Blazers' painfully obvious flaw is ruining their defensive identity

The Trail Blazers took the opposite approach to "the best defense is a good offense," hoping that their defensive identity would lead the way.

Portland had a top-ten-ranked defense down the stretch of last season. They swapped Anfernee Simons for Jrue Holiday this past offseason, going from their biggest defensive liability to adding someone with six NBA All-Defensive selections on his resume. Between Holiday, Toumani Camara, Matisse Thybulle, Robert Williams III, and Donovan Clingan, they roster four All-Defensive members, with Clingan also likely eventually joining that list.

On paper, Portland should have an elite defense. Surprisingly, that hasn't been the case, or anywhere close to it, for that matter. Despite their plethora of defensive weapons, the Blazers rank 19th in defensive rating (115.4) and 24th in points allowed (118.0 per game).

There's a combination of factors behind this underwhelming defensive season. Some of it has been due to injury, some to Tiago Splitter's rotations. But the underlying problem? Portland's offense really isn't doing its defense any favors.

Blazers' offense is sabotaging their defense

Entering the season, there was talk about how Portland's newfound defensive identity aligns with its roster and offensive playstyle. This was a team that knew its strengths and played to them. Their length, athleticism, and defensive versatility would not only lead to defensive stops but also create transition opportunities.

Unfortunately, that can also be applied the other way. Portland's lack of playmaking is hurting its defense. This team leads the league in both total turnovers and live-ball turnovers by a WIDE margin.

As a result, the Blazers lead the league in opponents' points off turnovers and rank third in opponent fastbreak points per game.

Portland's defense will never be elite if it can't get set. Teams are absolutely feasting on their turnover problems, and it's resulting in transition opportunities the other way.

Suddenly, Portland's entire identity is being used against them. It's great that GM Joe Cronin has a clear vision for this roster. But that formula goes out the window if Portland can't take care of the ball.

The Blazers are already at a major disadvantage as one of the league's worst three-point shooting teams -- another downside of this roster construction. They were supposed to compensate for that extreme by winning the possession battle. In theory, it's fine if they miss shots because they are taking more shots with their offensive rebounds and forced turnovers. But combine that poor shooting with a turnover problem of their own, and it's clear this Blazers offense needs a significant overhaul.

Portland needs to find a way to balance its roster. It's difficult to have an elite defense when you surrender so many fastbreak points, and that's not going to change unless their offensive playmaking improves.