Jusuf Nurkic, Portland Trail Blazers.
After watching the first two games of this best-of-seven series between the Portland Trail Blazers and Denver Nuggets, I took a few days to put together an assessment of the positives and negatives. Following their Game 1 win Game 2 loss, here are five points the Blazers must address as the series shifts to Rip City.
I thought Portland really took control in Game 1 when Jusuf Nurkic asserted himself in the second half. Saddled with the enormous task of stopping likely MVP Nikola Jokic, Nurkic did enough offensively with 16 points and 12 rebounds.
He not only forced Jokic to play some defense but also attracted enough defenders to open up better looks for Portland’s three-point marksmen. Jokic still had 34 points on 14-of-27 shooting, but Nurkic kept up with him much better after halftime.
Game 2 was a different story. Nurkic couldn’t make an impact on the offensive end. Looking at his Portland Trail Blazers’ career, it’s important he gets involved early. At times it seems like Nurkic is more motivated on defense if he is more involved on the offensive side of the court. Jokic ended up dominating both sides of the court with 38 points on a highly efficient 15-of-20 from the field.
The assists completely flipped where in Game 1, Jokic was held to a single assist, and Nurkic opened things up with 5, and in Game 2, Jokic was able to tally 5 and Nurkic had 1. I don’t expect Nurkic to stop Jokic, but I expect him to do better than 7 points on 2-of-8 shooting.
The Denver Nuggets frontcourt athleticism and height have exposed certain parts of Portland’s three-guard lineup defensively in this series. The most significant part exposed so far in the first two games is Norman Powell. Whether he guards Michael Porter Jr. or Aaron Gordon, Powell hasn’t been able to slow down either player.
During Game 2, we saw Portland go deeper into the bench than in the previous game. Coach Terry Stotts tried to find a defender capable of guarding any of Denver’s high-power forwards. When Portland goes deeper into their bench, one of two things is happening. The game is already decided in a blowout, or there are serious defensive issues going on. Should Powell continue to struggle defensively, don’t be surprised to see cameos from Nassir Little or Rondae Hollis-Jefferson.
He has to start hitting his open three-pointers on the offensive side as 1-for-7 won’t cut it. The Portland Trail Blazers brought in Powell to open up the floor with his shooting. As the series advances, he has to be much better.
We knew coming into the playoffs that Damian Lillard and CJ Mccollum would put up some points. Lillard has played like someone who should have been one of the three MVP finalists as he averaged 38 points and 11.5 assists per game while shooting 50 percent from behind the arc.
Astounding numbers, but CJ is also shooting the ball lights. The two-guard averages 21 points on a highly efficient 53.1 percent from the field and 50 percent from three-point range. He’s had some defensive lapses and mental mistakes that need to be cleaned up. But on the whole, there are no complaints about the output from Portlands’ backcourt.
That trend needs to continue as the series moves to Portland. The Blazers need their guards to keep up with Denver’s offensive onslaught by their frontcourt players. Expect Portland to further utilize McCollum’s efficient play. He’s due for a 30+ point breakout game in one of these two games at the MODA center home games coming up.
I can expect Carmelo Anthony to have up and down games. His success often depends on how effectively his shot is falling. I shouldn’t expect back-to-back games of Enes Kanter not being the double-double machine he can be. An average of 3.0 points and 4.5 rebounds in two games is a near disappearing act for Portland’s most consistent interior offensive threat.
When Jokic has the ball in his hands, he’s turned, twisted, tortured, and otherwise turned Kanter inside-out. It is an obvious liability, but Kanter has never been a good defender, so it comes somewhat expected. If he can’t defend his man, then he has to contribute in other areas.
Kanter is a highly effective rebounder and inside scorer. He’s the type of player who is capable of getting under the skin of opposing defenders. The Portland Trail Blazers need to see THAT Kanter in this series. I “groaned” too many times while watching Jokic pull a spin move for an easy layup. I need more “maniacal laughter” after watching Kanter get it back on the other end.
He has to be the Kanter that averaged nearly 13 points and 10.5 rebounds in the 2019 playoffs against Steven Adams and Jokic in back to back series. Nurkic and Kanter need to be the two-headed monster they can be if Portland expects to win this series.
One of the more entertaining side stories for me in the first two games is watching Zach Collins‘ off-the-court antics in response to the antics of the Nuggets bench. He’s in the role of cheerleader right now, waiting for his foot to heal. But he’s the first Blazer I’ve seen in a while who is willing to throw fire and emotion right back at an opponent’s bench.
People can complain all they want about Zach’s health. But he has the “Enforcer” attitude that this team has been missing. A healthy Collins plays like an enforcer as well. He doesn’t back down and will mix it up with any opponent if needed.
It still might be a far-fetched fairy tale, but I am hoping he returns to the court at some point in these playoffs. Earlier in the season, I wrote that a healthy Collins back at the starting PF slot allows the team to move Robert Covington to SF, which would better cover up for the lack of size in the backcourt. It also allows for Norman Powell to be a potent weapon off the bench. Few teams could match that kind of nine-man playoff rotation.
In my opinion, this team goes from being, at best, a second-round team to a legit contender. Allowing players to return to their natural positions gives the Portland Trail Blazers the size to match up against anybody. They can play big without weakening the defense. That’s the Ying to the Yang that is the teams’ ability to put out an offensively stacked small-ball lineup.
What are your thoughts? Do you agree with these takes? Let us know in the comment section below or on social media.