Trail Blazers Shun the Pass, and It Costs Them in the Playoffs

[handiman]

Not at all surprising, but an awful way to coach. He's Slow D'Antoni. As much as I like the nickname Tater Totts, I think Slow D'Antoni might have to enter the rotation.

Or, to Never Stop Never Stopping, "D'Antoni?"

 

[Natebishop3]

Being 2nd or 3rd to last in assists isn't going to fix our current problem. I think to make enough difference to matter, we need a better system and a forward who can handle the ball.

And by a forward who can handle the ball, I mean one (not Evan Turner) who isn't just a third ISO option.

All of our ball handlers rely far too much on creating their own shot. All (especially Dame and C.J.) would shoot better playing of the ball more.

Look at these %assisted 2FG numbers:

Dame = -.180
C.J. = .218
Turner = .236
Napier = .241

Compare those numbers to a team like GSW:

Curry = .417
Klay = .743
Livingston = .529
Cook = .408

BNM

And this is on the coach. 100% on the coach. This is the most damning evidence against Stotts to date.

 

[Boob-No-More]

And this is on the coach. 100% on the coach. This is the most damning evidence against Stotts to date.

I disagree (on the 100% part). GSW has a power forward who has led the team in assists for the last three seasons. That allows their guards, especially their PG to play off the ball and get a LOT more catch and shoot opportunities. They also have a back up PG that is 6'7" allowing them to play 3-guard lineups against other teams that refuse to play small ball, again allowing their starting PG to play off the ball.

The only player we have on our roster over 6'3" capable of running an offense is Turner, and this is where Stotts is partially accountable (he's using Turner way to much on ISOs), but who is our Draymond? Do you honestly want to run our offense through Aminu or Harkless? Where is out 6'7" back up PG?

You can't blame this 100% on Stotts. If you give him the equivalent roster to GSW and he failed sure, but he doesn't have a starting forward capable of dribbling the ball without sending the entire home crowd into panic. I had hoped Turner would be our Livingston, a 6'7" ball handler that would let Dame and C.J. play off the ball. He's not. Olshey oversold (and overpaid) Turner, and lacking a Draymond equivalent, we end up seeing a LOT of ISOs from our best players.

So, if we're going to blame people, blame Olshey, Stotts and to a lesser extent Turner for not being better. No one gets 100% of the blame. But no one gets a free pass either.

BNM

 

[dviss1]

"

Stotts thinks he is smarter than the rest of the entire NBA to go the exact opposite way of teams having the ultimate success? I've said he should be gone for that last two years and this does nothing but affirm that opinion. Nice guy, player coach, fun style.....but results that aren't getting you anywhere close to being a contender or developing the team into such.

People lose me when they start talking about what someone else it's thinking...

 

[BonesJones]

Honestly, it doesn't take a magician to figure out that our ball movement is probably the worst in the whole NBA. Both our guards are ball hogs.
Watching CJ rebound the ball and come down on offense, dribble, dribble, dribble ... and shoot crappy shots is not a secret. It happens almost all the time.
Why our coach doesn't stop this nonsense is beyond pathetic. And this is where Stotts lost this team. Whether CJ scores on those plays is irrelevant. He needs to play within a structured offense. And our coaching staff needs to insist of it.
We always make fun of Westbrook. Our backcourt is Westbrook light.

Napier contributes mightily to this problem too. Even Turner, who was a 5+ assists per game guy at the end of his tenure in Boston has turned into a dribble+dribble+dribble+spin+dribble+bullshitmidrangefadaway type of guy.

 

[dviss1]

I don't I have to claim I can do a better job personally in order to say that looking around the league, given the skillsets and limitations of other teams, that it's not unreasonable to believe that an offensive scheme exists that would have our current roster higher than last in the league in assists.

But like I said, perhaps I'm asking too much.

@PtldPlatypus:

I can't fly a helicopter, but if I walk down the street and see a helicopter in a tree, I can safely say, "dude fucked up!"