Good coaches get the most out of the rosters they are handed. That hasn't necessarily been the case for Portland under Tiago Splitter this season. The Trail Blazers are tied for the third-most three-point attempts in the league (42.3 per game) yet rank second-worst in three-point efficiency (33.7%).
For context, Portland was a middle-of-the-pack three-point team under Chauncey Billups, ranking 14th last season. This has been a problem throughout the season, as there's a contrast between Joe Cronin's roster construction and Splitter's preferred playstyle.
Tiago Splitter's playstyle doesn't match the roster Joe Cronin built
Cronin attempted to address this problem at the trade deadline, acquiring sharpshooter Vit Krejci. But the root of the problem is that their young core and building blocks consist of poor-to-average three-point shooters. Look at Portland's last five first-round selections: Shaedon Sharpe (33.3% career three-point shooter), Scoot Henderson (33.1%), Kris Murray (25.0%), Donovan Clingan (32.9%), and Yang Hansen (12.5%).
The Blazers have promising young pieces and a roster full of untapped potential, but they also need to better utilize those players' strengths. Cronin has constructed a roster full of lengthy, physical, athletic, and, for the most part, defensive-minded players. That's resulted in extremes that make sense given their roster and playstyle.
In terms of the possession battle, they compensate for severe playmaking woes and backcourt uncertainty with positional size and rebounding. Portland is dead last in turnovers (17.3 per game) by a wide margin. They're second in offensive rebounding (14.0 per game), which is an expected tradeoff.
However, the poor three-point shooting also comes with the territory of the strengths and weaknesses of the player archetype Cronin has prioritized throughout this rebuild. That alone is problematic, considering the analytical importance of the three-ball in the modern NBA.
Just look at how the Hornets' young core is thriving with their three-point-heavy trio of LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, and Kon Knueppel. But for whatever reason, Portland is currently matching that roster's average attempts.
Ideally, Splitter's three-point heavy offense wouldn't be an issue. In a vacuum, it's not a bad approach, as good shooting teams typically have success. Last season, seven of the eight teams in the Conference Finals ranked in the top 10 in three-point efficiency, with the only exception being the Golden State Warriors.
Unfortunately, that's not the reality of the roster Cronin has constructed. The Blazers' front office has typically won its trades, stealing building blocks in Deni Avdija and Toumani Camara. Their draft picks are a different story. They haven't quite nailed these selections, and the fit is even more problematic than the talent.
In the short term, Splitter needs to adjust his approach to align with the roster, as it gives Portland the best chance of making the postseason. In the bigger picture, incoming owner Tom Dundon has a lot to consider. Portland's coach and general manager aren't on the same page when it comes to the on-court product, and eventually something has to give.