Trail Blazers’ Tiago Splitter Reveals Strategy for Sharpe, Avdija, and Grant
Portland Trail Blazers interim head coach Tiago Splitter is navigating a challenging season. Currently, the team holds a record of 9 wins and 16 losses. Despite the unexpected circumstances, Splitter has fostered the development of three key scorers: Deni Avdija, Shaedon Sharpe, and Jerami Grant.
Key Scorers’ Performance
The trio is contributing significantly to the team’s offense, with their scoring averages as follows:
- Deni Avdija: 25.4 points per game (PPG)
- Shaedon Sharpe: 21.1 PPG
- Jerami Grant: 19.3 PPG
Nevertheless, their shooting efficiency leaves much to be desired. Avdija leads with a scoring efficiency of 0.55, while Sharpe is currently below 0.50.
Strategies for Improvement
Splitter emphasizes a more aggressive approach for his top scorers. He believes they need to attack the basket more consistently. “Those guys have talent; we need them to be aggressive,” he stated. This assertion underlines his focus on shot selection over raw shooting statistics.
Splitter elaborates, “Sometimes, if you take 30 shots in a game and they were good shots, that’s fine. However, if you make only four shots and they’re all bad, that needs to be addressed.” His viewpoint highlights the importance of evaluating the quality of shots taken, rather than solely focusing on total shot counts.
Recent Game Analysis
In their latest game against the New Orleans Pelicans, the Trail Blazers suffered a defeat, ending 143-120. A significant factor was their reliance on three-point shots. The team managed only 14 successful shots out of 48 attempts from beyond the arc.
Sharpe was an exception with a 4-for-6 performance, while Avdija and Grant combined for a disappointing 2-for-12 from long range. The Blazers faced additional challenges, missing their primary big men: Donovan Clingan, Yang Hansen, and Robert Williams III.
Looking Ahead
As the Trail Blazers strive to improve, integrating Splitter’s aggressive shooting strategy will be crucial. Observing how Avdija, Sharpe, and Grant adapt will be key to enhancing their performance on the court moving forward.
