Why doesn't this team run?

[TBpup]

If this team was super efficient in the half court, maybe I could see why you would abjectly turn down even the opportunity to get easy baskets. But with Dame shooting at or near career low percentages, and with Dame, CJ and Nurkic all shooting worse than Aminu (let that sink in) it's not like they are tearing it up on the offensive end. The best shooters percentage wise on the team? Meyers Leonard (.588) and Noah Vonleh (.530).

So why such an aversion to getting out and at least probing the possibility of getting easier baskets? It doesn't mean you have just run down and jack it up but there is nothing wrong with looking early and if there is nothing, shooting late.

https://www.teamrankings.com/nba/stat/fastbreak-points-per-game

But this may be approaching historic lows. It's almost they they are making an effort NOT to run. So no easy fast break baskets, they don't really create turnovers so no easy baskets there, and most of their offense seems like it's 'degree of difficulty' attempts.

Is it lack of ability?
Lack of effort?
Just the game plan?

No matter what it is, given the strengths and limitations of some of this roster, it would seem a prudent thing to do.

 

[Jon]

coaching. it's all the coaching. i think it's time to let Stotts go. i like him, but he is not a very good fit for this team anymore. there is a TON of things we could be doing, but we don't and it's all on him.

 

[TBpup]

Brand new poster here but I just had to chime in. The lack of easy looks really bothers me. Last in fast break points. Last in assists. Likely last in lobs thrown. Combine that with Lillard and McCollum each wasting a handful of possessions per game with bad shots and Nurkic being a turnover machine and we end up fighting an uphill battle.

That is a good, realistic first post. Welcome to the board.

 

[blue9]

 

[UKRAINEFAN]

Brand new poster here but I just had to chime in. The lack of easy looks really bothers me. Last in fast break points. Last in assists. Likely last in lobs thrown. Combine that with Lillard and McCollum each wasting a handful of possessions per game with bad shots and Nurkic being a turnover machine and we end up fighting an uphill battle.

don't forget "last in taking charges".

 

[Blazinaway]

Brand new poster here but I just had to chime in. The lack of easy looks really bothers me. Last in fast break points. Last in assists. Likely last in lobs thrown. Combine that with Lillard and McCollum each wasting a handful of possessions per game with bad shots and Nurkic being a turnover machine and we end up fighting an uphill battle.

welcome and very good, short and sweet, right to the point post! when reading that it makes perfect sense why we are so friggin BORING to watch - it's a shit show out there

 

[BBert]

Brand new poster here but I just had to chime in. The lack of easy looks really bothers me. Last in fast break points. Last in assists. Likely last in lobs thrown. Combine that with Lillard and McCollum each wasting a handful of possessions per game with bad shots and Nurkic being a turnover machine and we end up fighting an uphill battle.

Welcome to the asylum and thanks for joining in.

 

[H.C.]

Maybe they would run more if they stopped turning it over?

What team in the NBA wouldn't be down double digits with 16 first half turnovers?

 

[Strenuus]

The only thing I object to in trying to compare Dame/CJ/Nurk career low numbers is to do it in comparison to Aminu... I think that's disingenuous since Aminu has played much less... compare it to others who have played comprable minutes (or very close to) then that carries more weight, IMO.

 

[SportsAndWhine]

Brand new poster here but I just had to chime in. The lack of easy looks really bothers me. Last in fast break points. Last in assists. Likely last in lobs thrown.

don't forget "last in taking charges".

All of these lasts have to do with the same game concept: being in the right place on the court to receive the ball (and the guy with the ball in that last scenario). Saying you're running a flow offense is fine and dandy, but if you don't know where you're supposed to go to, or come from, you're not going to be in a position to succeed.

It doesn't help at all that we don't have the tools to space the court (i.e., bad spot-up and long range shooters outside of Dame & CJ). It doesn't help that our center has the basketball experience of an ambitious 14-year old. It doesn't help that our back court is shrimpy. All of it doesn't help, and when you combine all those together with an offense that actively de-emphasizes finding spots on the court that are effective for particular situations, you get a really inefficient offense.

