Rebounding for the Portland Trail Blazers has been key to their success

Offensive rebounding

Offensive rebounding is one of the most important things in basketball, and since the All-Star break, the Blazers have been excellent at it. They’re ranked eighth in the NBA, grabbing 10.8 offensive boards per game.

Portland is averaging 16.6 points per game off second chance opportunities. That’s first in the league. The Blazers put up a lot of shots during a game. Being able to grab their misses, reset their offense or score on a put-back has been essential for them to win games and will continue to be if they want to go deep into the playoffs.

Davis and Nurkic both rank inside the top 25 for offensive rebounding in the league. Both guys have been great at getting the rebound and finding an open teammate, but they are strong going right back up for a shot, making a basket or getting fouled.

Nurkic is grabbing 2.2 offensive rebounds per game, which ranks 22nd in the league. Davis has been a beast down low for the Blazers all season. He ranks in the top 15 in offensive rebounding (2.5 per game) despite only playing 19 minutes per game.

Offensive rebounding means more possessions and more opportunities to score. According to NBA.com, since the break, Portland is shooting four more field goal attempts per game than its opponent. Rip City is also shooting five more 3-point attempts per game than the other team.

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The Blazers are a tough team and bring a lot of energy to the court. It fires up their teammates and fans when they are battling down low and getting rebounds. It doesn’t matter how the game is going, if the Blazers are winning or staying close in the rebound margin, they will always have a shot to win the game.