Of the myriad of issues hurting the Portland Trail Blazers early this season, the largest culprit may not be in the inability to get Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum going at the same time, or the defense, or the injuries. It could very well be the rebounding.
The early numbers look ugly. Opponent offensive rebounds are up 18.2 percent per game, while Portland’s defensive rebounds are down. The Blazers offensive boards are down over ten percent. Overall, opponents are grabbing fifteen percent more rebounds than last season, and Portland’s team defensive rebound percentage is 74.