 

[julius]

Their coach needs to be replaced.

 

[SportsAndWhine]

Their coach needs to be replaced.

I wasn't on this bandwagon in October, but I am now. His offense is straight out of 2005, and it's old old old now. The roster needs to feature our spot shooters next to Dame and CJ, size be damned. Defense be damned, too. The best defense is a good offense sometimes.

 

[Chris Craig]

Thats on Stotts trying to build the players around his offense rather than to build an offense around the players.

 

[Nate]

If this team was super efficient in the half court, maybe I could see why you would abjectly turn down even the opportunity to get easy baskets. But with Dame shooting at or near career low percentages, and with Dame, CJ and Nurkic all shooting worse than Aminu (let that sink in) it's not like they are tearing it up on the offensive end. The best shooters percentage wise on the team? Meyers Leonard (.588) and Noah Vonleh (.530).

So why such an aversion to getting out and at least probing the possibility of getting easier baskets? It doesn't mean you have just run down and jack it up but there is nothing wrong with looking early and if there is nothing, shooting late.

https://www.teamrankings.com/nba/stat/fastbreak-points-per-game

But this may be approaching historic lows. It's almost they they are making an effort NOT to run. So no easy fast break baskets, they don't really create turnovers so no easy baskets there, and most of their offense seems like it's 'degree of difficulty' attempts.

Is it lack of ability?
Lack of effort?
Just the game plan?

No matter what it is, given the strengths and limitations of some of this roster, it would seem a prudent thing to do.

Pretty sure it’s the game plan.

 

[Chris Craig]

 

[Nate]

Maybe they would run more if they stopped turning it over?

What team in the NBA wouldn't be down double digits with 16 first half turnovers?

We’re turning it over regardless. We have two combo guards that can shoot pull-ups, and a bunch of athletic forwards and big men.

This team should be lob city most nights. I’m sure the team would like it. We have a bunch of players, it’s not like they can’t be sprinting, then get a sub.

I guess terry didn’t learn much from George Karl.

 

[riverman]

I'm going to say they spend more energy on defense...tired legs...shots come up short on the other end...we are not yet a two way team but if the process works...we'll be closer to that going into next season...I'm sure the roster gets tweaked before then as well

 

[H.C.]

We’re turning it over regardless. We have two combo guards that can shoot pull-ups, and a bunch of athletic forwards and big men.

This team should be lob city most nights. I’m sure the team would like it. We have a bunch of players, it’s not like they can’t be sprinting, then get a sub.

I guess terry didn’t learn much from George Karl.

I guess I'm the only one who remembers early this season. Harkless getting a mismatch down low because he sprinted up the court and a guard picked him up.
Only to have a turnover happen on the pass over the top.

Portland has been turning the ball over all season and it's costing them games.
Run, don't run, play defense, don't play defense.

Stop
Turning
The
Ball
Over

 

[PtldPlatypus]

I guess I'm the only one who remembers early this season. Harkless getting a mismatch down low because he sprinted up the court and a guard picked him up.
Only to have a turnover happen on the pass over the top.

Portland has been turning the ball over all season and it's costing them games.
Run, don't run, play defense, don't play defense.

Stop
Turning
The
Ball
Over

Definitely my biggest bugaboo. I vaguely recall that back in the Nate days, there was an assistant who was identified as the main anti-turnover voice on the staff. Maybe we need to bring that guy back, whoever it was...

 

[H.C.]

Definitely my biggest bugaboo. I vaguely recall that back in the Nate days, there was an assistant who was identified as the main anti-turnover voice on the staff. Maybe we need to bring that guy back, whoever it was...

I don't remember that guy. Maybe they should, because stats don't lie.

At half time Portland had 16 turnovers and 37 points.
In the second half Portland had 2 turnovers, and put up 55 points.
Literally the reason Portland lost was turnovers last night.
Limit those in the first half and regardless of Beal going for a career high Portland walks away a winner.

