The Portland Trail Blazers ranked as a top ten defense down the stretch of the 2024-25 NBA season. In theory, they should take another step towards becoming one of the league's premier defenses next season. Defensive-minded head coach Chauncey Billups has another year to work with Portland's young roster. Due to Portland's offseason moves, it's also an improved roster, particularly on the defensive end.
However, one issue that plagued Portland last season was consistency, as you never knew which version of their defense you would be getting on a nightly basis. Steve Jones Jr. recently emphasized defensive consistency as the Blazers' primary factor in a successful season on The Kevin O'Connor Show.
"I think that's the biggest key," Jones Jr. said. "I am intrigued to see - can the defense do enough consistently for them to kind of exist in a different stratosphere in the Western Conference? It doesn't necessarily mean a massive push, but can they move forward to where we know what the Blazers are going to do every single night? The biggest thing for me with the Blazers was there was inconsistency as far as that defense went... You had young bright spots, and then you had nights where it looked like they didn't know what they were going to do on every single night. If they can bring a defensive effort every single night, I get really interested with what that looks like."
Blazers must turn their elite defense on paper into a reality
Portland's most notable defensive upgrade was the swap of Anfernee Simons for Jrue Holiday. Simons has consistently ranked near the bottom in defensive rating on Portland's roster since entering the league. Meanwhile, Holiday has six NBA All-Defensive Team selections and a championship resume that speaks for itself. At 35 years old, he may not have the same athleticism to be that lockdown perimeter defender, at least to the extent we are accustomed to seeing through his career. Still, this is a significant upgrade for Portland and could be the very move that propels them into being a top ten defense for the entirety of next season.
Another thing to consider is that Portland's successful end-of-season stretch included Donovan Clingan as their starting center, as Deandre Ayton was shut down after their game on February 10. The Blazers' improved defense corresponded with Clingan stepping into the starting role. Portland surrendered 112.4 points per 100 possessions when Clingan was on the court, which was four points less than when he was off the court.
Everything points to the Blazers having an elite defense in 2025-26. Joe Cronin and Chauncey Billups seemed aligned on Portland's defensive identity, and their roster is a perfect fit for accomplishing that on paper. They have all the ingredients required for a successful defensive recipe: a lockdown perimeter defender (Holiday), versatile wings (Camara, Avdija, and Thybulle), and elite rim protectors (Clingan and Williams). That's incredible depth with multiple players capable of making an All-Defensive Team. But to continue the cooking analogy, there's a difference between having these ingredients and the finished product coming out of the oven tasting as intended.
The Blazers are fighting an uphill battle out west. They lack stars and overall offensive firepower, meaning they must win games by having a better defense than their opponent. That should happen more often than not, especially because of their offseason moves. However, how consistently it occurs could be the difference between Portland getting a play-in spot or not.