Portland is sixth in points allowed per possession, and given their polished offensive attack, these Blazers will be a legitimate threat if they can maintain a top-10 defense.
The Blazers haven’t changed their scheme, in part because they ranked as an above-average defense after the All-Star break last season, Terry Stotts, the team’s head coach, tells Grantland. They’re still playing a conservative style — dropping back against pick-and-rolls, staying close to shooters on the wing, and diving inside to help only when there is a real threat.
That system produced the second-lowest turnover rate in franchise history last season, but Stotts studied past champions and decided to basically punt turnovers, he says. “It’s just not a priority,” he says. “Good defensive teams don’t necessarily force a lot of turnovers.” Portland is switching more on pick-and-rolls involving screeners with range — Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Love, etc. — and banking on LaMarcus Aldridge to contain point guards off the dribble.
Much of the early improvement is due to continuity and comfort, Stotts says. He revamped the entire scheme before last season, meaning everyone spent last year learning it. This is Year 2, and it shows. Everyone is moving on the same string, shifting into and out of help position in concert. It looks downright fluid sometimes:
Portland is also paying more attention to transition defense. Stotts has told Nicolas Batum to be more cautious crashing the offensive glass, especially when Damian Lillard either drives or takes a corner 3. “He’d get one or two offensive rebounds a game, but it can’t come at the expense of getting back on defense,” Stotts says.
It hasn’t hurt, since Robin Lopez and Chris Kaman are snagging a ton of offensive rebounds — especially when their defenders rotate out toward an Aldridge jumper, leaving Kaman and Lopez inside position. Kaman has fit in beautifully on both ends.
