Western Conf. Playoffs: First Round
20 May 2021
Nuggets [3] vs. Blazers [6]
Damian Lillard vs. Nikola Jokic. Two MVP caliber players meet in yet another playoff series that is bound to spark some drama in the west. The last time the Nuggets and Blazers met in the playoffs was in 2019 during the semifinals that featured a seven-game series including a Game 3 that went into quadruple overtime in favor of Portland. If this series is half of what that 2019 series looked like, consider it a win for the NBA and its fans. Here’s a preview of what we are getting in offensive juggernauts featuring Jokic and Lillard.
2020-21 Season Stats
Lillard has quietly been dominant, especially over the last 10 games averaging 31.8 PPG, 8.1 APG while shooting 56.1% from the field and 50% from three. In that span Portland is 8-2 including wins against the Jazz, defending champ Lakers, and none other than the Nuggets. This series certainly has the potential to go into 7 games, especially with the absence of Jamal Murray and if CJ McCollum compliments Lillard to his fullest potential as an efficient shooter. However, the Nuggets supporting cast around Jokic has been strongly led by Michael Porter Jr. who has picked up some of the slack since Murray’s season-ending ACL injury.
MPJ this season w/o Jamal Murray
Ultimately when push comes to shove, Jokic can do everything Lillard can and more making this a nightmare matchup for the Blazers defense. On top of that if Denver can find a way to get Porter Jr. going early on in this series it’s only going to make things harder for Portland to keep up with on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. I’ll take Denver to take care of business in no more than six games.
Prediction: Nuggets in 6
Suns [2] vs. Lakers [7]
Chris Paul vs. LeBron James… in the playoffs! It doesn’t get much better than this. The defending champs had a more unusual path to playoffs by outlasting the Warriors in the first play-in game thanks to James’s late-game heroics. This time around, Phoenix poses a tall task, and rightfully so as the No. 2 seed in the west. The biggest change for the Suns has been the presence of Chis Paul and the consistent scoring options of Devin Booker and DeAndre Ayton. Here’s how the Suns’ big three have fared this season.
2020-21 Season Stats
Phoenix will have to bring everything they got against the defending champs as James and Anthony Davis seem to be getting ready at the right time for a serious playoff push. But before we get ahead of ourselves, I never like to bet against James, especially when he has a teammate of Davis’ caliber. I expect close games in this series and that’s what makes me scared for the Lakers. For starters, Phoenix had the league’s second-best record (25-12) in games that were within five points in the last five minutes. On top of that, they also had the league’s best road record (24-12).
I’m tempted to say that the Lakers should look primed to go on another title run but for the first time in a while, a team like Phoenix has convinced me a tad bit more than the duo of James and Davis as players. I expect a hard-fought seven-game series that wouldn’t surprise me if it goes in favor of the Suns. It sounds ridiculous to predict a seven-game series and not pick James to take care of business in that final game, but once again the Suns are more convincing as a team and the numbers show for it.
Prediction: Suns in 7
Clippers [4] vs. Mavericks [5]
Another trip to the playoffs is a second chance to not screw this up like the last time around. Yes, Clipper fans that were a shot at your team, but in all seriousness, Los Angeles’ finest boasts a far more confident and better roster than they did last season. Interestingly enough, this year’s playoff campaign will begin similar to last year with a matchup against the Dallas Mavericks. Although the Clippers took care of business in six games, many suggest the team lucked out as Kristaps Porzingis was ejected in the opening game of the series that LA ended up winning 118-110. The NBA certainly had a ‘what if’ moment that makes us think about how the Mavs could have got a seven-game series if it wasn’t for Porzingis’ ejection. However, it didn’t take long for the Mavs to give themselves a fighting chance thanks to Luka Donicic’s late-game heroics that tied the series up at two apiece only to see the Clippers close out the series in six games.
This time around the key addition for the Clippers has been Rajon Rondo at the trade deadline. The former Laker turned Hawk was traded back to the city of angels but this time as a member of the Clippers. Fortunately, that gives Kawhi Leonard a temporary fix at wanting a true point guard despite Patrick Beverley’s presence.
Meanwhile, the Clippers will have the tall task of guarding one of the league’s best point guards in Doncic. The Mavs star has been nothing short of phenomenal averaging 27.7 points, 8.6 assists, and 8.0 rebounds in 66 games this season. He will take on a Clippers team that relies on the play of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. Here’s how the dynamic duo has fared this past season.
NBA 2020-21 Season Stats
The duo has been nothing short of consistent this past year which is exactly what powered them to a top-4 seed in the west. The Clippers seem to have their team dynamic figured out which is convincing enough to get them to the second round. On the contrary, the Mavs seem to have some unexplained rift between Doncic and Porzingis which is most certainly going to play a role in not only this playoff run but heading into the offseason as well. I trust Leonard and George to come together and prove that the Clippers are contenders and not pretenders like last year’s run.
Prediction: Clippers in 6
Jazz [1] vs. Grizzlies [8]
After two hard-fought play-in games the Memphis Grizzlies upset Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors to claim the final seed in the West. Although it was non-stop entertainment, it’s a loss for the NBA to see Curry on the outside looking in for the second consecutive postseason.
Meanwhile, the top-seeded Jazz will play host to Ja Morant in his first trip to the playoffs and it will be far from an easy matchup. As good as Morant has been off late, Donovan Mitchell is just as capable to rally back and forth with him if it comes to that. All eyes will be on Mitchell as the all-star guard has been sidelined since April 16 with a sprained right ankle and hopes to make his return in Game 1 of this series. Even without Mitchell, Utah could pull out a win with some key moves. The team will need to start by getting Rudy Gobert the ball more in the paint on offense and move Jordan Clarkson to the starting five to be a lethal scoring option in Mitchell’s absence.
Clarkson since April 16
With or without Mitchell in the first game, I don’t believe Memphis is as well equipped as people may think they are for not only the postseason but for the Utah Jazz. Who knows, if Steph and the Warriors were in this series it wouldn’t surprise me to see a six or possibly seven-game series. On the contrary, in this series between Memphis and Utah, I’m going to go bold and take the Jazz in five games.
