The Portland Trail Blazers’ turnover issues have been one of the longest problems in the 2025-26 season. There is immense potential with Tiago Splitter’s system, but it has its limits. They want to rely on the guards’ playmaking, but they are struggling with keeping the ball.
Tiago Splitter Wants to Fix the Trail Blazers’ Turnover Issues
Across all 30 NBA teams this season, the Portland Trail Blazers average the most turnovers per game. They are throwing the ball away 17.3 turnovers a night, which is by far the worst in the league. The Charlotte Hornets are 29th-worst in the league with 15.9 turnovers a night.
That is a huge gap of 1.9 turnovers between the Blazers and the Hornets. The seventh-ranked Toronto Raptors average 1.9 fewer turnovers. It is a massive problem for the Trail Blazers, considering their offense is suffering because of this particular issue.
Scoot Henderson‘s return is promising, but he is still turning the ball over too often. Jrue Holiday and Deni Avdija also throw the ball away, which has led to issues within Splitter’s system.
Splitter and His Players Can Resolve the Blazers’ Turnover Issues
The Blazers are well aware of the issues they have with turnovers. Their offense could be better, but they are not doing a good job of taking care of the ball. In yesterday’s game against the Utah Jazz, they were much better at taking care of the ball. However, Splitter was still not a big fan of what he saw.
“We still had 19 turnovers. That’s something that we gotta get better at, something that we gotta focus on,” Splitter said postgame.
Even Holiday would admit that the Blazers are not doing a good job. Considering he is a 17-year veteran and a two-time champion, his opinion matters. In the long run, Holiday and Damian Lillard‘s presence will help the guards’ playmaking.
Splitter’s System Has a Higher Ceiling
The Blazers have shown they have solid potential with the current roster. With Avdija and Shaedon Sharpe leading the way, they have reliable offensive players. Of course, they both have limits, but the positives outweigh the negatives.
Double Trouble.
Deni Avdija and Shaedon Sharpe absolutely went off tonight with 30+ points each! pic.twitter.com/Ymg5bYQZEp
— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) November 13, 2025
They also need help with their efficiency, but that is where the turnovers become an issue. The Blazers could’ve had a more efficient lineup if they had point guards leading the offense for the entire season. Holiday and Henderson have missed plenty of games, which led to Avdija taking charge.
If everyone is healthy, the Blazers can be one of the most impressive offenses in the league. Holiday and Henderson have only returned recently, but they look more fluid in recent games. The youngster, in particular, has shown that speeding up the game matters for the Blazers.
Of course, Henderson is still throwing the ball away frequently, but his turnovers are much more forgivable. He is showing some good intent with his passes and aggression, which is promising. As he becomes more accustomed to the system, Henderson will improve.
Feb 12, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Scoot Henderson (00) passes against Utah Jazz guard Vince Williams Jr. (0) during the first half at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images
The Guards’ Playmaking is Crucial For the Blazers
Now that Holiday and Henderson are back playing for the Blazers, they have a good guard rotation. Blake Wesley also matters here since he plays as a ball-handler. With three reliable ball-handlers on the roster, they can reduce the Blazers’ turnover issues.
Even with the turnovers and still finding his rhythm Scoot has found ways to impact the game every night since he’s been back. He just makes everyone’s life so much easier.
— Blazer Banter (@blazerbanter) February 13, 2026
They need to be much better at reading defenses because they throw the ball away too often. With Holiday’s leadership, the Blazers can improve their playmaking. Taking care of the ball is a team-wide issue, so they should focus on running the offense better.
Splitter has honed in on this issue, so the All-Star break could help the players reset. This will be a useful break for the coaching staff to refine the offense. Splitter’s system is promising, but he needs to be more imaginative. Remaining secure will matter, but he has to strike the right balance.
© Troy Taormina-Imagn Images