If you’re nostalgic about 1980’s NBA style of play, then guys like Patrick Beverly and Draymond Green add a sense of excitement to your viewing. They play hard defense and refuse to back down from a challenging assignment. Blazer fans are well aware of Beverly’s insistent pestering of Damian Lillard during Clipper games. As easy as these players are to hate, they’re incredibly valuable to a team’s defensive core.
Who fills that role for the Portland Trail Blazers, this season?
Robert Covington is most certainly the best defender on the Trail Blazers roster. His length and quickness create mismatch nightmares against guards who hang out on the perimeter. His attitude doesn’t reflect a mean or edgy player, though. Covington commands a cool and calm domineer that many of the Trail Blazers feed off.
Jusuf Nurkic is another option to command that defensive “goon” role, but his paint scoring is too valuable to compromise. Much like Covington, Nurk is an important piece on the offensive end when Damian Lillard or CJ McCollum are having bad shooting nights. So that leaves a selection of talented bench players to choose from.
TJ Leaf was just signed to a two-day contract, which might help produce six fouls. He’s an untested young player who could convert high energy into a defensive presence. Either way, Portland need to improve defensively.
They are near historically BAD defensive numbers this season.
