TUALATIN, Ore. — Although his teammate CJ McCollum says that he likes the Portland Trail Blazers’ chances against anyone, Ed Davis is a little more direct, saying he thinks the Blazers match up better against the Clippers than they would against Oklahoma City.
“We want to beat them. (I) wouldn’t necessarily say it’s a rivalry,” Davis said of potentially meeting the Clippers. “It can become that. Seven game series you know, things can get ugly, it can get heated. It can become one.”
Davis is all right with mixing it up in a playoff series, no matter who they face.
“Oh, for sure, things not going our way we definitely gotta mix it up,” Davis said “That’s playoff basketball man.”
Davis’ comments are fitting for him and sound even more fitting when you consider he was awarded the 2015-16 Maurice Lucas Award, named after the legendary Blazer who was always eager to mix it up.
The Blazers control their own destiny in setting up a matchup against the Clippers once again after Dallas’ loss Saturday to those same Clippers.
Monday, the Blazers returned to the practice facility for a “maintenance day,” which consisted of the players who play higher minute totals lifting weights while more seldom used players got on-court time.
The Blazers have been handed a favorable end of the season schedule, which they’ll be using as a tune up before the playoffs.
“To be honest the schedule has worked out pretty well for us to allow us to be able to rest but also allow for a tune up attitude,” head coach Terry Stotts said.
For at least a moment, Stotts was rooting for the team that at least some of his players want to face in the first round.
“I was rooting for the Clippers,” Stotts said. “It’s one of the tough things in this league or whatever that sometimes you have to root against your friends.”
And although the Blazers can lock up the fifth seed before Wednesday with a Dallas loss or Memphis loss, they’re approaching Wednesday as if they need to win it.
“You always want to be in a position to control your own destiny,” Stotts said. “Dallas was in that position last night and it’s back in our court. That’s why we’re preparing to beat Denver.”
As for playoff preparations, the Blazers are waiting until they know who they’ll play for certain before getting into game plans.
However, they do plan to put in some light work on things that they need to tighten up before the playoffs: execution of their half court offense and set plays after timeouts.
“Every team has good players and All-Stars and All-NBA guys so at this point when you get to the playoffs you can’t avoid things,” McCollum said. “Whatever is going to get exposed is going to get exposed.”
McCollum’s words are already prophetic, at least in terms of Portland’s preferred playoff opponent: the Clippers have been exposed.
