While we're incredibly early on in the season, it's encouraging that the Portland Trail Blazers look like a significantly improved defensive rebounding team.
It was a strange formula when it came to rebounding last season. Portland was elite on the offensive glass, ranking second at 14.1 rebounds per game behind only the Houston Rockets. That frustratingly didn't translate to the defensive end, where Portland ranked 17th at 31.9 rebounds per game.
When GM Joe Cronin constructed this rebuilding roster, it had a defensive identity and playstyle associated with it. Part of that was supposed to include getting stops that lead to transition opportunities the other way. That formula wasn't quite as effective due to their below-average defensive rebounding. Portland ranked 23rd in fast-break points.
Blazers have a better offense-defense balance this season
Cronin seems to have successfully addressed those problems in the offseason, constructing a team that largely consists of centers and point guards. Portland's bigs have done a good job so far of not only covering for the team's defensive limitations out on the perimeter with Ja Morant and Damian Lillard, but also securing the ball and actually closing out the possession.
Then, the Blazers are able to utilize the elite speed of a Morant or Deni Avdija out in transition. Morant is a far better rebounder for his position than given credit for, as he's able to use his athleticism and point-guard ability to anticipate plays when it comes to reading angles or grabbing the ball off the glass. Between him and Avdija, that's another advantage they have in two rebounders that can get the ball and go.
There are few teams in the league that can match that offense/defense combination the Blazers have, and we're seeing it become a bigger advantage in their matchups. All these athletic guards in the backcourt allow Micah Nori to rotate players to keep legs fresh, playing to the strength of Portland's depth as well. That's not even accounting for when the Blazers will have Shaedon Sharpe -- one of the best transition players on this roster -- back in the mix later in the season.
Portland may have sacrificed some of its defense when it traded for Morant this summer, but it's already looking like a better roster balance. They didn't sacrifice that defensive rebounding; in fact, they improved on it. That gives them another offensive dimension as a dangerous team in transition.
The Blazers will have a lot of difficult decisions to make when it comes to sorting out this backcourt going forward. But at least they have a system in place and a roster that finally plays to those strengths. That's something Cronin will need to consider when deciding who's worth keeping, as the Blazers must do everything they can to maintain this defensive-minded, transition style of play that's been proving successful early on.
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