For the first time since the 2010-11 season, the Portland Trail Blazers will be going to the playoffs. And for the first time since Scottie Pippen, Damon Stoudamire and Detlef Schrempf were on the team, the Blazers will be looking to make it out of the first round of the playoffs.
For the 2013 portion of this season, the Blazers were untouchable and were in the hunt for the best record in the NBA. Now that reality has set in, the Blazers have settled into the No. 5 seed in the playoffs. They finished the season with the fourth-most points per game at 106.7 ppg.
Look for the matchup between Damian Lillard against Patrick Beverly and Jeremy Lin. Beverly, one of the top defending point guards in the league, will be tough on Lillard in his first playoff appearance. And Lin will be tough on Lillard because Lillard is not a very talented defender. Look for the screen, because if Lillard gets caught on Houston’s big bodies, the Rockets have shooters who will tear him apart in a seven-game series.
While the James Harden vs. Wesley Matthews will be interesting, it should not be game-deciding. Both guys can put up points, and Matthews will have to play very hard to keep up with Harden’s scoring output.
The Rockets have never had a true answer for LaMarcus Aldridge. In four games against the Rockets, Aldridge has averaged 26.7 points and 15.5 rebounds per game.
Conversely, the Blazers have had little answer for Dwight Howard. Howard has averaged 25.5 points and 13.5 rebounds per game against the Blazers this season. Robin Lopez, Meyers Leonard and Joel Freeland will have their work cut out for them covering Howard, who is still arguably the top center in the NBA. Look for a lot of Hack-a-Howard in this series.
But the thing that the Portland Trail Blazers will need most going against the Houston Rockets is what they led the NBA in: Rebounding.
The Blazers lost the season-series 3-1, with losses of 116-101, 126-113 and 118-113 OT. In the two games that didn’t go to overtime, the Blazers were out-rebounded a combined 99-67. In their one win, the Blazers out-rebounded the Rockets 52-48. In the overtime game, the Blazers out-rebounded the Rockets, but turned the ball over 20 times.
So, to me, the deciding factor will be the post play. LaMarcus Aldridge, Nicolas Batum and Robin Lopez have been rebounding wizards all season. Aldridge averaged 11.1 rebounds per game. Batum averaged 7.5 rebounds per game. And Robin Lopez averaged 8.5 rebounds per game.
But when you are playing against Dwight Howard (12.2 rpg), Terrence Jones (6.9 rpg) and Omer Asik (7.9 rpg), rebounds are a little harder to come by.
Look for the return of Joel Freeland to help relieve Lopez of some minutes, and hopefully add to his productivity. Thomas Robinson has also been on a hot streak, averaging 5.6 rebounds per game.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
