5 best potential playoff matchups in the loaded and unreal Western Conference

Memphis Grizzlies vs Portland Trailblazers

This would feature a matchup between two small market teams (Memphis and Portland) who are still trying to prove themselves on the big stage and exhibit to the NBA fanbase that they deserve the same amount of attention and publicity that franchises like the Lakers, Knicks, Celtics, Bulls, Warriors, Spurs, and Thunder receive. Both teams are ranked in the top four in the West standings record-wise (the Grizzlies are second; the Blazers are fourth).

Both teams have two of the best big men in the game in Portland’s LaMarcus Aldridge and Memphis’s Marc Gasol and ironically both are free agents in the offseason – however both are expected to stay put with their current teams. Both like to pound the ball inside to their big guys (in the Grizzlies case that’s inside to Zach Randolph too). Both have elite point guards in Memphis’s Mike Conley and Portland’s Damian Lillard that some would argue don’t get enough respect from the media.

The big difference between the two teams which could be the deciding factor as to who would win this series might lie in three-point shooting. Portland shoots 36% percent from three-point range (8th in the league) and takes 27.4 three-point attempts per game (4th in the league). Memphis on the other hand, shoots 34% on three-point field goals (15th in the league) and only takes 15.2 three-point attempts per game (29th in the league). We all know the three-pointer is the ultimate equalizer in basketball and the team that uses it best and most effectively in this series I think gives them an advantage.

Most of all, this would be a series of proving their worth and showing the basketball nation they deserve more respect across the NBA.

Next: Spurs-Thunder