Rip City Project
Fansided

Could Blazers’ top 5 beat Warriors in 7?

By Jacob Swanson

Mar 2, 2017; Boulder, CO, USA; American broadcaster Bill Walton before the game between the Stanford Cardinals and the Colorado Buffaloes at the Coors Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 2, 2017; Boulder, CO, USA; American broadcaster Bill Walton before the game between the Stanford Cardinals and the Colorado Buffaloes at the Coors Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 6
Next
April 12, 2017; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) during the first quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Lakers 109-94. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
April 12, 2017; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) during the first quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Lakers 109-94. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

Offensive edge goes to Golden State

The issue with this Blazers side is that they can’t really shoot.  If the game is played in today’s NBA, with a three-point line (despite the fact that it wasn’t introduced to the NBA until the middle of the careers of Lucas and Walton), Stephen Curry and Golden State clearly have an edge.

Beyond Lillard, this team doesn’t shoot well.  Drexler, for all his aerial talents, only shot 31.8 percent from deep in his career.  Pippen shot 32.6 percent, although he grew into it as his career progressed.

The six-time NBA champion shot just 17.4 percent from beyond the arc in his rookie campaign. Draymond Green has a higher percentage than both, as do Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson and Curry, obviously.

This season, the starting five of Curry, Thompson, Durant, Green and Zaza Pachulia averaged 89 points per game.  Our Blazers lineup averages 88.5 per game if you take the best scoring season of each player.

This Warriors team is outscoring the best Blazers of all time, despite the fact that Pachulia contributes just 6.1 per night.

Where the Blazers are making their money, though, is on the boards.