I can't have been the only one to notice that the Blazers do not really have a pick and roll play. If they do, then they barely ever use it, and that I cannot understand.

The most common Blazer play I've seen this year has been the pick and pop. In that play, TheMarcus sets a pick for a driving Brandon, LMA then drifts about 20 feet from the basket and waits for Brandon to kick him the ball back. It's a long jumper that isn't a 3, but he's very good at making the shot. It's not the worst, but it's an easy play to scout, and the better defensive teams have shut it down. What does Aldridge never do? Roll hard to the hoop.

The other two most common Pick-setters for Portland are Joel and Greg. Time and time again after they've set their screen, the run straight into the middle of the paint, arms high looking for the entry pass/lob that (almost) never comes. And that is what is driving me bonkers.

There have been only a few times this season that the Blazer guards have seen this, and made the play. In fact I remember reading a Jason Quick article early in the season where Nate showed tape of just this thing. I believe it was specifically about Joel getting into the paint, and no one looking for him. Brandon Roy obviously listened, because the very next game he had at least 3 pick-and-roll plays with Przybilla that the VG dunked hard on. Sergio and Rudy are the only Blazers to exploit this with any consistency, and even then it's not much. Dwayne Wade, when paired with Shaq, got probably two extra assits per game with this sort of play.

I will have to search the O-Live archives. I'll update this later with a link to the article and game once I've found it.