This season, the Portland Trail Blazers tied the Golden State Warriors with 17 turnovers in their season opener but have lost the turnover battle in each of their last three games. Turnovers have played a role in their 1-3 record to start the season; if they don't turn things around, they could potentially have one of the worst ten-game starts in franchise history.
Turnovers are an essential aspect of success in the NBA. Last season, the NBA champion Boston Celtics had the least turnovers per game (11.9), while the runner-up Dallas Mavericks were fourth (12.5). Finishing at the bottom last year were the Utah Jazz (15.7), followed by the Portland Trail Blazers and Detroit Pistons (both at 15.2).
Where teams rank based on turnovers per game
Rank | Team | Turnovers |
|---|---|---|
30 | Toronto Raptors | 20.3 |
29 | LA Clippers | 19.0 |
28 | Charlotte Hornets | 18.3 |
27 (tied) | Portland Trail Blazers | 18.0 |
The Blazers are tied for 27th worst in turnovers per game at 18, along with the Warriors and Jazz. It's not as impressive that Portland tied Golden State in turnovers in their first game after you realize it's a glaring issue that needs to be addressed by both teams.
What adjustments can Chauncey Billups make?
Chauncey Billups' rotations shouldn't be to blame for this statistic, as it primarily has to do with the Blazers' roster construction as a whole. Portland no longer has a reliable floor general to orchestrate the offense after trading away Malcolm Brogdon in the summer.
Anfernee Simons starts at point guard but is more of a combo guard and isn't a traditional playmaker, as evidenced by his 4.8 assists and 3.8 turnovers this season. Scoot Henderson has shown much promise in his first four games this season, but the growing pains, including his turnovers (3.3), remain.
Starting Toumani Camara was the right decision. But with him now being implemented in the starting lineup, Deni Avdija and Jerami Grant have increased playmaking responsibilities, which has led to more turnovers from them this season.
Billups has made it a point of emphasis for the Blazers to play faster this season. While that's great for playing to the strengths of lightning-fast players in transition, like Scoot and Avdija, it also leads to more turnovers, especially with such a young roster still individually developing and learning to play with one another.
This is a concerning stat to be at the bottom of the league and is something that GM Joe Cronin will eventually need to address. But there isn't an immediate need to do so, as the Blazers are trying to position themselves for a top draft pick in 2025.