Blazers vs. Clippers: The Matchups

The regular season is often always about a team’s journey and their evolution over 82 games. The playoffs? The playoffs are about match-ups. We broke down all the positions and the coaches for each team to see which teams have the advantage.

Point guard

This match-up boils down to Chris Paul and Damian Lillard, also known as Dad and Baby. But look a little deeper and you see that the match-up also includes CJ McCollum and Austin Rivers, who will both take turns manning the controls. If Paul and Lillard were the only point guards to play in this series, I’d give the edge to the Clippers. But the gap between McCollum and Rivers is so vast that I think the position in the aggregate goes to Portland.

Advantage: Blazers

Shooting guard

This is a great match-up. CJ McCollum and JJ Redick, two great shooters and new-media personalities facing off. Perhaps CJ will be a guest on JJ’s podcast and CJ can interview JJ after the series. When you throw in Jamal Crawford, it’s a battle of NBA media darlings! The Clippers have a slight advantage here because they have two guys with experience in making big shots in the postseason. Allen Crabbe and Gerald Henderson have been solid, but experience is swinging this to the Clippers.

Advantage: Clippers

Small forward

The small forward match-up is a great one for the Blazers mostly because the Clippers don’t really have anybody that can credibly play that position. Luc Mbah a Moute, who was out of the league not long ago, is the starter. Wesley Johnson? Jeff Green is probably their only playable wing in this series. That’s not great. Maurice Harkless has only been starting for about a month, but I think the Blazers can trust him. Allen Crabbe and Gerald Henderson each cycle between those two spots and are both also better than the Mbah a Moute/Johnson mishmash and both more reliable in their roles than Green. Positional designations in this series will be fluid, but for the purposes of this breakdown, the Blazers are much better at the three.

Advantage: Blazers

Power forward

The Blazers wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for Al-Farouq Aminu, but he is at a clear disadvantage in the match-up against Blake Griffin. Griffin’s post game is unorthodox but it’s effective. He’s had a down season thanks to injuries but I wouldn’t look too hard into his regular season numbers. Players like Griffin prepare to peak in the playoffs. Even if he doesn’t, it’s nearly impossible to give Portland an advantage over a perennial All-Star.

Advantage: Clippers

Center

DeAndre Jordan finished second in the league in rebounding and was one of the league’s best rim protectors. Mason Plumlee has been an excellent ball mover and a solid rebounder. Ed Davis has been amazing in the role of back-up center for 82 games. But Jordan is one of the league leaders in minutes and a massive plus for the Clippers whenever he is on the court.

Advantage: Clippers

Coach

This is a tough one. Doc Rivers and his staff often draw up brilliant late-game plays. But sometimes his rotations can be a little curious and in this match-up, I would count on Stotts to make fewer mistakes. How Stotts deploys fouling strategies against Jordan will be key. Last year the Spurs did it, but it backfired. This series will be played on a chess board balancing on a basketball and the moves must be both firm and delicate. Rivers is cunning and smart, but I think Stotts will shine in this chess match.

Advantage: Blazers

Series pick

Something doesn’t seem right with this Clippers team and reports since the beginning of the season suggest that a failed season will lead to a break-up of their core. Their experience is the trump card against the Blazers, but Portland just might be good enough for it not to matter. BLAZERS IN 6.