How the Denver Nuggets stack up against their potential opponents
How the Denver Nuggets match up with the Portland Trail Blazers
Probably the most favorable matchup of the three, the Portland Trail Blazers really don’t strike fear into many teams come playoff time. However, it would be foolish to underestimate Damian Lillard and the rest of this Trail Blazers team, as they have built arguably the most solid supporting cast that Lillard has ever had. The deadline day deal for Norman Powell and a healthy Jusuf Nurkic help the Blazers put a dangerous starting five onto the court.
Powell is having a career year, averaging 18.7 points per game, although his numbers have dropped slightly since moving from Toronto to Portland.
Nurkic is a double-double machine and he’s sure to see the court a lot in the playoffs since he’s only averaged just over 20 minutes per game since coming back from his wrist injury.
Enes Kanter did an adequate job as his replacement, giving the Blazers a real one-two punch at center.
Offensive focal point: Damian Lillard
Dame D.O.L.L.A. has been an underappreciated star in this league for a long time. He is the only player that can hold a candle up to Steph Curry’s shooting range.
Combine that with elusive quickness and elite handles and you get a bonafide superstar. Lillard’s offensive abilities only seem to get stronger late in games (no wonder they call it Dame Time) and nobody can argue about his clutch gene. His downfall has always been his defensive ability, but on offense, he is a tantalizing talent.
Defensive stopper: Robert Covington
If you thought that the Mavs had a terrible defensive rating, just wait until you hear Portland’s. The Trail Blazers are 29th in the league in defensive rating, beating out only the Sacramento Kings.
The Blazers have always been defensively challenged but they are hoping that veteran Forward Robert Covington can add some stops on that side of the floor. Ro-Co was an undrafted free agent who made his name on the Philadelphia 76ers as a 24-year-old.
Now in his seventh season, Covington does a good job on both the perimeter and inside. He should be assigned to slow down either one of Michael Porter Jr. or Aaron Gordon.
X factor: CJ McCollum
CJ McCollum is another magnificent scorer the Trail Blazers have. He is known primarily for his mid-range game, but really does a good job at scoring consistently from anywhere.
Considering that Monte Morris may not be healthy to start the playoffs, the two guards on Portland might be too much for the Nuggets to handle. PJ Dozier must bring his A-game defensively to try and slow down the Blazers’ attack.
Matchup to exploit:
As mentioned, the Blazers are an easy team to beat on the defensive end. They also play very small as Norman Powell is their starting small forward at 6-foot-4.
Considering the Nuggets Starting small forward is MPJ at a handsome 6-foot-10, this gives the Nuggets a chance to attack the Blazers’ shaky defense. Now Robert Covington might be assigned to try and nullify MPJ, in that case, Aaron Gordon will have to take it on himself to try and punish Norman Powell.