Portland Trail Blazers: 5 points as first round shifts to Rip City
Rob Ryan
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5. Zach Collins – potential X-factor
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.
Related: Portland Trail Blazers vs. Denver Playoff Series – Game Times, TV, More
I love playoff basketball. #sityoassdownjamalmurray pic.twitter.com/hNq3E9Nh7v
— Kris (@KrisKoivisto) May 23, 2021
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