How Blazers can still win the West, and more
Last week, the Portland Trail Blazers were dealt a devastating blow with the tore Achilles of Wesley Matthews. Matthews is third on the team in scoring and perhaps its best two-way player, shown by his 16.2 PER. Without Matthews in the lineup, head coach Terry Stotts has inserted Aaron Afflalo to fill the void. On Saturday, Afflalo responded with 14 points in 32 minutes, in a 121-113 loss to the woeful Minnesota Timberwolves.
At 41-20, Portland is fourth in the West and battling for third with the Houston Rockets. The Blazers are going to draw a terrific opponent regardless of its seed, with the Western Conference boasting the most loaded group we have seen in some time. Portland still has a tremendous duo in LaMarcus Aldridge and Damian Lillard, giving it a chance to make a deep run.
The Blazers are eighth in points scored and ninth in points allowed/game, showcasing ability on both ends. Should Portland play a team like Houston or the Los Angeles Clippers, being the superior defensive team could be the difference. The loss of Matthews will be tough to overcome against a high-powered, guard-oriented team like the Golden State Warriors. Lillard is not a good defender, and against Golden State will be further exposed without Matthews providing support.
For the Blazers to make a fairly surprising run to the Finals, Afflalo will need to step up or the Warriors will need to be bounced before the two teams lock horns.
Best possible first-round series
There are so many juicy series that could happen in the first round out West. The Warriors playing the Oklahoma City Thunder could be fantastic, although it is tough to see Kevin Durant’s foot being completely healed in a month. If healthy, Oklahoma City could be the first eight seed to make the Finals since the 1999 New York Knicks.
Another intriguing possibility is the Rockets and Clippers. Few teams can score like Houston and Los Angeles, and the star power is certainly through the roof with James Harden, Dwight Howard, DeAndre Jordan, Blake Griffin and Chris Paul.
Spurs rolling
San Antonio is starting to crank up the engine. The Spurs have won five straight games and are only a half-game out of the fifth seed, which could get them a series against either Portland, Los Angeles, Houston or the Dallas Mavericks. While none of those teams would be a walk in the park, the Spurs would be an unwelcome sight for any opponent come April and May.
Game of the Week
When LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers come to the AT&T Center to visit San Antonio on Thursday night at 9:30 p.m. ET, that is must-watch television. The game can be seen nationally in the United States on TNT.
