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Should Terry Stotts or Neil Olshey shoulder the blame?

By Nate Mann

PORTLAND, OR - JULY 7: General Manager Neil Olshey, Evan Turner, and Head Coach Terry Stotts of the Portland Trail Blazers pose for a photo during Turner's media introduction July 7, 2016 at the Trail Blazer Practice Facility in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2016 NBAE (Photo by Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images)
PORTLAND, OR - JULY 7: General Manager Neil Olshey, Evan Turner, and Head Coach Terry Stotts of the Portland Trail Blazers pose for a photo during Turner's media introduction July 7, 2016 at the Trail Blazer Practice Facility in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2016 NBAE (Photo by Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Dayton Brown

When it comes to Stotts versus Olshey discussion, the answer boils down to one question. Does the team and franchise suffer more due to a system with a low ceiling, or due to being chained down financially?

Case for Terry Stotts

If you went with the former, Terry Stotts’ firing is on your radar. He’s a well-liked head coach, but the offensive set and defensive mindset he implored has its limitations. With two guards who focus their attention on offense in a hustle-prominent defense, it appears as though this roster is falling short of their top potential.

Stotts has had the most impact on developing one of the best backcourts in basketball. However, there’s a lot more to be desired out of this “Big Three.” The offense that Stotts uses thrives from off-ball screens to create open jumpers. It leaves a door open for inefficient shooting, which is evident in Portland this season.

It also takes away from post up sets for the team’s gem-of-a-center, Jusuf Nurkić. One can wonder how great this team can be with a head coach who runs the correct system for this specific group of players.

Case for Neil Olshey

If you chose the latter, general manager Neil Olshey finds his buns on fire. The awful contracts given to Evan Turner (four years, $70 million), and Meyers Leonard (four years, $41 million) combined with the ridiculously expensive Allen Crabbe (four years, $74million) have Portland in a bind.

These have turned into infamously bad deals. Turner has yet to find his footing on the team, Leonard hasn’t ever earned this contract (before and after signing it). Crabbe was a solid sixth man for the Blazers, but didn’t improve enough for the team and was therefore traded.

However, deals for Al-Farouq Aminu and Ed Davis, along with trades to acquire Nurkić and Harkless have turned into steals. Olshey gets most of that credit, and the team may be a catastrophe with any other GM.

That’s why I lean towards replacing Stotts over replacing Olshey. While I would love to keep both and have the team find a second gear to reach that next level, that’s nowhere near guaranteed. Taking a chance on finding the perfect head coach for this team and roster is a lot safer than bringing in a new front office mind to potentially blow this team up.