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#3 The Portland Trail Blazers were terrible in moving the ball
The Portland Trail Blazers ranked 30th in assists because they were not adept in finding an open man. It was so because the guards were looked upon for scoring and not necessarily for creating chances. It was often a two-man game between Lillard and McCollum.
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Teams set offensive plays differently, but the Portland Trail Blazers' style was easy to read and defend. Although Lillard's deep 3's were unstoppable, the team's heavy reliance on 3-point shooting was not always productive.
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#4 The Portland Trail Blazers lacked backcourt depth
With most of the players in the Portland Trail Blazers' roster being forwards, the backcourt suffered, as there were no like-for-like swaps available.
As things stand, Damian Lillard is the only point guard in the team's roster. Although he takes breaks in every game, his replacement is not a true guard who can create and control the pace of games.
Anfernee Simons is the only replacement available for CJ McCollum. Although he provides a certain dimension with his game, he is not as explosive for a team that intends to compete for the championship.
Carmelo Anthony is a good ball-handler who can bring the ball up the court when Dame and CJ take break. But he is not as fluid in calling plays because he is not a natural guard.
#5 The frontcourt was not a key point contributor
The Portland Trail Blazers are a guard-based team, meaning that much of the scoring is left to the backcourt. While they pulled their weight, they were easier targets as opposition teams did not have to worry so much about other players.
Although Nurkic registered a decent number for the Portland Trail Blazers, not much could be said about the team's starters in the frontcourt.
Covington excels in the catch-and-shoot game but played mostly for his defensive acumen and not for what he could contribute in offense. He went scoreless on occasions because he was not primed to take shots for the team.
The extent to which they were affected by their guard-based system was glaring, especially in the playoffs.
On the night that Lillard recorded 55 points in the 157-150 loss against the Denver Nuggets, no other Trail Blazers player scored more than 20 points. The Nuggets, on the other hand, had three players with 20+ points, while two others registered double digits.
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