Best thing we could do vs. OKC is double PG and let Westbrook shoot from the outside. I think we can beat them if we have home court.
The good thing is we are heavy on athletic long wings in Aminu, Harkless, Hood, Layman and Turner to defend George.
I’ll actually be surprised if we don’t finish 3rd. Obviously I didn’t think that at the beginning of the season but as things stand now I see us passing OKC eventually. For some reason my gut is telling me the 3 vs 6 will be POR/SA.
OKC lost to Sac a few nights ago. They're just as beatable as any team not named GSW. They're in the middle of the pack just like the other 9 western conference teams.
They were on the second night of a back to back after having played a double OT game vs Utah. PG played 50 minutes the night prior. Sac is good, but that loss was partly due to their schedule. Given our head to head and the way George is playing, and now Russell rounding into form, I don't see us catching OKC. Even with their remaining SOS, I don't see them dropping much. The team I'm looking at is DEN, and even that seems unlikely because they have crazy depth even if injuries strike. Our best bet is to try to retain HCA against Houston/Utah.
For potential playoff success, would the Blazers be better off as the 4 seed hosting Houston, or as the 6 seed visiting OKC (or DEN)?
OKC plays really good trapping and pressure defense, which has greater affects in the post-season, and in which our coaching staff has shown they have no counter for and ournpersonell struggles against. That's why they're such a bad matchup.
I know it's prolly conventional to want an inexperienced DEN in the first round, but I think HOU is far more beatable in the playoff for our team. I like our matchups vs HOU.
Which is exactly my point. Their schedule is super difficult post break. Where is was exactly the opposite pre break. OKC is not a juggernaut. They're just another middle of the pack team just like Portland.
If healthy I cringe to think what Paul would do to Dame if a guy like Rondo can shut him down in the playoffs.
That's a pretty big hypothetical. We all know what happened the last time Dame met CP in the playoffs. And I like our Nurk and Turk v Capela matchup. And the refs aren't gonna give Harden his calls in the playoffs.
People really need to get last year's playoffs out of their heads. First, this is NOT the same banged-up, crappy-benched Blazers team that got swept by the Pelicans last year. Second, Rondo didn't shut Dame down in that series, consistent double teams with AD cheating off of his man when Dame went around a screen were what did it. Dame has been "shut down" by his standards the last couple of games and it hasn't made a difference. There are a lot of scorers on the roster now. Dedicating two guys to shutting down Dame is a recipe for Nurk and other guys to feast.
What was the last team that made a run in the playoffs because they had a deep bench? What you described is great for the regular season and will likely put is in a position to get home court advantage but in the playoffs you need your stars to show up too.
But it was OKC’s fault that they went 2OT the night before. They paid the price for not taking care of business in regulation.
