Many point to the Portland Trail Blazers' lack of three-point shooting as the biggest issue plaguing the lackluster offense, but it's actually the turnovers that have been more problematic.
Portland finished the season ranked dead last in turnovers per game (17.3) by a wide margin. They were never a great shooting team, but had a roster designed to make up for it elsewhere by winning the possession battle, forcing steals, and generating offensive rebounds. However, that plan goes down the drain if they can't take care of the ball.
It's a glaring issue that Portland's newest head coach, Micah Nori, continually emphasized throughout his introductory press conference.
Micah Nori already has a plan to limit the Blazers' turnovers
Jason Quick of The Athletic asked Nori how he plans on helping this team win, to which he responded:
"There are some things we can clean up. We're not going to lead the league in turnovers… We are going to be very good at what we are, what we define as being important, what we pay attention to, and the execution of those things."
Nori highlighted the turnover issue early on in the press conference and went into further detail about how he plans on fixing that problem later on. For instance, Joe Freeman of The Oregonian asked Nori what his vision for this roster's playstyle was. Nori provided a well-thought-out answer for how this oftentimes reckless team can take better care of the ball:
"Offensively, the easiest way to think of it is, when the clock is moving, we're moving… we will do that with defined spacing. We'll get to the corners, create space for these guys, and it will be a lot more concepts where it's not just playcalls where you're going from A to B. There will be reads, decision-making, and that will also help cut down the turnovers, which we led the league in, as I mentioned."
Nori wants the Blazers to win on the margins
Another point of emphasis by Nori, in response to Freeman, was late-game execution, frequently mentioning that Portland finished last season 21-22 in two-possession games in the final five minutes. He wants to get that win percentage closer to 65, achieving that by winning on the margins.
"We will also crash the glass, get the extra points, extra possessions, because it is an analytical game when it comes to that, as far as not turning it over and going to get second chance points, and as we mentioned, 21-22 in two-possession games. Any place where you can win those margins, that's where we'll be."
Portland should naturally be better in the turnover department next season with a healthier backcourt highlighted by Damian Lillard's return. Hopefully, Deni Avdija will be more comfortable in his point-forward role, figuring out how to take care of the ball without compromising his aggressive, downhill style of play.
But if Nori can implement this plan to improve floor spacing and overall movement, Portland's offense could look entirely revamped next season. Shooting is a key area of emphasis for what Portland needs to add externally this summer, and rightfully so. But internally, their turnover problem should be the top priority.
Portland's entire roster identity is predicated on winning the possession battle. They've achieved that in other areas, but have yet to reap the benefits, as their offensive playmaking brings the entire formula down.
Fortunately, Nori has not only identified it as an obvious area of weakness but also has a plan of attack to address it this offseason.
This was just one example of how promising the Nori hiring is for Portland, who appears to be an even better fit for the Blazers than expected after hearing his perspective on how to get the most out of this roster going forward.
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