What the Blazers Need To Fix To Upset Utah and Control the 8th Seed
By Dayton Brown
Pick and Roll with Vonleh, Pick and Pop with Leonard
Noah Vonleh plays inside-out, while Meyers Leonard tries to play outside-in. Meaning, the pick and roll is still surviving through the Nurkic injury.
Since Leonard has the ability to stretch the floor and knock down shots from mid-range and behind the arc, running pick and pops with him is the smartest move. He will need to make at least one of them though in order to draw defenders.
Vonleh likes 10-foot shots and monster dunks. A pick and roll, especially with Gobert or Boris Diaw on Vonleh, would create the mismatch and motion the Blazers need to get him some baskets.
Good PnR play with our centers also create mismatches in favor of Lillard and McCollum, leading into the third and biggest key.
Let Lillard and McCollum Control the Tempo
It’s no secret that the back court duo is offensively lethal. However, they both had their struggles in Utah on Tuesday. While playing 34 minutes apiece, the two guards combined for 41 points on 16-42 shooting. Their four combined assists is the most troubling aspect, showing the lack of ball movement on offense by the two most important players. Yikes.
The speed of which the duo plays is the most important factor. Better defense will lead to fast break points and better offense. Correct screening will help execute plays in the half court. But controlled tempo with the ball in either of their hands is what brings this team success. We saw it against Phoenix last week, and have seen it countless times the past few seasons.
Portland’s back court tandem must score at least 50 points on 42% or better shooting combined to defeat Utah. Shabazz Napier and Turner must also play key minutes handling the ball with the starting duo on the bench.
The Blazers will need some help from the bench and hope the Jazz don’t play their best. These three improvements are the first set of stepping stones to help the Blazers attain an important win. Better defense on the wing, smoother execution on screen plays, and the star back court shining will all help Portland upset Utah.
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