Portland Trail Blazers: Teams to hope for in the 2015 NBA playoffs
As Bryce Olin discussed earlier today, the NBA regular season is closing rapidly. With only a month left, it really is time to start thinking about the playoffs. Barring a catastrophic slide, the Trail Blazers should be comfortably in, but at what seed and against who remains to be seen.
With the Western Conference as tight as it is, and so many teams clustered with similar records, it will be nearly impossible to predict exactly how the standings will end up until the very last day of the season. With that being said, it is never too early to start thinking about potential matchups in general.
Bryce already covered who he believes unfavorable matchups will be, so let’s take a look at who the Trail Blazers shouldn’t be too afraid of. Wishing for an opponent is a dangerous game, but being in the West, every potential opponent will be tough. These teams, though, are simply better matchups.
Mar 5, 2015; Portland, OR, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Monta Ellis (11) defends Portland Trail Blazers center Robin Lopez (42) at Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports
Dallas Mavericks
Starting things off, the Trail Blazers could probably take the Dallas Mavericks in a seven-game series. The regular season series speaks for itself. The teams have met three times, with the Trail Blazers winning two of them in blowouts. The other game was an overtime loss, when the Trail Blazers had the game in hand before utterly choking it away. That performance was so bad, I consider it an anomaly, and I don’t expect a repeat.
Talent-wise, the Trail Blazers definitely have an edge, but the Mavericks are led by Rick Carlisle, one of the premiere coaches in the league. This isn’t to take away from Terry Stotts and his coaching abilities, but Carlisle knows how to exploit opponents right at their weak points. Last year his Mavericks were the only team to take the Spurs to seven games on their road to the championship, and his coaching will be able to make any playoff series competitive.
Dec 22, 2014; Houston, TX, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) during the game against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Houston Rockets
Next up are the Houston Rockets, a team the Trail Blazers are well familiar with after the thrilling six-game series last season. While the Rockets have the same core, their team has taken on a different look this season, as James Harden has had to shoulder more of the load with Dwight Howard frequently being injured.
The teams have played three times this season, but all games come with a significant asterisk. In the Trail Blazers’ two wins (by five and 11 points), Howard did not play. In the lone Rockets win (by 15), LaMarcus Aldridge did not play. If, and that’s a big if, everyone plays for both teams at full health, scrutinizing the regular season games will not be as useful since so much talent was missing.
A series would likely depend on how quickly and effectively Howard can reenter the Rockets lineup, and how the Trail Blazers will contain Harden. Last year it was Wesley Matthews who put forth a Herculean effort in slowing him down, and without that option, the Trail Blazers will have to turn toward Nicolas Batum or Arron Afflalo. These matchups would be pivotal for the series.
Jan 14, 2015; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward Nicolas Batum (88) and Los Angeles Clippers forward Matt Barnes (22) go after a loose ball during the fourth quarter of the game at the Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. Mandatory Credit: Steve Dykes-USA TODAY Sports
Los Angeles Clippers
Lastly, the Trail Blazers should not be overly afraid to see the Los Angeles Clippers in round one. Even though the regular season series doesn’t look pretty at first glance (two losses and one overtime win), all three games were close, with the two losses coming by a combined 10 points.
This would be far from an easy series, but once again, any series in the Western Conference will be difficult. Chris Paul has historically given Damian Lillard fits, and this is certainly a major cause for concern. Unless the Trail Blazers can hide Lillard on someone else defensively (which I am sure they would try to do at times), Lillard would have his hands full on both ends of the court.
Additionally, J.J. Redick has had great success against the Trail Blazers, posting games of 26 and 30 points already this season. For a spot-up shooter as talented as Redick is, the only way to truly contain him is rigid defensive discipline. That’s easy to say in practice, but I have confidence that Stotts would be able to make the right adjustments to keep Redick from going off. Not to be overshadowed, Clippers center DeAndre Jordan has experienced a leap this season as well, as both his field goal percentage and rebounding numbers are approaching otherworldly.
Despite all these seeming obstacles, other than Jamal Crawford, the Clippers’ bench is paper thin. While the Blazers’ bench has not always been stellar, it could definitely be considered an advantage in this hypothetical series. In three games this season against the Trail Blazers, the Clippers’ bench has scored 44 total points. Twenty-five of those points were from Crawford in one game. Let that sink in.
When it’s all said and done, no playoff series in the Western Conference will be easy. No matter how the pairings shake out, I legitimately think that any playoff team in the West has a shot in a seven-game series against any other playoff team. That’s how competitive it is. Ultimately, the Trail Blazers will have to deal with whatever hand they are dealt, but if it can be one of these three teams, the matchups may be more favorable than any of the alternatives.