Predicting the 5 worst defensive teams in the 2021-22 NBA season
The majority of the worst defensive teams in the NBA are keeping close tabs on the lottery situation that coming offseason. However, every year there are poor defensive teams that are playoff/play-in focused with the idea of simply outscoring their opponents. The Portland Trail Blazers seem to regularly be in that conversation, and they are one of the few rosters that pull it off to an extent.
Here are the five worst defensive ratings from the 2020-21 NBA season. The Sacramento Kings (116.5), Portland Trail Blazers (115.3), Minnesota Timberwolves (114.5), Houston Rockets (114.4), and the Orlando Magic (113.9). Only the 2019-20 Cleveland Cavaliers have ever posted a worse defensive rating in NBA history than the Kings or Blazers did last season.
Of the aforementioned five rosters, I have four that make my list this NBA season. The Sacramento Kings are the only ones not included, because defense has been such a commonly stated focal point for them throughout this offseason. The Kings also notably improved in that aspect after acquiring Terence Davis II, Maurice Harkless, and Delon Wright last deadline. Their defensive rating was 23rd post all-star break.
Those additions paired with Davion Mitchell, Alex Len, and Tristan Thompson should help Sacramento get out of the bottom five on defense at least.
Here are the teams I predict to record the five worst defensive ratings in the 2021-22 NBA season.
#5 Minnesota Timberwolves
Chris Finch is allegedly going to be changing up the defensive scheme run in Minnesota this season, but their roster could still cause struggles on that end. The center has one of the most influential defensive roles in basketball, and Karl-Anthony Towns has not shown a consistent ability to impact the game there despite his elite offensive skillset.
Other core pieces of the roster can be liabilities on defense at times as well. D'Angelo Russell, Anthony Edwards and Malik Beasley are the offensive-oriented players who should be receiving big minutes when healthy in the 2021-22 NBA season.
There is a chance I am underselling the impact of Patrick Beverley, Josh Okogie and at times Jaden McDaniels but a competent defense needs more than that.
There were about three teams in consideration for this fifth spot, but Minnesota won the race.
#4 Portland Trail Blazers
Year after year now, the Portland Trail Blazers find themselves with a top NBA offense, but bottom defense. The two key pieces of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum obviously fit that trend, as does often injured big man Jusuf Nurkic.
Playing both Carmelo Anthony and Enes Kanter, two of the worst defenders in the NBA, for nearly 25 minutes per night certainly did not help last season. The Blazers have shown defensive growth since trading Gary Trent Jr. for Norman Powell, but is it enough? They still recorded the 26th overall defensive rating post the NBA All-Star break.
The obvious positive defenders are Robert Covington and the newly acquired Larry Nance Jr. The fit of Nance in Portland is intriguing to me, and a lineup of Lillard, McCollum, Powell, Covington, and Nance could perform well on defense.
That very well could be one of the very few positive defensive rotations available this season. Maybe Chauncey Billups will put more of an emphasis on defense than Terry Stotts did, but the roster does not feel talented enough on that end.
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