NBA Playoffs 2017: 5 keys to Warriors vs. Trail Blazers matchup
By Dre Elder
As the No. 1 seed Warriors and the No. 8 seed Trail Blazers prepare to face off, here are five keys to their first round matchup.
The Golden State Warriors and Portland Trail Blazers will tip-off their first round series on Sunday, Apr. 16 at Oracle Arena. Golden State swept the regular season series against Portland, winning all four games by an average margin of 19.5 points.
But guess who remains steadfast? The Trailblazers’ superstar point guard Damian Lillard, who believes his team can knock off the Warriors. Lillard had this to say when he spoke with USA Today Sports’ Sam Amick:
"“We’re competitive. We believe in ourselves. It’s going to be a tall task, but it’s not like it’s impossible. We’re going in there to win it. We’re going to go in there and put our best foot forward.”"
Well, here are five keys to the macthup between these familiar foes.
5. Golden State’s offensive efficiency
The Warriors won their first two regular season games against the Trail Blazers by a combined 68 points, including a 45-point massacre on Dec. 17. Golden State deployed a ferocious offensive attack to put both games out of reach after three quarters.
In the two blowout wins, Golden State shot a combined 57.4 percent from the field and 44.4 percent from the 3-point line. They also dished out 36 assists in those games and completely overwhelmed Portland with their consistent ball movement and balance.
While Kevin Durant and Steph Curry played well, it was Ian Clark who incinerated Portland’s defense. The Warriors reserve guard averaged 22.5 points and shot a blistering 89.5 percent from the field, including 86 percent from distance in the first two matchups.
The Warriors cannot be allowed to party like that. They shot less than 50 percent from the field in each of their 15 losses this season. And they were also limited to fewer than 100 possessions in 11 of those losses.
Portland is a below-average defensive team that ranks 21st in defensive rating, but they offered more resistance in their final two games against Golden State in January. Portland played much closer to their 45.5 percent average in opponent field goal percentage.
The Trail Blazers limited the Warriors to a combined 48 percent field goal percentage over the last two regular season meetings (Steph Curry missed the Jan. 29 game). The Trail Blazers lost those games by an average margin of five points. They lost their fist two games against the Warriors by an average margin of 34 points.
Golden State boasts the league’s best offensive rating, so Portland must police that efficiency. And if Portland is going to succeed in doing so, their frontcourt must make a difference.