Portland has been a tough team to gauge because of how inconsistent the Blazers’ offense is. They can perform well on the defensive end, but the persistent problem is how they score their points.
The Inconsistent Trail Blazers Offense Continues to be a Problem
During the 2010s, the Portland Trail Blazers were reliably one of the best offensive teams in the league. Starting in 2012, they had head coach Terry Stotts crafting the offense. In Terry’s system, Damian Lillard was a featured star, the primary ball-handler and scorer.
Chauncey Billups took over as Portland’s coach in 2021, and the offense has remained a Blazers problem. He might have been a top-tier point guard during his career, but he has struggled to build a good offense. He has some high-level talent, but the Blazers’ offense has been abysmal over the past few seasons.
The Inconsistent Blazers are Hard to Watch
Portland is 24th in defensive rating, with 116.1, but is much better than the numbers advertised. The Blazers have a strong group of defenders: rookie Donovan Clingan, Robert Williams III, and rising defensive star Toumani Camara.
The Blazers are 27th in offensive rating at 107. Most Portland fans could agree that their team is hard to watch on that end of the floor. They do not have many imaginative sets, and the Blazers struggle with their three-point shooting.
Portland is the sixth-worst three-point shooting team with an inefficient 33.5%. That is mostly down to how they conduct their offense. Anfernee Simons might be their main gunner and teams prepare for him. This has led to a career-worst 32.5% from beyond the arc when he is a career 38.2% shooter.
The Blazers’ offense can make improvements when they have better sets. Billups must be more imaginative with his offense because the team is not reaching its ceiling. With offensive stalwarts like Simons, Jerami Grant, and Shaedon Sharpe, they should improve on that side of the floor.
Yo I'm just like Chauncey Billups offense, I have no motion
— Nathan (@Likeporcelainn) December 13, 2024
Over-Reliance on the Star Players
Anfernee and Jerami have been Portland’s stars since the Lillard trade before the 2023-24 season. While they have been scoring well, Billups and the Blazers have become too reliant on them. Ball movement is nearly non-existent in Portland, which has led to their inefficient offense.
If Simons and Grant are not firing, they look lost on offense. Sharpe can have some big games here and there, but the offense can be messy. The solution could be a shakeup in the coaching staff or giving other players the key to the offense. Scoot Henderson could be the man to take over, considering he is a natural playmaker.
Sharpe is a potential star, but he must be more assertive. His passiveness makes him a non-factor at times, which should not happen. Shaedon is too talented to be an off-ball player, so involving him more should lead to positive results.
Scoot as the primary ball-handler has shown some flashes as a floor general. He and Clingan already have a natural connection in the pick-and-roll. That could bleed into the rest of the Blazers’ offense, as it opens up new possibilities. It could be brand new if trades happen with Simons and other players.
The Portland Trail Blazers tonight:
45-point loss to the Ja Morant-less Grizzlies
Shot 4-of-42 from three-point range
34/100 field goals made
ONE starter over 10+ points
23 team turnoversMy goodness. 😳 pic.twitter.com/gqhWqfKPRW
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) November 11, 2024
Replacing Billups Could be the Solution
Chauncey is a well-respected figure in basketball circles. Well-prepared coaches always find it fun to play against Portland because they know what their opponents will do. Unfortunately, the Blazers’ offense was always superb with Stotts at the helm.
With Chauncey in his fourth season with Portland, changes could be coming to Rip City. The organization has a team option for his fifth year, so they will likely part ways. A better coach could be the key to solving a Blazers problem that has been there for a while.
This was evident during Portland’s 118-116 loss to the San Antonio Spurs. They only had 42 points in the first half, but Grant caught fire in the third quarter, scoring 22 of his 32 points there. The Blazers scored 46 points in the third, out-scoring themselves from the first two. They built a 17-point lead but went cold in the fourth, leading to the loss.
The inconsistent Blazers could find some stable ground with a new coach. They have plenty of options, but they would want a home run. Portland could take risks, similar to how OKC went with Mark Daigneault or Memphis hiring Taylor Jenkins. The Trail Blazers could find someone to lead them into the new era after the 2024-25 season.
