Norman Powell Portland Trail Blazers.
Neil Olshey promised big changes this offseason. Unfortunately, I don’t think a C- grade measured up to. From the firing of Terry Stotts to free agency, I will take you through Neil Olshey’s moves to make this a better team for Damian Lillard. Although C- is not a failing grade, it may mean failing moves to Lillard.
Terry Stotts was fired almost immediately after exiting the 2020-21 playoffs in the first round – again. Should he have been let go? Yes. But everything wasn’t his fault. Did he have a great roster? No. Did he pick the roster? No. Did he do the best he could with the roster he had? No.
I’m giving Stotts’ firing a B grade because he may not have had the best pieces, but he had enough pieces to do more damage in the playoffs. A good coach listens to his players. In that respect, Stotts failed.
He was booted out of the playoffs in the first round in four of the last five seasons. Further, Portland had the second-worst defensive rating in the league. So finally, after nine seasons, it was time.
Damian Lillard requested two people to be his next coach. Jason Kidd or Chauncey Billups. Kidd said no. Olshey hired Billups. There were as many people that wanted Billups as Head Coach as those who hated the idea.
Billups’ hiring was shrouded in controversy over past alleged acts. The fuss grew so loud that at one point, Dame denied asking for him. Nevertheless, it was the man Neil Olshey wanted all along.
Other than that, Billups is a first-time head coach. He assisted Tyronn Lue with the LA Clippers last season. That is the extent of his coaching experience. It is Chauncey’s goal to bring the defensive rating up and make smarter offensive moves. It doesn’t have to be three-pointers all the time…does it?
It’s not hard to see why this was an A. Norman Powell was as much of a major factor in Portland as he was in Toronto. I can almost guarantee that Damian Lillard would be a ghost from this team if Olshey had not re-signed Powell. His stats say a lot about why Portland re-signed him.
In 69 games, Powell averaged 18.6 points and 3.1 rebounds. per game (combined Raptors and Blazers). Only the team’s departing players had higher field goal percentages than Powell’s 48 percent. From beyond the arc, he hit 41 percent and went 87 percent from the line. So re-signing Powell was a no-brainer and a must.
Who do you get to replace Carmelo Anthony‘s shooting abilities or Enes Kanter‘s rebounding?
I know he’s 37, and his defense is all but non-existent. But he’s Carmelo Anthony! Last season Melo came off the bench in 69 of 72 games and averaged 13 points a game. He shot 42 percent from the field, 41 percent from three, and 90 percent from the free-throw line. Carmelo was second also in the league in mid-range points. That sweet mid-range jumper will be missed!
Kanter played in every game last season. His defense also needs work, but the man averaged 11 rebounds per game. He had the most rebounds in a game this season with 30. His field goal percentage was 60, and he shot 77 percent from the foul line. The big man was third in the league in offensive rebounds and third in second-chance points. His percentage of points in the paint is 84.
Zach Collins, 23, Power Forward/Center
He may be only 23, but Zach Collins is injury-laden. So moving on from him was a good decision.
I don’t know if these players will improve the Blazers’ team, but I also don’t know if they won’t help either. It is tough to rate players who log only minimal minutes in a game and not many games. Therefore…
Ben McLemore has played on six teams, including the Blazers. Last season, with the Lakers, he played in 53 games, coming off the bench. He averaged 7.7 points on 37 percent shooting. McLemore drained 37 percent of his shots from three and was 74 percent from the free-throw line.
Last season Cody Zeller played 48 of 72 games. He has not played a full NBA season since 2013-14. In those 48 games, he averaged 9.4 points and 6.8 rebounds. Zeller hit on 56 percent from the field, 14 percent from three, and 71 percent from the line.
Tony Snell is the player who was perfect from the foul line last season. He very well should have been because he only took two shots! The Blazers are Snell’s fifth team. During his brief appearances off the bench for the Atlanta Hawks last year, Snell contributed 52 percent from the field, 57 percent from three, and of course, 100 percent from the free-throw line.
That all comes out to the Trail Blazers offseason score of C-.
Of course, PNWS will keep you informed on any further developments. Stay safe!
What grade would you give the Portland Trail Blazers offseason? Let us know in the comments section below or on social media.