Blazers Offense: Looking to Claim an Identity

Every championship team has an identity. Not all are known going into the beginning of the season but once the season is finished, it is pretty evident. The Warriors last season were dependent on their strong defense and dynamic play from their point guard, Steph Curry, who created a plethora of opportunities on offense. The 2012-13 Miami Heat relied heavily on their star player LeBron James while other players would step up in key situations.

The Portland Trail Blazers are not going to win a championship this year, but this season is surely not going to be wasted. This whole season will be about finding out what their identity is and how they can sustain it as a group in the future. Specifically explored in this article, how will they adopt a formidable offensive repertoire?

Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum are the leaders of the Trail Blazers Offense/ Credit: Godofredo Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

As this season begins I have to mention, as I did numerous other times, that four of the five starters are gone, leaving point guard Damian Lillard to lead the operation on his own with head coach Terry Stotts. The offense as a whole isn’t entirely different than before but there are some drastic changes.

Maybe the biggest of them all is the lack of post game the Blazers possess this season. The departure of LaMarcus Aldridge puts a major hole in what used to be an offense that was “feed the post and if nothing is there kick it out for an open three point shot.” That is not the case anymore. Now Stotts is being more creative with his “Flow” offense, creating shots by using deceptive backdoor screens, down screens at the beginning and middle of possessions, and a lot of on-ball screens by bigs.

The basis of the “Flow” offense begins with Lillard bringing the ball up. The weak side big then sets an off ball screen for the weak side guard, creating separation for the guard (this time being shooting guard C.J. McCollum) to get the pass. Almost immediately McCollum gives the ball back only to keep the defense honest in case he does not give the ball back at all. Now, almost at the same time, the strong side big (Meyers Leonard) and McCollum are going to the corner while the other guard (Maurice Harkless) is going to the opposite side of the court. While Harkless is going to the other side he gets a screen from center Mason Plumee, but only as a decoy, as he quickly retreats to the corner as Plumlee comes up for the ball. Once Plumlee gets the ball he immediately puts pressure on the defending center Roy Hibbert. Hibbert has to choose whether to help his teammate cover the cutting Lillard or get up on his man and leave Lillard one on one. Hibbert decides to help, which Plumlee notices, and attacks the rim converting on a difficult layup over the 7 footer.

Of course this is not the only option to this play. It all depends on how the defense reacts and what the offensive player counters to it. For example in this clip when the Blazers played the Jazz, instead of going to the opposite side McCollum comes back to Lillard with the help of an off ball screen by Plumlee. McCollum wisely takes one dribble towards the basket, making the defense collapse and kicks it out to the open shooter, Harkless, in the corner.

Another option to “Flow” is a backdoor cut for an easy bucket. The concept is the same but changes when the second big also sets a screen for the running McCollum instead of going down to the corner with him. In this particular play there could have been a better result, if McCollum would have kept cutting to the basket instead of floating to the perimeter. Also Lillard makes an errant pass that could have led to an open three. Instead Portland throws up a contested shot by not their best three point shooter, Harkless.

Luckily for other teams this isn’t the only set the Blazer’s offense runs. In this next set, instead of giving the ball back to Lillard, McCollum decides to keep it to himself and makes Lillard run to the other side of the court. Plumlee stays at the top of the key while his man decides to be in help against McCollum in case he drives. McCollum goes as if he is about to drive but unleashes a bounce pass to Plumlee who is already on his way towards the basket. His momentum carries him towards the hoop, giving him enough leverage to convert the tough layup.

This next set looks completely different than the other sets. Instead of passing it to a guard, Lillard hits the trailing Leonard at the top of the key then sets a down screen for his counterpart McCollum. Leonard continues by swinging the ball to Harkless then also sets a down screen for McCollum. The two bigs then set up at the elbows. McCollum decides to pass it to Plumlee and then sets a down screen for Harkless. On the other side, since Leonard didn’t get the ball he sets the down screen but for Lillard. Lillard comes off the screen hard and has open space at the nail and decides to pull up for a jumper. Although the shot does not go in, the ball movement on this play was crisp and the Blazers got a good shot off with the shot clock running down. More importantly they made the defense work for a whole 20 seconds, not giving them a break or making it easy.

There are also key moments in games where a three pointer is vital. That is why Coach Stotts incorporated this play that opens up room for a three point shooter and a second option in case he is smothered. As always Lillard brings the ball up the court but instead of passing and getting it back or immediately setting a screen he drifts along the perimeter and awaits the pass from Leonard. Once Leonard passes he immediately sets a stagger screen for Connaughton, who hesitates for a split second and the shooting window closes. Leonard “pops” after his screen and gains an open three point shot. Unfortunately the ball does not go in but using up the whole shot clock and making the defense tired as a result is what was key.

Of course Lillard has to have his own designed play, right? Lillard can score whenever he wants to either it be from pulling up from deep or using a ball screen to get to the rack. It’s nice, however, when your coach uses a set designed to get you the ball in positive situations. As usual, in this play Lillard brings the ball up the court but passes it to forward Noah Vonleh. Once Lillard releases the ball he goes to the short corner, where he receives the stagger screen from the two bigs. A good help by Vonleh’s defender cuts off his driving lane, but what was open on this play was Vonleh if he would have rolled to the hoop. The end of this play fizzles and leads to a Connaughton air ball that I did not want to show.

Some plays are not really inscribed into the play book like the “Flow” play I mentioned before but are easy plays to get a bucket every now and then. In this sideline out of bounds play Connaughton inbounds the ball to Lillard. Lillard slowly brings the ball to the center of the court while Leonard is setting a backdoor screen for Harkless. Lillard knows the screen is coming and looks for Harkless at the rim and makes a smooth pass at the basket for a quick bucket.

The Blazers have 4-5 bigs that can play on a regular basis. It would be nice if each one of them could gain chemistry with one another and play off each other. This could open up high lows like the one seen in this final play. Leonard recognizes he has a mismatch and is demanding the ball. Unfortunately Connaughton can not get him the ball, but does see a flashing Ed Davis at the free throw line. Thankfully Davis can make good of the mismatch and lofts a lob pass to Leonard, who converts the hi-lo combination.

Yep, get used to this new Trail Blazers offensive game because it is here to stay for the next 5 years, due to Lillard’s max contract. It’s different from the old unit who could light up a scoreboard and keep pace with anybody, with their three pointing arsenal and the low post game that Aldridge possessed.

Now, we might not have as good of shooting as in the past but what we do have is youth. There should be no excuses of why this team cannot run or keep up with the fastest of teams without the excuse of just being lazy.

It is too early to tell if this group will be better than the last group, only time will tell. What we do know is that it can get ugly at the beginning while the team is still trying to muster its identity. But once they take this season to find it, it will be hard to break.