I swear to god, at times this year I've thought I was watching 2nd graders play basketball with the way Portland gives away the ball.
How many games this year has Portland lost so far because they're not taking care of the ball? 5 or 6?
That's a lot of losses because you're sloppy.

 

[BBert]

I don't remember that guy. Maybe they should, because stats don't lie.

At half time Portland had 16 turnovers and 37 points.
In the second half Portland had 2 turnovers, and put up 55 points.
Literally the reason Portland lost was turnovers last night.
Limit those in the first half and regardless of Beal going for a career high Portland walks away a winner.

I swear to god, at times this year I've thought I was watching 2nd graders play basketball with the way Portland gives away the ball.
How many games this year has Portland lost so far because they're not taking care of the ball? 5 or 6?
That's a lot of losses because you're sloppy.

They like to show the stats for points scored off turnovers, but what goes un-tallied is points lost because of turnovers. It's a YUUUGE problem.

 

[H.C.]

They like to show the stats for points scored off turnovers, but what goes un-tallied is points lost because of turnovers. It's a YUUUGE problem.

Portland shot 41% last night.
Portland had 18 turnovers.
Portland lost by 14 points.
41% of 18 is roughly 7.3
So that's 14 points lost off turnovers last night.
Not including shooting fouls or three pointers.
Also that's not including the points lost by Washington due to less Portland turnovers.


@HCP I'd check my math because I'm certainly not a math major.
But @PtldPlatypus 's idea would be a cool stat to put up in the 3rd or 4th quarter for both teams. Points lost off turnovers.

 

[JDC]

We don't have the right personnel to be a true fastbreak team.

Part of it is Lillard, who's never looked comfortable attacking/playmaking in transition, part of it is the being devoid of reliable open court handlers and finishers and another is the fact that we play two traditional bigs most of the time which will inherently make you largely a half court team.

 

[calvin natt]

HCP it would also be nice to show how many points/rebs a guy has after he scores or after they talk about a guy like EVERY OTHER BROADCAST IN AMERICA

 

[calvin natt]

I don’t think a good fastbreak team has to be ‘fast’. They have to be smart and understand how to do it. You could be slow and average athletes but smart and get points in transition. It’d be great to be unlv of 1991 but not necessary

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Why doesn't this team run?

I know one Blazer that runs... it up.

 

[BlayZa]

pick n rolls
spacing
less hero ball
more setup
screens
and yes, wtf arent there more lobs?

 

[Orion Bailey]

I'm starting to get on the "Get rid of Stott's " Band wagon.
I have a fundamental issue with his coaching that I didn't know existed until he admitted as much a couple weeks go.

He is coaching and changing his lineups based on the threats of other teams.

FUCK THAT!! build some consistency in these players and get a starting lineup and KEEP IT. Force other teams to adjust to us.

Stop fucking worrying about the threat of the other team. Develop, impliment and PLAY YOUR GAME!

Force others to adjust. We should be a top 5 offensive team based on our head coaches historical pedigree and the weapons we have.

Stop. Stop. STOP looking at other teams and figuring out where we are weak. Start looking at other teams and figure out where THEY ARE WEAK. and get the ball to our guy that's on him.

Its like he plays mismatches... the REVERSE way.



sorry for all the caps.. i've had a few...

 

[Voodoo]

Definitely my biggest bugaboo. I vaguely recall that back in the Nate days, there was an assistant who was identified as the main anti-turnover voice on the staff. Maybe we need to bring that guy back, whoever it was...

I have been brushing up on my coaching credentials by working on my writing skills on a white board. I am pretty sure I can write correctly "STOP TURNING THE BALL OVER." in all caps every day, and every time out. If anyone that works for the Blazers is reading this, I am available, and come at a competitive salary. I also am good at waving towels, and have a quality palm over my face look when the team does turn the ball over.

 

[Sinobas]

Because they're lazy.