Team Notes: Split frequently used small lineups, Klingen’s performance was affected&&; Xiao Yang was unable to play

November 9th, today Trail Blazers reporter Reese Kunz published an article talking about the shortcomings of Split's current fast-playing tactics.

Portland Trail Blazers interim head coach Split, like former Paris coach Isalo (now the head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies), frequently makes substitutions and adjustments to maintain the vitality of the players, which seems to be very effective so far. But Split's recent rapid rotation has also exposed some problems.

Split's rotation strategy is very suitable for the Blazers on the defensive end, as the team hopes to dominate the court and put pressure on opponents. However, this strategy had negative consequences on the offensive end. As Ja Morant said, players need time to find a rhythm. For the Trail Blazers, Seldon Sharp is a player who has been negatively affected. He performed well in the offseason and won the starting position, but performed poorly at the beginning of the season, shooting only 38.3% from the field and as low as 24.6% from three-point range. Although Sharp himself needs to take responsibility for this inefficient performance, Split's rotation strategy did not make it easy for him. The good news is that Sharpe is more engaged on the defensive end, taking advantage of his length and excellent athleticism. However, if he can't significantly improve his shooting efficiency, his future will be limited.

As the Blazers' roster gets healthier, the rotation may become shorter, especially if Splitter has more backcourt options, such as Scooter Henderson. In addition, Klingen's situation also deserves attention. He has greatly improved his physical fitness during the offseason and hopes to play more than 30 minutes a night. Klingen's performance on the defensive end is as good as expected, but he is currently averaging only 24.2 minutes per game. Due to the fast rotation rhythm, the Blazers did not take full advantage of the inside. Klingen was the key to elevating the Blazers' defense from good to top. For example, in a game against the Lakers on the 4th, Ayton scored 29 points, while Klingen only played 18 minutes.

Splitter has obviously done a good job in promoting this young team, but the Blazers must realize that relying too much on this rotation strategy may backfire, resulting in players like Klingen not being able to fully perform, Sharpe not being able to find his rhythm, and rookie Yang Hansen not being able to play because he is not suitable.

Overall, Splitter's experience is positive for the Trail Blazers, and he has proven his ability to become a permanent head coach. He just needs to find a better balance going forward to fully unleash the potential of this team and lead them back to the playoffs.