Out of all the Western Conference teams gunning for the #8 spot, I think the Lakers were rooting for everyone to make it in, except the Portland Trail Blazers… and for good reason.
Damian Lillard is a problem.
To quote the great Mark Jackson, “Mama, there goes that man.”
Since the start of the bubble, the former Weber State Wildcat has been on an absolute tear. Some might even say he’s possessed. Lillard’s been averaging a jaw dropping 37 points per game while shooting 49% from the field and 43% from the three point line. He’s also helped jump start the Portland offense by chipping in with 9.6 assists per game, along with 4 rebounds.
In addition to Dame’s heroics, the Trail Blazers have greatly benefited from the return of Jusuf Nurkic. The self-dubbed ‘Bosnian Beast’ returned from a horrific leg injury and has since been on a tear of his own with averages of 17 PPG, 10 REBS, 4 ASTS, 1.5 STLS, and 2 BLKS. He’s also been playing with a heavy heart as his grandmother recently passed away due to the coronavirus.
These efforts combined with a rejuvenated Carmelo Anthony (15.4 PPG & 6.3 REBS), a nice young wing in Gary Trent Jr. (16.9 PPG & 50% from 3), a mobile big in Zach Collins (7PPG & 6.3 REBS), a resurgent Hassan Whiteside (15.5 PPG, 13.5 REBS, & 2.9 BLKS), and of course the ever dangerous CJ McCollum (22.2 PPG), the Blazers have the makings of a squad destined to go far in these playoffs.
So why the struggle for the 8 seed? Well, it’s been a tough year in Portland. They were bit hard by the injury bug. As mentioned, Nurkic had been out all year. Zach Collins missed a good 80% of the season recovering from shoulder surgery. Rodney Hood tore his achilles. Trevor Ariza opted out of the play in. The list goes on and on…
These past eight games were the first chance we got to see the Blazers as close to 100% as possible, and man is this squad fun to watch. They want to play, they want to win, and it is very easy to see that they give 110% whenever they are on the court.
In all honesty, it’s hard not to root for Portland.
With that all said, the evil empire is back. The Los Angeles Lakers are the #1 seed and it’s all because of LeBron James… with a little bit of Anthony Davis sprinkled in.
To absolutely no one’s surprise, The King has dominated in his 17th season and is yet again a finalist for the NBA’s most valuable player award. With averages of 25 PPG, 10.2 ASTS, 7.8 REBS, and 1.2 STLS, he runs the show and has had massive success manning the point this year.
Moreover, this Lakers squad is completely revamped from years past. No more are the developmental pieces like Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, or Larry Nance; LeBron has a new best friend, and his name is Anthony Davis.
In his first season in the purple and gold, Davis has put up an explosive line of 26.1 PPG, 9.3 REBS, 2.3 BLKS, and 1.3 STLS. Him and James complement each other so well, and for once, neither player is forced to put the team on their back and carry their franchise to the playoffs.
The Lakers have also gotten key help from the likes of Kyle Kuzma, Rajon Rondo, JaVale McGee, Dwight Howard (??), and Danny Green. Although the James-Davis combo is mustering most of the workload, their reserves have certainly played a part in the teams 52-win season.
Aside from having the two best players in the series, perhaps what’s working most in LA’s favor is their experience. LeBron James, Dion Waiters, JR Smith, Rajon Rondo, JaVale McGee, and Dwight Howard all have more playoff experience individually than virtually any player on the Blazers roster (Carmelo Anthony being an exception). They’ve been in those moments. They’ve experienced the wins, and learned from the losses.
Furthermore, the Lakers have sputtered a little bit since entering the bubble. There’s clearly some chemistry issues, and it’s caused some people to question their title aspirations. The loss of Avery Bradley (opted out of the bubble) doesn’t help either as he is their primary perimeter defender.
I think this will be the best series in the first round. Prepare to see some big scores.
The Blazers have been playing too hard for too long. I think the Lakers chemistry issues catch up to them.
Blazers take this in 7.
*HOWEVER*
If Anthony Davis can show up in the 4th quarter, Lakers get it done in 6.
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