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Portland Trail Blazers: 3 crucial storylines to watch for during the Blazers’ preseason matchups

By Marlow Ferguson Jr.

Mar 4, 2020; Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0), guard CJ McCollum (3) and forward Carmelo Anthony (00) during the singing of the national anthem before a game against the Washington Wizards at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 4, 2020; Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0), guard CJ McCollum (3) and forward Carmelo Anthony (00) during the singing of the national anthem before a game against the Washington Wizards at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports /
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Portland Trail Blazers
Terry Stotts, Portland Trail Blazers (Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports) /

No. 1: Does Terry Stotts show his hand on new defensive schemes?

Here’s the strangest irony of them all. Blazers general manager Neil Olshey got creative and brought on five bonafide, impact players that are sure to improve the Blazers’ on-court product.

But the most important man in Oregon basketball this season might be he who walks the sidelines and yells from the coaches box: Terry Stotts.

Life comes at you fast, and Stotts supporters can attest to this. After consecutive years of challenging for Coach of the Year candidacy in 2017-18 and 2018-19, talking heads and Twitter analysts were calling for Stotts’ firing on his day off, for one reason above all else: the ultra-conservative defensive scheme.

There are more nuances, but here are three defensive traits that have stood the test of time:

— (1) in pick-and-rolls, his plan calls for bigs to “drop” deep into the paint, so as to invite midrange pull-ups.
— (2) Little-to-no gambling in passing lanes; since the stat’s inception, the Blazers have never produced an average ranking in deflections.
— (3) As a drawback to that drop coverage, the Blazers’ offensively-brilliant guards have to work overtime, fighting through screens on defense.

There’s a case to be made about this being the most athletically-gifted roster Stotts has ever had. Defensively, this team’s length should be a reason to shift that philosophy a bit.

For reference, they added the NBA’s second-best pass deflector in Robert Covington. At the very least, they’ll have multiple players capable of marauding in passing lanes, and creating fast break opportunities, another weakness in Portland’s game.

Coaches typically don’t play their hand completely during preseason play. But when the Blazers’ four-game exhibitions do get started, keeping an eye on where players are standing on defense, if they’re attacking passing lanes more than usual, and even the lineups on the floor will be tidbits to watch for.