To put it bluntly, the Portland Trail Blazers stink on defense.
Giving up 109.7 points per 100 possessions, the Blazers have the second-worst defense in the league, ahead of only the Lakers. They are also in the bottom of the league in rebounding, ranked 27th overall.
Portland is not devoid of strong defenders, though. Al-Farouq Aminu and Maurice Harkless are fine defenders. Yet overall the Blazers have struggled on defense, which is a major reason why Portland is six games under .500 and ninth in the Western Conference.
Portland's lack of rim protection has contributed to its defensive woes. And with Sixers big man Nerlens Noel not happy with his playing time in Philadelphia, he seems like an ideal fit on the Blazers. However, according to ESPN's Chris Haynes, the Blazers aren't interested in trading for Noel or frequent trade rumor fodder DeMarcus Cousins:
A trade for Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins or disgruntled Philadelphia 76ers big man Nerlens Noel could help the team, but sources say they are not on Portland's radar.
On paper, either one would be a huge help to the Blazers. Noel perhaps more so on the defensive end but adding an All-Star like Cousins would be a huge upgrade in the Portland front court. So why aren't the Blazers interested?
One reason is that the Blazers believe in their core team and that they can turn things around. This is essentially what happened with Portland last season. They struggled at the start of the season but then got in a little rhythm in January and February, which ultimately helped them secure a playoff spot.
Portland invested a lot of money in the offseason to bring back their team from last season and it seems like they are going to stick with this group. That could change as we get closer to February's trade deadline but for now, the Blazers seem focused on improving from within.