Even with their first-round series with the Portland Trail Blazers tied at 1-1, the San Antonio Spurs probably aren't sounding the alarm yet. Bill Simmons thinks the Spurs should be in a state of panic, though.
In a recent episode of his show, Simmons explained why San Antonio could be in rough waters. And it's not just because of the possibility of Victor Wembanyama missing the next matchup or more, with Games 3 and 4 being played at Moda Center.
"They don't have Wemby for either of these Portland games," Simmons said. "I think Portland is legitimately good. Like Toronto? Bogus five-seed. Just bogus with a capital B. Houston? Bogus five-seed. Not capital-B bogus, but bogus. Portland? Frisky seven-seed. I think Portland's a better playoff team than either Houston or Toronto."
Suggesting that the Blazers are a tier above the Houston Rockets and Toronto Raptors would probably have had people around the league chuckling if it were made before the postseason began. However, the first round of the playoffs has shown why Simmons' assertion has some truth to it. Portland has been able to sustain the rugged defensive showing it displayed in the latter stages of the regular season to steal the home-court advantage versus the Spurs.
The Blazers can make life tough for any opponent
Just by their defense alone, the Blazers can present a tough challenge even for the best teams in the NBA. The Ringer founder even warned the Spurs that they should be ready for a long series.
Besides the Blazers' defense, the squad also has several players who can explode on offense, including Deni Avdija, who recorded 30 points in the series opener, and Scoot Henderson, whose resurgence has been a feel-good story for the organization and its fans.
Other players stepped up as well in Game 2. Jrue Holiday dished out a game-high nine assists, and Toumani Camara quietly logged a plus/minus of +17. With a terrific mix of youngsters and veterans, the Blazers simply cannot be written off.
The Spurs without The Alien are still pretty good
Some folks, though, appear to have attributed the Blazers' win on Tuesday to the reigning Defensive Player of the Year having to leave the game after his unfortunate face-first tumble onto the hardwood floor. But the thing is, Rip City was actually able to keep up with its opponent before Wemby's exit. It was leading 34-32 when the incident took place.
The Spurs managed to build a 14-point lead early in the fourth quarter. However, the Blazers' defense clicked at the right time, preventing the No. 2 seed from sinking a field goal in the final 3:37 of the match.
Even without its fulcrum on both ends of the court, San Antonio remains a formidable foe. Keep in mind that it went 12-6 in the regular season without Wembanyama. That winning percentage is a hair better than the third-place Denver Nuggets' record of 54-28 (.659).
But as Simmons said, the Blazers are also "legitimately good." They are capable of upsetting the Spurs, with or without Wembanyama.
Add us as a preferred source on Google