelo Anthony, two legitimately atrocious defenders, a lot of minutes together. Usually McCollum, another subpar defender, is with them as the lead scorer on the second unit."
Not very complimentary. Points out some of the things the softie Blazers media (outside of Quick) won't ask Stotts about. Yes it's early, but the worrying trends are not new.
" I still like Portland's ability to at least credibly match up defensively in the playoffs. They have switchable parts, but any team that is starting McCollum and Lillard is going to be vulnerable at the point of attack."
*****************************************************************************************
"Entering Tuesday, teams were shooting 67 percent inside the restricted area vs. the Blazers, which ranks 25th league-wide. Nurkic, as the primary defender on such shots, was giving up buckets at a 58 percent clip, which isn't awful but isn't even close to elite. He's shown he can defend at the rim at a 53 percent clip as recently as 2018-19, and he has to get back to at least that given that McCollum and Lillard are going to be compromised a lot on penetration.
The bench unit is an even bigger problem. Right now Terry Stotts is playing Enes Kanter and Carmelo Anthony, two legitimately atrocious defenders, a lot of minutes together. Usually McCollum, another subpar defender, is with them as the lead scorer on the second unit."
Not very complimentary. Points out some of the things the softie Blazers media (outside of Quick) won't ask Stotts about. Yes it's early, but the worrying trends are not new.
