The Portland Trailblazers entered the NBA bubble with a lot of uncertainty. How will Jusef Nurkic play after coming back from a horrific injury? Will the smaller Carmelo Anthony be as effective scorer for them? Could they make a run at Memphis for that 8th seed in the West? They have responded by going 3-1 with wins over Memphis, Denver and the Houston Rockets. The only loss they’ve suffered is from Boston. In that game, they trailed by as much as 20-something points in the first half. In the second half, they actually took the lead but ran out of gas in the end. They trail Memphis by a half-game as they gear up to battle the Los Angeles Clippers tomorrow afternoon on TNT.
Answering All the Questions
Coming into the bubble, Damian Lillard said all they wanted was a chance to make the playoffs. Damian Lillard showed why he’s one of the deadliest scorers in the league by putting up 45 against Denver. Nurkic picked up where he left off before the injury. Nurkic is one of the best big men in the league and he’s only going to get better. Carmelo Anthony has hit his fair share of clutch shots for the Blazers. Portland is one year removed from making a run to the Western Conference Finals where they fell to Golden State. The Trailblazers didn’t have Nurkic or a determined Carmelo last season. Could they possibly make another run this year?
Will the Blazers Have a Shot Against the Lakers?
The Lakers have already clinched the top spot in the Western Conference. Portland has arguably the best backcourt in the NBA bubble. There’s a reason why Damian Lillard got serious consideration for league MVP last year. Lillard can get hot and score with the best of them and that holds the same for C.J. McCollum. McCollum is every bit as good as Lillard and can score at will also. Portland has one of the best starting five in the league and got plenty of bench support also. Gary Trent Jr. has provided a spark off the bench on both ends of the floor. If the Lakers choose to go big against Portland, they have Hassan Whiteside coming off the bench. Whiteside provides some great interior defense for Portland. I’m not saying Portland would beat the Lakers, but it wouldn’t shock me if they did.
What are your thoughts about the Portland Trailblazers? Will they make the playoffs? Could you see the Portland Trailblazers upsetting the Lakers if they make it? Leave some feedback below about the Portland Trailblazers and their chances in the playoffs.
