NBA Playoffs 2017: 5 things we learned from Warriors beating Trail Blazers
By Dre Elder
4. Portland’s frontcourt is a one-man band
The Portland Trail Blazers were a different team once they acquired Jusuf Nurkic from the Denver Nuggets via trade in February. They went 14-6 with Nurkic in the lineup to claim the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The 22-year old big man from Bosnia was scoring 15 points and snagging 10 rebounds per game before he was diagnosed with a non-displaced fracture in his right leg. He gave the Trail Blazers the post presence they so desperately needed to complement their star backcourt.
There was little chance Portland would compete with Golden State even with a healthy Nurkic. Without him, they reverted back to the one-dimensional style that had them out of the playoff picture for much of the season. Noah Vonleh was inserted into the starting lineup to replace Nurkic in the first three games. The former Indiana Hoosier produced a meager 4.5 points per game and went practically unnoticed in this series. Golden State repeatedly involved Vonleh in pick-and-roll situations to expose his deficiencies, which made it difficult for Portland coach Terry Stotts to give him big minutes.
With Ed Davis out for the season because of shoulder surgery, there weren’t many alternatives at Portland’s disposal. The Trail Blazers signed Meyers Leonard to a $41 million contract extension last summer. Well, Leonard received roughly 30 minutes of action in this entire series and scored only four points. The Blazers will have to address their lack of frontcourt depth to move up the totem pole in the West. Owner Paul Allen has deep pockets, but has overpaid for marginal players. It won’t work that way.