The Portland Trail Blazers appear to be the underdogs in their Play-In Tournament matchup against the Phoenix Suns. While that notion may be understandable, the Blazers actually have a good chance of defeating their opponent on Tuesday if the five-man lineup of Scoot Henderson, Jrue Holiday, Toumani Camara, Deni Avdija, and Donovan Clingan steps up to the plate.
In the 64 minutes those five played together in the regular season, the Blazers registered a blistering defensive rating of 102.3. On offense, they performed well enough, putting up an offensive rating of 117.9. That's a net rating of +15.6.
The Blazers have to be wary of the Suns' 3-point shooting
One of the reasons the Suns can keep the No. 7 seed for the playoffs is that they can shoot lights out from long distance on any given night. Portland had a taste of that in its loss to Phoenix in early February. The contest saw its rival shoot 20-41 from beyond the arc, with Collin Gillespie and Grayson Allen combining for 14 of those makes.
With the said lineup, though, the Blazers can limit the Suns from going hot from 3-point land. Henderson, Holiday, and Camara are formidable perimeter defenders who have the athleticism and smarts to prevent their matchups from getting some daylight for a jump shot.
Meanwhile, Clingan and Robert Williams III, for that matter, should serve as a strong deterrent if Phoenix decides to attack the paint rather than rely on its outside shooting.
On offense, Avdija has proven to be a reliable shot-making hub, and the shooting around him with Scoot, Jrue, Toumani, and Donovan also on the floor should keep the Suns' defense honest.
The Blazers could have an X-factor off the bench
Of course, it's tough to expect the Blazers' most balanced five-man lineup to play heavy minutes, although the team might need them to be ready for that possibility. Also, things can go south at any point in the game.
Fortunately, they have another weapon who can help turn the tide and provide them with a needed scoring punch: Shaedon Sharpe.
It might be a big ask for Sharpe to be the squad's X-factor, considering that he has just recently come back from his leg injury. However, the Blazers are likely better off with him returning to form as soon as possible if they want to boost their chances of ending their four-year playoff drought.
The Suns are certainly no easy foe, especially with Devin Booker leading the pack. On the bright side, the Blazers also have a bona fide star on the roster in Avdija and a solid supporting cast around him.
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