Five Keys to the Lakers-Blazers Series
By Dylan Schreibman
With Portland’s 126-122 play-in game victory over the Memphis Grizzlies, the NBA playoffs are officially set. Portland has clinched the number eight seed in the Western Conference and will play the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the NBA Playoffs in Orlando. The Lakers clinched the number one seed in the Western Conference with a 116-108 win over the Utah Jazz on August 3. Despite the one vs. eight matchup, this contest is highly anticipated. The playoff series is set to kick off Tuesday night and here are my five keys that will determine the outcome:
- Portland’s dynamic duo: When speaking of current dynamic duos in the NBA, the strong backcourt of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum rank near the top of the list. Lillard and McCollum not only compete for best duo in the NBA but are currently the best backcourt in the NBA in my opinion. According to ESPN, the two are currently averaging a combined 52.2 points per game this season. Also, the chemistry between the two is extremely tight. McCollum has been Lillards rock for the past seven years in Portland. For example, during last year’s playoff run McCollum calmed Lillard down during the intense Game 3 vs. Oklahoma City. After Lillard was struggling from the floor and with foul calls, McCollum reminded Lillard of who he was and told him not to worry about distractions or officials. This according to the Ringer. Furthermore, Lillard stated it could have escalated without McCollum but Portland won the next two games to advance. McCollum later stated “If I can trust you on the court and off the court, it’s a breeze in the fourth quarter. There’s no animosity at all. I want him to have as much success as humanly possible, I want him to make as much money as humanly possible, and I want him to win. And I know he feels the same way about me.” In order for Portland to have a chance in the series, Lillard and McCollum must be exceptional.
- Lakers Choice of Tempo: Focusing on the style and tempo of this matchup is critical. Both teams rank in the top half of the league in points per game offensively. According to ESPN, Portland ranks sixth at 115.0 PPG and the Lakers rank 11th at 113.4 PPG. Furthermore, this makes one of the immense questions in the series what tempo the Lakers will attempt to play. Portland plays an uptempo style with the mantra to outscore because their offense is electric. However, the Lakers rank well in many defensive statistics. This season, the team was fourth in defensive points allowed at 107.6 PPG and third in defensive efficiency at 1.031. Portland was tied for third to last in this category. This according to Team Rankings. With these numbers, will the Lakers try to slow the game down or try to run with fast-paced Portland? This coaching decision will have a big impact on the series. I expect the Lakers to slow down the tempo to zone in on limiting Lillard and McCollum. Also, Vogel has shown to be a defensive style coach in previous playoff runs with Indiana but we will see what the Lakers’ head coach decides.
- Protecting the Lane: Over the course of the season, the Lakers and Trail Blazers were number one and number two in blocked shots per game. According to ESPN, Los Angeles led the league at 6.6 blocks per game and Portland was a close second at 6.1 blocks per game. Despite being such a specific stat, blocks help with translating how well a team protects the rim. Furthermore, this is important to watch when the Lakers are in possession of the basketball. Led by LeBron James and Anthony Davis, both players love to attack the rim. This style allowed the Lakers to finish second in the league in points in paint per game with 52.8 points on average, according to Team Rankings. With Hassan Whiteside and the return of Jusuf Nurkic, Portland has two great rim protectors both averaging at least two blocks per game. It will be interesting to watch the attack of the Lakers vs. the defense of the Trail Blazers. Whoever wins this battle will have a heavy implication on the outcome of the series.
- Secondary Scoring: The battle of the two dynamic duos will dominate the headlines of this series. However, both teams will need at least a third scorer to step up in a battle between two great offensive teams. In terms of scoring, Portland has the edge in deeper scoring options. Behind Lillard and McCollum, Portland has veteran Carmelo Anthony, Hassan Whiteside, and the key return of Jusuf Nurkic. Whiteside and Nurkic provide balance to the offense down low while Anthony has proven the ability to put up big scoring games throughout his career. All three will have to step up as eyes and double teams are coming Lillards way. On the other side of the court, the Lakers big question mark all season has been depth. Behind the duo of James and Davis, the Lakers need presence from players like Kyle Kuzma and terrific acquisition Dion Waiters. Kuzma has been playing decent in the bubble scoring more than fifteen points in four of seven games. However, the Lakers need a consistent Kyle Kuzma in the series to help James and Davis. Furthermore, Dion Waiters has added another scoring role for the Lakers to take some of the pressure off of the duo. With both teams having such dynamic duos, it is important for other players to provide scoring options because both coaches will use their gameplan to limit the duos as much as possible.
- Clutch Shooting: In an evenly matched series, games could come down to the final minutes. Additionally, players making clutch shots in the right moments could swing momentum of the series. Both teams are surrounded by players who could take these altering shots. Starting with the Lakers, LeBron is the greatest player in the game and has a track record of hitting big shots in the right moments. According to HowTheyPlay, James is 35-10 when eliminating opponents in the playoffs. Also, James improves in seven out of eight statistical categories when facing elimination, including nearly ten points more per game. This shows either way James will be a force. Furthermore, let’s not forget about Kyle Kuzma recently hitting a game-winning shot against Denver. With Portland, they have ultimate Mr. Clutch in Damian Lillard who ranks towards the top of many clutch categories. Lillard was named the Player of the Seeding Games by the NBA showcasing his recent hot play. Portland also has CJ McCollum who scored 14 points in the fourth quarter in Saturday’s play-in game vs Memphis. This included clutch shots down the stretch in the final two minutes on back-to-back possessions. With Portland not being a typical eight seed, the team that has the final shot might win the game. One shot could determine who does or does not advance.
In an evenly matched series with two dynamic duos on each side, this series has the potential to be the most exciting in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. With a 7-2 record in the bubble, counting the Memphis play-in game, Portland has won four games in a row. On the other hand, the Lakers compiled a 3-5 record and have lost three of their last four games. Will the Lakers regain their mojo or will Portland continue their hot run? The playoff series begins this Tuesday, August 18 at 6 PM PT on TNT.
Follow Dylan Schreibman on Instagram @dylanschreibman
Sources:
https://www.espn.com/nba/stats/_/view/team
https://www.teamrankings.com/nba/stat/points-in-paint-per-game
https://howtheyplay.com/team-sports/Michael-Jordan-Versus-LeBron-James
https://www.theringer.com/nba/2020/8/4/21353417/nba-marriage-damian-lillard-cj-mccollum
