The Blazers have two problems on their hands and two answers in their pocket

The Pelicans and Blazers are headed back to New Orleans, with the Blazers one loss away from panic and the potential that their surprising rise to the third seed in the Western Conference becomes a mere shadow in the rearview of playoff failure.

Thanks to unlikely contributions from players New Orleans may never have expected in October to be important in the playoffs like Ian Clark and Nikola Mirotic, the Pelicans have squeezed out enough shooting and playmaking  to prop up the heroic performances of their stars. Long considered a top-heavy team, the Pelicans have made their best players into their most destructive strengths.

Jrue Holiday, the guy who just signed a five-year, $126 million deal this summer that was met with skepticism based on his injury history and the perception some had that he was more of a complementary player than a star, has been fantastic. His 54 total points on 55 percent shooting tell the tale of an efficient second-fiddle as the Pelicans continue to rely on near-perfect spacing when Rajon Rondo handles the ball in their starting lineup. With his ability to create his own shot from inside and outside, the Pelicans have been nearly 9.0 points better on offense through two games when Holiday is on the floor.

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That’s the first problem the Blazers will have to account for as they play two pivotal games on the road, the first test for the Lillard-led Blazers as favorites since LaMarcus Aldridge and the crew that beat Houston in 2014 left town. How do you minimize Holiday’s impact?

The likeliest answer comes from a guy who’s had very little focus in this series. CJ McCollum is 10-for-18 on 3s so far and led the team in scoring in Game 2. By running more through him on offense on Thursday night, the Blazers can force Holiday away from the ball since Holiday defended McCollum only when E’Twaun Moore was on the court.

It looked like McCollum might take the game and put it on the top shelf of the Moda Center in the third quarter of Game 2, just out of the Pelicans’ reach. He’s the kind of guy whose ability to get hot in an instant can extend a lead in the playoffs, but Portland may instead rely on him in Game 3 to control the pace and make the difficult shots against bigger defenders that make him such an impressive offensive force.

Lillard shot 36 percent on 2.7 three catch-and-shoot 3s per game this season, according to NBA.com tracking data, and running him through screens opposite the primary action is one way Portland bends defenses away from the ball. The Pelicans’ defense cannot sustain this type of performance if Holiday is minimized. Even Playoff Rajon Rondo cannot shut down McCollum if the floor is spaced.

When the ball moves between the Blazers’ star guards, it generally works out well:

And look how much attention Lillard demands off the ball:

It may look like Holiday is everywhere on the court, but there is indeed only one of him. There are two of Lillard and McCollum, and neither has quite been at their best as shot-makers in this series. The difference as the series shifts to New Orleans will be trying lineups that take Holiday out of the play without falling apart defensively or on the glass.

One way Portland can insure a spaced floor is to go small. Anthony Davis made the point loudly and clearly in Game 1 that Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic can’t hang in this series. Davis’ call is the second thing to which Portland has to find answer.

Nurkic played just 15 minutes on Tuesday night. Instead, Portland turned for the majority of the game to Zach Collins and Ed Davis, with Davis drawing the AD matchup. They could turn up the pressure even further by playing Al-Farouq Aminu at center, giving him the Davis matchup full-time and getting their best players on the floor together more easily.

With Mo Harkless back and healthy in Game 2, we saw that look sporadically, but the Lillard-McCollum-Evan Turner-Maurice Harkless-Aminu lineup saw just 11 minutes all season according to nbawowy.com. It could be the Blazers’ best hope with their season on the line.

The lineup featuring Collins at center works better on offense. Collins shot 31 percent from distance in his final 47 games of the season, a respectable number considering his streakiness. He looked confident in late-game minutes on Tuesday, even flashing a fall-away jumper. His feet aren’t quite quick enough to guard Davis over long stretches either, but he’s someone the Blazers should try on Davis as they defend by committee. Davis and Aminu are Portland’s best options, and they will need to prove they can manufacture offense without guys like Turner or Nurkic on the court.

Next: Jrue Holiday is putting the clamps on the Blazers

That comes back to the superstar guards, as it always does and always will for the Blazers.