Trail Blazers’ improved defense a product of familiarity?

No one is worrying or has worried about the Portland Trail Blazers’ offense for some time. With an attack led by All-Stars LaMarcus Aldridge and Damian Lillard, complemented by role players perfectly suited for the job, the Trail Blazers currently boast the league’s fifth best offense, after finishing second best last season. Where the real concern has been for the past few seasons has been the team’s defense.

Last season, the team ultimately finished a middle-of-the-road 16^th in the league, but it was noticeably the team’s weak point. Close games often come down to being able to make a defensive stand or two, so having a reliable defensive system with which to do so is crucial for a team’s success.

That is why Trail Blazer fans should be ecstatic to see that the team is currently ranked fifth(!) in defense this season. Now that the season is 20 games old (nearly a quarter completed), it is fair to start wondering if this is actually the norm for the team rather than an early season blip. Twenty games, while not definitive by any stretch, is certainly a large enough sample to start taking notice.

Dec 2, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Portland Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts reacts to a call in the third quarter against the Denver Nuggets at Pepsi Center. The Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Denver Nuggets 105-103. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

So, what exactly is going on? It is a seemingly simple answer, but the correct one is most likely that the players are just getting used to Head Coach Terry Stotts’ system. At the beginning of last year, he switched the Trail Blazers to a more conservative defense, as Grantland’s Zach Lowe reminds us here. Lowe paraphrases Stotts in the article as saying the defense this season has improved for exactly this reason – the players are just more familiar with the new system, now that said system is in its second year.

In today’s NBA, with the new understanding of the low-value of long two-point jumpers and the rule changes that allowed hybrid defenses, a good defensive system must be predicated on working as a team. Great one-on-one defenders are certainly still useful, but the days of having a dedicated “Kobe Stopper” have largely been replaced by having a defined system that forces the Kobes of the world into taking the least ideal shots possible, as often as possible.

There is a reason it took the Trail Blazers a while to start figuring out Stotts’ new system, though. All five players must be on the same page at all times. One mistake by one player can throw an entire defensive possession out of whack, so everyone needs to be alert and aware at all times. As defenses have become so advanced, so to have the offenses, and no possession can be taken off.

If this actually is the reason for the improvement in the Trail Blazers’ defense, this is fantastic news for them. Systems work well for a reason. There is a set of rules to fall back on, and well organized positioning can really starve opposing offenses for space. Offensive off-nights, when the shots just aren’t falling, happen, and the Trail Blazers will be thankful they have a dependable system to help them slog out the tough wins.

Additionally, if the players are now familiar with the system, this would seem to indicate that the defensive success is here to stay. With the personnel they have, I could see a slight drop in the team’s defense as the season grinds along (say nestling in around slightly better than tenth), but with an established and familiar system, any such drop should hopefully not be too significant.