Albert Einstein once said “Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler”. It stands to reason that simple shots in basketball are preferable to difficult ones. While a contested three over a double team will look great on the highlight reel, an open layup works far more often.
The easiest baskets tend to come on fast breaks and in transition, but that was an area that the Portland Trail Blazers fell short in last season. After finishing 21st in transition offense in 2015-2016, and 25th in 2016-2017, the team bottomed out at 30th last season, with 10.