PORTLAND — Robin Lopez’s game-winner in Tuesday’s 105-103 win against the Denver Nuggets went almost exactly as Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts had planned.
While Lopez and Stotts got a lot of the glory, Stotts is clear that LaMarcus Aldridge’s pass wasn’t as easy as it seemed.
“Robin had (J.J. Hickson) sealed,” Stotts said. “J.J. had a strong arm around him and turned the body so the pass wasn’t as open as it could have been. LaMarcus put it on the money.”
Aldridge has made that pass many times before. But the play showed another progression in his growth as a passer.
“I’ve seen his passing improve,” Stotts said. “Part of it is the responsibility of his teammates to get into position where he can find them. I think he’s gotten better when he picks and pops, when they rotate to him, swing it to the weak side for a corner shot.”
Aldridge frequently studies film of double teams and making quicker reads to pass the ball.
Along for the ride
The Indiana Pacers are a very different team from the one that visited the Moda Center last season. Paul George, who scored 43 points in last year’s visit to Portland, is out indefinitely after a gruesome leg injury in the summer.
During pregame, head coach Frank Vogel brought a little bit of levity to his team’s situation when asked why George made the trip.
“We’re hoping he could play tonight,” Vogel said with a smile on his face.”He was hot last year in this building.”
All jokes aside, the Pacers want George with the team on the road trip to rehab and he was taking jump shots in warm-ups.
“He’s increasing his rehabilitation,” Vogel said. “We just wanted him with us for the five day trip.”
High praise
Vogel has a reputation as one of the best defensive coaches in the league. He talked about the difficulties guarding the Blazers and in particular their dynamic duo of Aldridge and Damian Lillard.
“LaMarcus and Damian have an ability to create their own shots, use the pick and roll games,” Vogel said. “And it’s probably one of, if not the toughest guard-big tandem to guard in the NBA.”
