Why Trail Blazers Should Pass on an Andrew Bogut Trade
Dallas will certainly take trade offers for Andrew Bogut this season. However, the Trail Blazers should not be involved.
With the continued (and justified) scrutiny surrounding the Trail Blazers defense, NBA trade rumors are swirling. Portland’s defense is by far the worst in the NBA and the worst in the last six years according to basketball-reference.com’s defensive rating. A seemingly quick fix for the defensive issues is to trade for a rim protector.
Hey – Andrew Bogut is on the market.
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ESPN’s Marc Stein suggested that the Celtics were interested in Bogut last week, but mentioned that Portland would be a good fit as well. Some fans took this as that Portland is also interested in the Mavericks’ big man, but that’s probably not the case… hopefully.
Rim protection not the issue
A trade for Andrew Bogut does not make sense for Portland. While there are an inordinate amount of problems with the Trail Blazers’ defense, rim protection is not at the top of the list. By most rim protection statistics, Portland actually fares quite well this season.
According to NBA.com, the Blazers are the third best team at defending within six feet of the hoop. In terms of the spatial whereabouts that the opposition scores at-will, it’s clearly mid-range and three pointers. Portland ranks near the bottom of the league in defending long 2’s, 3’s and at the very bottom giving up free throws. I’m just not convinced Bogut’s presence will help the guards/wings stay on their man and close out quicker on jump shooters.
Bogut’s other positive attributes, screening and passing, would fit in very well in Portland’s offensive scheme. The Blazers bigs have never put fear in the opposition with screens like Bogut does. However, Mason Plumlee’s passing continues to excel and Bogut is not an upgrade in that respect.
No Thanks
Given the Maverick’s expensive payroll and likely rebuilding status, owner Mark Cuban will want a first round pick and/or a cheap asset in return. As we all know in Portland, Neil Olshey does not have cheap assets to work with anymore. Finally, Considering Bogut’s injury history (and current injury), can Portland fans even stomach another center with knee issues?
The ‘trade rumor’ was merely suggestion from Marc Stein last week. There have not been official rumors of interest on Portland’s side. Let’s hope it stays that way.
