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The Trail Blazers have made it through a forgettable preseason and two regular-season matchups to rack up a troubling 1-1 record. It’s still early in the 2020-21 campaign, but some worrying trends have already emerged. With that in mind, Blazer’s Edge contributors Lindsay Hostetler and Steve Dewald have put together their list of concerns in an attempt to rank which items only need time and which trends are potentially problematic.
Bank problems
Lindsay: The second unit worries me especially. While it’s nice to have Enes Kanter back to clear the offensive glass, there is a lack of execution on the part of everyone else. The second unit seems to stray further from Coach Stotts’ established playbook of reads and wrinkles, and with Carmelo Anthony coming off the bench, there is a tendency for too many isos. Melo must realize that we need him to be a playmaker and bench leader, not just post play after play. Without movement of the ball, the offense stagnates. On the positive side, Anfernee Simons looked more comfortable on the court in the second half.
Worry-O-Meter: What is Melo doing ?! Is that another post? Where is the water bottle? Bad Melo!
Steve: Both Melo and Kanter have posted at least a negative double-digit +/- output in the first two games. In the first outing, Kanter looked even more out of place than Jusuf Nurkic in Portland’s aggressive new approach. As Lindsay mentioned, Kanter is at his best when he’s close to the rim and can secure rebounds. His outing against the Jazz represented the exact opposite of that winning formula.
Unlike Kanter, I’m not sure if Melo has an efficient slot to eventually fit inside the second drive. His shot selection has been abominable in two games and it looks like he could have lost one more step on the defensive end. He posted a -16 +/- against the Rockets and hit just two of his nine field goals for five points. It’s early days, but having a considerable improvement from a 36-year-old striker seems over the top.
Worry-O-Meter: Raymond Felton at a buffet full of cakes. A cheat day is fine every now and then, but this trip across the line looks like it could have a long-lasting impact.
Did I leave my seat warmer?
Steve: Entering his ninth season as head coach, a career that has included postseason appearances in all but one of those seasons, Terry Stotts may already be feeling the pressure this season. The decision to bring in former Bulls coach Jim Boylen for a preseason crash course in defense looks like a total failure so far, which could force the Blazers to revert to their bend but not break scheme. A combination of newly acquired players and higher preseason expectations make this year’s opening hiatus feel a bit more desperate.
Out of those team-wide concerns, Stotts decided to keep Gary Trent Jr. on the bench during the second half of Saturday’s win over the Rockets. He explained that he decided to shorten his rotation in the stretch. That’s not an unreasonable explanation until you look at who played Trent when the understaffed Rockets pushed the Blazers into overtime.
Concern-O-Meter: Post-curry heartburn. Indigestion may hurt now, but it will pass, it always does.
Lindsay: While Stotts acknowledged after the game that he chose Simons over Gary Trent Jr. because there was a shorter preseason to evaluate the rotation, I hope this does not remain the new normal and, as Steve pointed out, the fact that he did not played in overtime is worrying. Frankly, I prefer to see the two young men playing on the court at the same time. I think they have the potential to create what Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum have.
The defense finally seemed to come together, as demonstrated by Robert Covington and Derek Jones Jr. Now, if they can show the rest of the team their ways, we’ll be ready. I understand that they have a length that others do not have, but their value really manifested and everything seemed to start clicking in the third quarter. I don’t know if I would link that to any particular change in Stotts’ defensive system at this point. Five games is not long enough to get a good grasp of defensive changes, but there were definitely flashes against Houston where the team seemed to understand that defense leads to offense. If Stotts wants to check with Gary Payton next time, I think he is a better option.
Worry-O-Meter: It may take a while for the dust to settle, but we’ll get there. Let’s hope the house stands tall while the defense is rebuilt.
Big Fella training ground
Lindsay: Jusuf Nurkic seems to do better when there is a crowd or if he gets hit in the face. The problem is, so far he hasn’t had a hearing or been hit in the face as often as it takes to lift dandruff. Add his late return to the team, and it’s clear he’s struggling. However, he had moments where he looked like the Bosnian Beast we know and love, rather than the Bosnian grimace that makes us wonder why he didn’t. Hopefully, as the season takes shape, Nurk will too.
Worry-O-Meter: Bring this guy more coffee. No, really, I probably just need more coffee.
Steve: I mentioned the need to be patient with Nurkic in my preseason preview of the big men on the Portland roster. For the most part, I stick to that line of thinking. I am hopeful that a return to a more conservative scheme will be combined with the eventual debut of Zach Collins to push Nurkic’s tire protection figures forward. Through two games, the Bosnian beast has produced only one block.
Concern-O-Meter: Fenced construction site. Nothing to see here.
