Zoned Out
Andrew R Tonry | Tuesday, October 16, 2012 at 12:03AM 
If there’s anything to take from the Blazers’ 117-100 loss Monday in Sacramento, it’s that Portland’s zone defense needs work, so explains The Oregonian’s Joe Freeman, who was on the scene:
Stotts only started implementing the Blazers’ zone four or five days ago, mostly during game-day shootarounds, so he expected Monday night might be a bumpy road. At least he didn’t have to wait long to see the struggles.
Now, I don’t want to prematurely jump the gun on any scheme less than a week old—much less anything that happens in a NBA preseason game—but Monday’s struggles may well be indicative of the Blazers’ most significant deficit entering the 2013 season: defense.
Sure, the Blazers’ have a few guys who can find the hoop. But how many times will they lose high-scoring games? As the saying goes: “Defense wins Championships.”
But perhaps that old axiom ought to be amended to read something more like:”Defense wins basketball games.”
Just about everybody—save the currently unemployed Mike D’Antoni, and the long lost but still loved Don Nelson—would agree. Somewhere, perhaps quietly, they’re nodding too.
Reader Comments (1)
This is a young team, and most of these young players got to where they are by scoring the rock, so let's give them a chance to develop some defensive chemistry. We know they have the desire and the tools, let's hope Coach has also.