After ranking 10th in pace last year, the Blazers are bringing in two elite playmakers. How high can they rank in the new season?
One of the most impressive stats for the Blazers last year was pace. They ranked tenth in the entire league at 100.5. While much has been made of their smaller backcourt for the upcoming year, starring Damian Lillard and Ja Morant, this is definitely an advantage of having two All-Star ballhandlers and a forward in Deni Avdija who can give you nearly 7 assists a game himself. Morant is a blur in transition. He can take it coast to coast or find a cutting teammate or Lillard for a fast-break three.
Another area where the Blazers secured more possessions for themselves last year was on the offensive boards. Led by the league's best offensive rebounder, Donovan Clingan, they ranked second in the NBA in this stat. This upcoming year, when he crashes the glass, he'll be able to find Lillard for some reload three pointers. Securing Robert Williams III for the next three years as a frontline reinforcement means there shouldn't be a drop-off when Clingan goes to the bench. And the big man did play under 30 minutes a game last year.
On defense, the Blazers forced 15 turnovers a game. They ranked 7th in the league in this stat, and it fuelled their transition game. They also recorded over 8 steals a game, which was tenth in the league. Jrue Holiday, no surprise, led the team in steals. If he's transitioning to a reserve role, he may be energized to be even more of a defensive demon. He's always been an elite two-way player, but with Morant and Lillard in the lineup, Holiday can focus on being even more of a defensive specialist. With a youthful roster, depth at the guard spots, and active bigs, the Blazers should apply plenty of pressure on the fast break. With the quality of deterrents in their backline in Clingan and Williams III, the defenders on the perimeter can gamble more and funnel guards into the paint to get rejected.
With great point guard play and playmaking from Morant, along with elite shooting from Lillard, the Blazers should have plenty of opportunities for early offense. Williams is also a great rim-running big who can run the court and seal for easy opportunities. Any possessions or easy buckets Portland can steal in the upcoming year will go a long way. And when it's time for the spectacular with a high degree of difficulty, Morant and Lillard can handle that too.
