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Trail Blazers: Al-Farouq Will Be Dared to Shoot

By Steven Dewald

Mar 31, 2016; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward Al-Farouq Aminu (8) shoots the ball during the fourth quarter against the Boston Celtics at the Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. The Trail Blazers won 116-109. Mandatory Credit: Steve Dykes-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 31, 2016; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward Al-Farouq Aminu (8) shoots the ball during the fourth quarter against the Boston Celtics at the Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. The Trail Blazers won 116-109. Mandatory Credit: Steve Dykes-USA TODAY Sports /
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Al-Farouq Aminu’s offense will be key against the Clippers for the Trail Blazers

Most of the focus for the upcoming playoff series between the Clippers and Trail Blazers will be focused on the high profile players involved. On one side, LA is led by a three headed monster of Chris Paul, DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin. Meanwhile, Portland is led by a powerful guard tandem consisting of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum. While all five players will be integral for their team’s success, the Trail Blazers’ upset hopes might come down to the effectiveness of Al-Farouq Aminu.

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Aminu has had a strong close to the season, as all of his offensive numbers have seen a steep increase. His effectiveness to stretch out the opposing defense has been key to Portland’s 4-2 record in the month of April. The most staggering gain has come from his ability to hit open three point shots. His 3P% has jumped from .365 in March to .480 in the final month of the season. His work from outside has opened up the entire court for himself and his teammates, as you can see by his noticeable increase in his overall FG%. Aminu’s shooting numbers have jumped to an impressive .469 in April, which is miles above his .416 percentage on the season.

It is likely that Doc Rivers (Clippers Head Coach) will focus his defense around stopping the Trail Blazers’ explosive backcourt. This won’t be the first time Portland has had to prepare for this. When Aminu is able to hit his shots the defense is rendered ineffective. You can see this three times inside the first minute of this video:

In the first shot, Aminu’s man cheats over to help on a McCollum drive. The result is a wide open look from beyond the three point line. In the second shot, Aminu finds himself open in space after Lillard is doubled off of a screen. You can see the exact same things happening in this video as well:

The defensive intensity will be ratcheted up for the playoffs, so it will be crucial for Aminu to rise to the occasion. The first year Blazer hasn’t fared well against his former team this season. Aminu had a horrible pair of games against the Clippers in December. In those two games he shot a combined 7-28 from the field. A repeat of that type of performance will likely spell doom for the Trail Blazers.

Luckily for Portland, those December games are far in the past. Aminu must continue to find his offense and the numbers suggest he is doing just that. He has had three games since March 26th in which he’s reached the 20 point threshold. Opening up the offense will be the Trail Blazers’ best hope in finding a way to pull out the upset.

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Aminu’s ability to score effectively has proven to be a recipe for success for the entire team. The Trail Blazers have gone 5-1 in games in which he’s scored at least 17 points and maintained a FG% over .500. Expect Terry Stotts to give Aminu the green light to exploit the holes in the Clippers defense.