4 Positive Signs from Portland Trail Blazers' First Week
The Portland Trail Blazers spent the offseason adding pieces to a team that already featured some offensive fire power. The issues were depth and defense, and early signs are that general manager Neil Olshey did a good job meeting those needs.
The Trail Blazers are off to a promising start. Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge have emerged as one of the NBA’s premier offensive duos and, as long as they play the way they have, should put the Trail Blazers in the playoff race all by themselves. The offense is a major positive so far, but I want to tackle more specific topics.
During the first week of the season, the Trail Blazers have been a tight, functional team with complementary pieces. Yes, it’s only been a few games, but I believe the following positive signs for the Trail Blazers will trend going forward.
Mo Williams as Sixth Man
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Remember how Jarrett Jack was such a great backup to the mechanized scoring weapon otherwise known as Stephen Curry that he was a contender for the Sixth Man of the Year award? That’s the kind of impact Williams could have for the Trail Blazers this season.
Williams has been a legitimate scorer off the bench and had a PER of +1 against the Nuggets and +8 against the Spurs. Personally, I hate PER stats because so much besides the actual player’s performance can impact the number, but since Williams is the leading member of the second unit (he has the most minutes off the bench) and was able to maintain a positive PER against two playoff teams from last season, it is worth noting. I guess.
Williams has not only been used to spell Lillard, but also played alongside Lillard much in the way Jack and Curry played together last season for the Warriors. With Williams and Lillard on the court, it gives head coach Terry Stotts a second facilitator and allows Lillard to play off the ball.
Besides Williams, so far the Trail Blazers have moved the ball well and have implemented a variety of pick and rolls between combinations of Robin Lopez, Nicolas Batum, Lillard and Aldridge.
Trending forward:
Williams will continue to score off the bench and give the Trail Blazers something they sorely lacked last season—an experienced facilitator. Stotts has played the Lillard-Williams combo for 58 minutes this season. Playing with Williams will give Lillard the chance to expand his game off the ball.
Wesley Matthews Is the Third Scorer
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During the first week, Matthews has been the Trail Blazers’ third best scorer. He ranks third on the team in both points and attempts per game.
In the Portland’s three November games, the 27-year-old Matthews scored 60 points including 13-of-22 from three-point range. He won’t shoot greater than a 55-percent clip all season, but he’s also displayed a desire to get in the paint—taking almost 32 percent of his shots from under or near the basket.
Take a look at his shot chart from NBA.com/Stats. Look at all that green. In four games (NBA.com thinks the Phoenix game really happened), Matthews has been more than just a three-and-D guy—he’s been an all-around scorer.
Trending forward:
Matthews won’t score more than 20 points every game, but his scoring numbers have been trending upwards each of the last two seasons. If Matthews continues to expand his game in the paint, he can average at least 16-to-17 points per game.
Footnote: Matthews’ went from 13.7 PPG in 2011-13 to 14.8 PPG in 2012-13 despite his free-throw shooting hitting a career low, from .860 to .797. Matthews could increase his scoring numbers if he just gets back to his career average in free throw percentage (.834) and maintains his upward trend in scoring.
Bolstered at Center
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Question: Why is center no longer a position of weakness for the Trail Blazers?
A: J.J. Hickson is no longer the center
B: Robin Lopez is the center and has shown great defensive awareness
C: Meyers Leonard lost the backup job
D: Because Joel Freeland is better
E: All of the above
If you answered “E,” you are correct.
Yay!
First of all, Hickson is gone. If you were to build a complimentary center to Aldridge, you would look at Hickson to figure out what not to do. Don’t get me wrong, Hickson can be a valuable player, just not the way he was used in Portland. He’s too small to be the defensive safety net behind a finesse Aldridge.
After spending one season playing alongside Anthony Davis in New Orleans, Lopez was traded to the Trail Blazers in the offseason. Now he is playing next to Aldridge, to whom he is a sensational compliment. Lopez is a defensive-minded 7-footer who allows Aldridge to do his thing offensively and defensively without worrying about what is going on in the paint.
Unrelated to Aldridge, Lopez has shown an excellent feel for his positioning on defense and plays within his abilities. In the only game in which he did not have two blocks this season, he had three (against Houston).
In spite of his lack of speed, he moves his feet minimally while keeping himself in between the basket and the ball handler. Sounds easy, but in the complexities of an NBA possession in which players can be screened, give to reactionary impulses or be forced to help on a teammate’s blown assignment, it can be hard to simply stay between your man and the net.
When Lopez sits, Freeland has been an effective defender and rebounder. Freeland is longer and slightly more nimble than Lopez and shows awareness and hustle that is missing in Leonard’s game. While Freeland is a non-factor on offense, he does his part to make sure the Trail Blazers do not take a major step back on defense when Lopez is out.
Trending forward:
Bolstered by Lopez and Freeland, the Trail Blazers' interior defense will be respectable, unlike last season in which the teams made 61.9 percent of their shots within five feet of the basket, according to NBA.com/Stats.
Consistent Offense
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Obvious statement: The Trail Blazers, with Aldridge and Lillard, are a good offensive team.
Looking into that obvious statement: The worth of this stretches beyond points per game and entertainment value. Lilldridge gives Portland a consistent vehicle for scoring. I'm talking Honda Civic consistent.
While other teams on the fringe of the playoffs, such as the Dallas Mavericks, New Orleans Pelicans and Denver Nuggets, lack such high-scoring and consistent offense, the Trail Blazers have that to lean on. That could be incredibly important as we approach the 82nd game of the season.
Trending forward:
Relying on the nightly consistency of its offense and improved defense, Portland is a playoff team.
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