The Trail Blazers will enter the 2021-22 season with a new head coach for the first time since Terry Stotts’ opening campaign in 2012-13. Under Stotts, with a roster constructed by President of Basketball Operations Neil Olshey, the Blazers have struggled to put forth a competent defense. With that in mind, Portland’s next head coach could feature a defense-first approach in order to counter those issues.
According to ESPN’s Kevin Pelton, that approach might not yield immediate improvements. On Friday, Pelton explained that countering an output imbalance with a coaching hire doesn’t always lead to the desired outcome.