Portland Trail Blazers: Forwards Need to Step Up
Maurice Harkless and Al-Farouq Aminu combined for only four points in Game 1 to along with a -25 on the plus/minus charts. They need to step up, hit open jumpers and make the defense work, otherwise, Portland’s playoff success will be short-lived.
The Portland Trail Blazers pushed the Denver Nuggets to the limit in last night’s Game 1 before running out of gas. As usual, Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum led the way, combining for 55 points on 19 for 39 shooting. Playing through pain after suffering a separated shoulder, Enes Kanter
chipped in for 26 points and seven rebounds. Even Rodney Hood got involved in the action, contributing 17 points and hitting three 3-pointers off the bench. But that’s all the firepower they received. If the Blazers want to make this a competitive series, their starting forwards need to step up.
Maurice Harkless and Al-Farouq Aminu totaled only four points on just 2 of 7 shooting. They did not hit a three-pointer and were a combined -25 while on the floor. They were simply outplayed and overmatched by Paul Millsap (19 points on 7 for 12 shooting). Harkless and Aminu also committed three turnovers each.
The Blazers are counting on Aminu to play better. During last season’s playoffs, Aminu shot 51.9% including 43.3% on three-pointers, while averaging 17.5 points and nine rebounds. This year, Aminu’s numbers are nowhere close to that. Through six games, he’s shooting just 36.7% from the field while averaging 9.2 points per game. Aminu has to find his range so he can stretch the defense, give Lillard a trustworthy third-option, and provide opportunities for Kanter to post up on the low block.
The Nuggets are reminiscent of a traditional NBA team in the 90s (like the Houston Rockets or San Antonio Spurs) that play half-court basketball and have built their team around star center Nikola Jokic. Much of their offense runs by dumping the ball to Jokic and he goes to work with his back to the basket. When he gets doubled, he kicks the ball out to the open man on the perimeter for a long-range shot.
This is where coach Terry Stotts should make adjustments going into Game 2. Neither Harkless or Aminu is a reliable three-point threat. By playing smaller, the Blazers can push the pace to get more open looks and fast-break opportunities. This means more playing time for Rodney Hood or Seth Curry, sliding McCollum to the small forward. Hood is a solid catch-and-shoot player, giving the Blazers a dependable scorer in case the Nuggets decide to double-team Lillard. With Curry in, this gives the Blazers another viable shooter from the perimeter, while allowing Lillard to play off the ball.
The Blazers simply need more production from their frontcourt. Harkless and Aminu have to step up because Denver will tighten its defense and rotations on Lillard and McCollum. Especially if Lillard gets into one of his patented “Dame Time” zones and starts nailing those 30-foot three-pointers, this gives his teammates open looks and they have to capitalize. If the Blazers are not hitting open jumpers, they will go back to Portland down 0-2.