The Portland Trail Blazers’ pre-All-Star break resume speaks for itself.
They are currently third in the Western Conference at 36-17, first in the Northwest Division, 10th in the league in offensive efficiency, and tied for third in defense, per NBA.com.
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In fact, the Blazers are one of only three NBA teams this season to sport a top-10 offensive rating and a top-10 defensive rating — the other two being the Golden State Warriors and the Atlanta Hawks, a.k.a., the 2014-15 darlings of the association.
More encouragingly, since the NBA/ABA merger of 1976, only the 2000-01 Los Angeles Lakers and the 2003-04 Detroit Pistons won the Larry O’Brien Trophy while failing to finish within the top-12 in both offense and defense during the regular season.
As such, to say “oh, Portland could conceivably come out of the West if x, y, and z happens” would be discrediting the Blazer brass; the Portland Trail Blazers are legitimate contenders, equipped with the franchise’s most balanced squad since, perhaps, their title team of 1977.
With that being said, the Blazers are far from a team without faults. As the season has progressed, several lingering issues have evolved into glaring hindrances.
Namely, the inconsistent production of their floundering bench, an idling problem since coach Terry Stotts took over the helm in 2012, once again tops their list of team weaknesses. In fact, Portland is currently 28th in bench points, per HoopsStats.com.
By all accounts, Steve Blake is a fierce competitor and one of the steadiest backup point guards in league. However, he lacks the explosiveness and dynamic playmaking ability to change the pendulum of a game — at least not at this stage of the 34-year-old veteran’s career.
His backup backcourt mate, C.J. McCollum, has shown flashes of brilliance; pulling up for transition threes, working the corners, and attacking the basket. But his inability to finish at the rim and erratic defensive play prevents him from receiving significant playing time.
The back up frontcourt situation is perhaps even more depressing. After starting the season looking like a perfect fit, Chris Kaman‘s play has fallen off the proverbial cliff. His rim protection and scoring efficiency has exponentially declined with each passing month; holding the ball for far too long in the post while arriving late on his rotational assignments.
To be fair, he was forced into a starting role with the respective injuries to Robin Lopez and Joel Freeland; and maybe, now that he’s situated back into a backup role, he can rekindle his early season success. However, since Lopez’s return, Kaman has averaged 2.7 points and 4.3 rebounds per game on 36.4 percent TS% (true shooting percentage).
The emergence of Meyers Leonard during the dreary month of January, however, has been a pleasant surprise. Although, at 7-foot-1, Leonard is still a relatively weak interior player, his newfound outside stroke and improved effort at defending the rim has made him a viable backup stretch 4. Is his hot shooting a trend or a developed skill, though? We will have to find out.
Another cause for concern is the recent play of Damian Lillard. After posting career highs in scoring efficiency during the initial months of the season, Lillard’s shooting has plummeted precipitously. Will his extended shooting slump carry over to the rest of the season, and more importantly, trickle into the playoffs?
Similarly, their defense has gradually deteriorated as the season has gone along. Will the return of Lopez effectively stabilize their staunch D?
How/will LaMarcus Aldridge‘s thumb injury affect his play and production? As well, with the unequivocal hopes for Nicolas Batum to reclaim his two-way form of years’ past now on life support, will the Blazers’ general manager, Neil Olshey, look to make a move at the deadline to shore up the wing position?
Let’s take a deeper look at the five burning questions the Blazers should look to answer before the regular season ends, and the playoffs commence.
Next: 1. Can The Blazers Recapture Their Stingy Defensive Play