BROOKLYN – Portland Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts doesn’t run any crazy offensive scheme. He just tries to get the most out of his talented players. Often this season, that has meant letting his shooters shoot with the rest taking care of itself.
So far, that has been a major key to the success of the NBA’s hottest team. It seems simple, but in a sporting landscape where coaches like to exert influence or control, sometimes giving individuals freedom can get the most out of a ballclub.
A prime example took place in the first quarter of Portland’s 108-98 win in Brooklyn, when Wes Matthews hit four 3-pointers without a miss over the first six minutes.
“After the first one went in, I started hunting a little more,” he said. “The second one went in and I was definitely hunting for it.”
Matthews’ unilateral heat checks are one of the reasons the Blazers are 9-2 with seven straight wins. With a dazzling second-year point guard in Damian Lillard (third in the NBA in threes), the lights-out shooting of Matthews (who leads the NBA with a 136.6 offensive rating) and a stretch-4 dynamo in LaMarcus Aldridge (who leads the NBA in field goals made), Portland has a trio of talented offensive players growing together with a creative green light from the coach. And the young Blazers are taking full advantage and reaping the benefits.
In the win over Brooklyn, Portland shot 54 percent from the field and got 70 combined points from Lillard, Matthews and Aldridge. That returning trio plus forward Nicolas Batum – who may be Portland’s most complete player – and the offseason additions made by general manager Neil Olshey have contributed to a marked offensive improvement.
“I’ve been pleased with the way we’re moving the ball,” Stotts said. “That helps our shooting percentage. It keeps everybody involved.”
That freedom and confidence – along with the continuity of eight returning players, including four starters – are just some of the reasons why Portland has greatly improved offensively this season.
| Blazers | 2012-13 | 2013-14 | League Rank Change |
| Points | 97.5 | 104.9 | 9 |
| Field Goal % | 44.8 | 46.4 | 7 |
| 3 Point FG % | 35.5 | 42.2 | 16 |
| Field Goals | 36.7 | 39.5 | 14 |
| Made 3’s | 8.2 | 9.8 | 2 |
| FT Attempts | 20.5 | 20.7 | 2 |
| Points Per Shot | 1.19 | 1.23 | 7 |
The Blazers are shooting better from the field and making more 3-point shots, contributing to 7.4 more points per game. Every added boost on the offensive end is vital to this team’s success, especially after last season ended on a 13-game losing streak.
Portland still doesn’t get to the line enough, but it has made a marked improvement in 3-point shooting. Simply converting 2.8 more baskets per game makes a big difference.
“One thing Coach Stotts allows us to do on the offensive end is play and use our abilities,” backup center Meyers Leonard said. “He kind of just lets us play free which, once you get good team chemistry, then you feed off each other and make plays. It doesn’t always come down to running a set play. We’re just feeding off each other.”
“Coach gives the players freedom to just play,” veteran guard Earl Watson said. “A shot is never questioned. But at the same time, guys are unselfish and we try to make the extra pass together as a team, which makes it easier.”
Of the “hunter” Matthews, Stotts said he is “doing this year what he did last year. He’s making clutch shots, he takes the defensive challenges. He’s maintained a high level for us. Every time he shoots it, I think it’s going in.”