Denver Nuggets: Portland Trail Blazers series preview
Denver Nuggets: Guard matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers
The health of Will Barton and Austin Rivers is one of the biggest storylines of the guard matchup during this season. Barton is nursing a hamstring injury and Rivers has been diagnosed with a non-COVID disease.
Will has already been ruled out of Game 1. With the incredible scoring potential of Portland’s lead guards Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, the Nuggets will need their guards to defend to the best of their ability.
While Facundo Campazzo is an experienced point guard, he is likely not going to be able to defend such elite guards for 35 minutes per night. Monte Morris and Markus Howard will need to come in and play hard when they are asked to provide relief. Morris is likely Denver’s best option on both sides of the floor, especially if Austin Rivers is unable to go.
Lillard is an incredible scorer who seems to have unlocked the fourth and almost fifth level of offense with his ability to hit shots from near half-court. This season he is averaging 28.8 points per game on just under 40 percent from the three-point range.
He’s a player that you just have to hope gets uncomfortable, so he doesn’t take over the game. The Nuggets will need to throw big bodies at him to wear him down and continue to attack him on the defensive end of the floor.
McCollum is the perfect guard to play off him as well, as an effective secondary option and elite defender to take the pressure off Lillard. He is a deadly shooter off the catch and is a fearless finisher at the rim for his size. If Denver can keep Portland’s elite guard duo to under 60 points per game, they likely have a greater chance to win this series.
Portland also has an entertaining guard coming off the bench in Anfernee Simons who is averaging just under eight points on a deadly 42.6 percent from behind the arc. Simons is someone who can easily play off both Lillard and McCollum and knock down shots off the catch as well as put the ball on the floor and attack the basket.
The Denver Nuggets will not be catching any breaks defending these effective scorers out of the guard position.