Denver Nuggets: 1-3
The Blazers don’t seem to matchup well against the Nuggets star-studded frontcourt, headlined by Nikola Jokic and Paul Millsap.
Each of these big men can hurt you in a variety of ways from all over the court, and this will force the Blazers to make a choice with Jusuf Nurkic – whom does he guard?
Putting him on either runs the risk of them pulling Nurkic away from the basket as both Jokic (.395 3P%) and Millsap (.345 3P%) can step out beyond the arc and drill shots. With Nurkic away from the rim, Denver’s best guards, Jamal Murray and Gary Harris will have wider lanes to drive and finish. And both Murray and Harris are in their early 20s and likely to improve this upcoming year in a multitude of ways.
Maybe the call is to place Nurk onto Millsap as he is less savvy on the perimeter and take your chances with a feisty Al-Farouq Aminu on Jokic.
In Denver’s final game of last season against the Timberwolves, coach Tom Thibedeau elected to put Taj Gibson onto Jokic which severely disrupted his rhythm in the final minutes of regulation and overtime. Both Gibson (6’9) and Aminu (6’10) are similar heights and pests everywhere on the court.
If the refs let the players play, Aminu could wreak some havoc on Jokic’s game.
However, if Denver can keep Nurkic and Zach Collins out of the paint, the emphasis will be placed onto Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum to neutralize Denver’s backcourt.
Both Dame and CJ improved on defense last year, but they did so by putting further emphasis on understanding players’ and team’s tendencies. With developing guys like Murray and Harris, there may be less to go off.
Of course, never count out Lillard and McCollum from shooting the lights out against a Denver defense that ranked 26th last year. With this elite Rip City pairing, the Blazers could certainly go toe-to-toe in a scoring battle with the Nuggets’ finest.
If the duel turns into an offense-only affair, the attention could then be placed on how well each teams’ second-unit performs. Watch for one of these games to turn into a sixth man battle between Seth Curry and Will Barton/Isaiah Thomas.
The Blazers success will be determined by how well Denver utilizes their big men against Portland’s rim-protectors and how consistent their young guards prove to be. Right now, I’m giving the upper hand to Jokic and Millsap.
One thing’s for sure though, the NBA’s Snoop Dogg Games (Blazers-Nuggs) will be full of high-powered offense.