Are the Blazers following in the footsteps of the Warriors?
I want to start this off by saying that I do not see the Blazers becoming one of the best basketball teams that we have ever seen, but they do have a similar arc to the Golden State Warriors. Now that they are playing each other in the second round, it makes this comparison even better.
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Whoever is reading this should know that the Blazers lost four out of there five starters last year. The Warriors went through a similar changeover not to long ago. They traded a fan favorite player in Monta Ellis for Andrew Bogut. Predictably, it was a very unpopular move amongst the fanbase. Casting off the ball dominant Ellis payed immediate dividends for the Warriors though.
The Warriors were eliminated by the San Antonio Spurs in the second round of the 2013 playoffs, but first they they pulled off a massive upset against the George Karl led Denver Nuggets in the first round. This sequence does draw some serious comparisons to the current postseason that the Blazers are in.
Where they ended up in the playoffs is one of the first eerie similar items that I am going to cover. Both teams are led by sweet shooting point guards (Stephen Curry and Damian Lillard). Lillard is the closest NBA comparison to Curry right now (granted he is a lesser version). Both are high level scorers, Lillard has scored more points (1879) compared to the 2012-13 Curry (1786), while playing three less games.
Lillard has already made an all-star game, but was snubbed this season. Curry didn’t become a perennial all-star until after the 2012-13 season. It certainly seems like Lillard will find his way into the showcase this coming year, especially after his impressive stats to finish out the 2015-16 campaign.
Outside of the point guard spot, both teams rely heavily on their second guard to create offense. C.J. McCollum and Klay Thompson comparisons end at being the second option though, as they have major differences in impact and playing styles.
Both teams share a very similar style of play. This shouldn’t come as surprise, as the offense is catered to the outside shooting of their stellar guards. The Warriors create their offense with massive amounts of motion from their backcourt, which is something Terry Stotts has adopted this season. Like the 2012-13 Warriors, the Blazers suffer from some defensive deficiencies. Finding the next Draymond Green or adding a veteran with the defensive chops of Andre Iguodala would go a long way in fixing that for the Blazers.
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Rising to title contention is no guarantee, but it will certainly put Portland in a prime spot over the next four years. Following the footsteps of a historically great team is certainly a favorable path to be on.