Head Coach Terry Stotts – Three Season Assessment
Now that we are midway through the 2014-15 NBA season, it is as good a time as any to reflect on Head Coach Terry Stotts’ tenure with the Blazers. First hired for the 2012-2013 season, Stotts has now been with the team for two and a half seasons. The Blazers are his third head coaching gig, following stints in Atlanta and Milwaukee, with periods as an assistant sprinkled in (including during the Dallas Mavericks’ 2011 championship season).
During his time with the Blazers, Stotts has a combined record of 123-94, good for a 0.566 record. As a head coach with both the Hawks and the Bucks, Stott went 115-168, for a 0.406 record. While he almost certainly has more talent at his disposal now in Portland, there is no doubt that Stotts himself has grown as a coach.
Jan 8, 2015; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts talks to forward LaMarcus Aldridge (12) during the second quarter against the Miami Heat at the Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports
In fact, that growth is continuing to this day here in Portland, as the team’s record has improved each season he has been here. In his first season, the Blazers were 0.402, in his second season they were 0.659, and now in his third season the Blazers are currently sitting at 0.679. There is still a lot of season left still to go this year, but the fact that Stotts has the Blazers where they are despite the team’s rash of injuries is impressive in its own right.
Even though the Blazers have slipped a little bit recently, when looking at the season as a whole, the Blazers sitting in third place in a historically strong Western Conference may be the most impressive thing that Stotts has done during his tenure in Portland.
Last season, the Blazers used two starting lineups. This season, the injuries have piled up so drastically that eleven different Blazers have started a game. The injuries have not struck just role players, either – LaMarcus Aldridge, Nicolas Batum, and Robin Lopez have all missed varying amounts of time, and all are key cogs in the Blazers’ rotation.
Despite these obstacles, Stotts has kept his troops marching along, keeping right in the thick of the Western Conference playoff race. To cap it off, the Blazers should start approaching full health for the final stretch of the regular season, letting them make a strong final push and playoff run.
Though he will probably never be a true fire and brimstone rah rah motivator from the sidelines, there can be no questioning Stotts’ X’s and O’s ability. His offenses have generally remained solid – 15th in his first year in Portland, 2nd last year, and currently 10th this year.
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His defense required a bit more time to develop, however. The Blazers ranked a mere 26th in his first season, then 16th, and in a stunning turnaround, the Blazers are now second in the entire league. Even as recently as last season, it would have been almost unfathomable to say that within a year the Blazers’ defensive rating would be higher than their offensive rating, yet here we are.
This is due in large part to continuity – with a fresh three-year contract signed in May, Stotts has the job security to make the decisions he needs to, and the Blazers have been largely able to keep their core together in terms of personnel. President of Basketball Operations Neil Olshey and owner Paul Allen must be credited for creating this type of environment, which is certainly not always a given in today’s immediate results oriented league.
Although Stotts has unquestionably been a net positive for the team, there are always coaching aspects that can be improved. Namely, Stotts’ reluctance to give younger player minutes is worth noting. On one hand, it’s understandable to want to play your best players in the present – this is an industry based on wins, and playing established veteran’s definitely has its benefits in the short term.
With that being said, there is immense future value in developing young prospects, even if it is rough in the beginning. Just look at Meyers Leonard – he rarely saw the court this season until injuries forced Stotts’ hand, and he has responded by flashing value as a legitimately viable big man. As Zach Lowe noted on Monday, playing young, developing players more also allows the team to have a better idea of how to handle their soon to be expiring contracts.
If that is the only problem, though, the Blazers are in a good position with their coach. Stotts has proved his value in less than three years, and is absolutely a driving force behind the team’s resurgence these past two years. Additionally, coaches develop and improve over time just like players do, so Stotts’ best years may still be ahead, an exciting prospect for any fan of the Blazers.