Do not know much about the Blazers. I lived in Portland before they had a team Reading this article I realize they have a big opportunity. Basketball is is about the guards especially the point guard. Looks like these guys with six years under their belt can beat the warriors.
Into the second half, how refreshing to see two teams who like and know each other playing a competitive game without flopping or histrionics or gaming the foul line. Or is it coaching and the lack of Mike D'Antoni?
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Nothing lasts forever, but the Warriors are in their prime. Cousins was an afterthought all season; their record in games without Durant was better than when he played; Houston was a much tougher opponent than Portland will be. Bring on the Bucks.
Warriors in 5
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The article mentions nothing about skill, strategy, speed, play-making, style, athleticism -- anything that would give us a clue what to watch for on the court.
Instead, it's all history and human interest, as if basketball is a soap opera.
Yo writers! Please teach us your readers! Make some educated guesses about the match-up's, about how each team will respond, etc. I can't even tell if this series will be mainly defensive or offensive, small-ball or big ego.
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The Blazers have a real chance in this one. They also have wings who can come up big besides Dame and CJ, as well as Kanter who is showing he can indeed play defense, as well as do some great work close in on offense.
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No mention of Demarcus Cousins? Interesting.
My prediction is warriors in 5
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Go Blazers!!! It's your turn. I know you guys will leave it all on the court and give it everything you got!
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It will be difficult to beat the Blazers without Durant.
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Although this series is supposed to be easier for the Dubs than the Rockets, I think Portland may be more dangerous. The Rockets seemed to need the win so badly they never loosened up enough to close the deal. Especially in game 6, they seemed more afraid of losing than confident of winning. Steph Curry seemed to sense that as he stepped into a zone that, for this old San Franciscan, was reminiscent of a Joe Montana, come from behind two-minute killer drill.
Portland really has nothing to lose this year. They've already exceeded expectations and can play happy and loose. The Warriors better remind themselves how easy it was to blow that 31 point lead against the lowly Clippers.
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What? Another puff piece on the Blazers? So why can't the Warriors get a little respect here? You know, you really can never have too many Warriors articles.
It is not totally inconceivable for the Blazers to win this. Lillard and McCollum need to figure out how to get and stay hot at the same time, Rodney Hood needs to get healthy, and the team as a whole has to do better on the defensive boards. Playing sound defense overall won't be enough to get it done if you end up allowing offensive rebounds late in the fourth quarter.
The absence of Durant is a mixed bag. He is truly a great player but tends to take his teammates out of the game. The harmony between Curry and Thompson seems more smooth and intuitive without Durant in the mix. So a drop-off isn't guaranteed with Durant still injured.
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Paul Allen is smiling down on his Blazers! #RIPCITY
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The Blazers have been underdogs since the end of last season. Many prognosticators didn't think they would even make the playoffs! (Fess up if you were one folks).
This team is for real, and the Warriors are not at full strength. It will be an interesting series at least, and the possibility of an upset is lurking about.
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No offense, but Lillard and McCollum are poor-man's Curry and Thompson. With Durant, this would a stroll for GSW. Without him, perhaps 6 games.
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@ss
Wow. My dad used to say don't bet against the champs.
It would be great if Portland beat Golden State. If they don't, maybe Milwaukee can. (I don't give Toronto much chance of getting past Milwaukee.)
Whoever wins the series will have to face the most charismatic basketball player in a decade … you know who I mean. It will take a heroic defensive effort and I don't see either Western Conference team capable of that. I think Milwaukee will win it all regardless of who wins the San Francisco-Portland series.
Steph Curry is amazing on and off the court!
That being said, GO BLAZERS!!!
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Absolutely. Go Blazers!
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Story line 4 could be Klay Thompson growing up until his mid-teens in the Portland area where he was on a Little League team with Kevin Love of the Cavs.
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I live halfway between Oakland and Portland. I'm a fan of both. I usually tilt toward Golden State but this year was magical for Portland, blunted somewhat by the loss of Nurkic, so I may (for a change) tilt toward Portland this time. They have a lot in common - Silicon Valley ownership (even if Paul Allen was more Seattle than SF), a modern, wiki approach to coaching that's more collaborative than top-down, and two amazing guard tandems. Both teams are just pure fun to watch and are, I hope, a harbinger of fun basketball and enlightened management theories for the NBA in the days ahead.
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I seem to remember a team some time back - OKC with its two power "personalities", Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. That team was talked about in the same terms as Portland is now.
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@N Majendie OKC hasn't had it since Durant left, and that twosome was broken up. Dame and CJ have been together 6 years, have real team chemistry, and a culture of getting more from less in Portland. Our center Nurkic went down in April, and his replacement Kanter is hobbled with a separated shoulder; Hood steps up in playoffs and he gets screened from behind to a hyper-extended knee. Someone always steps up when needed, just when most think they are out. That is something that rarely happens, true team play and it could be telling.
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@N Majendie Except that Westbrook is like Iverson was--can't play team ball.
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@Neal Obstat
Completely disagree with your comparison. Iverson was a scoring maching. Period. Westbrook, averages more triple-doubles than any player since the "Big O". Your implying Westbrook is a selfish player. That's rubbish.
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The Blazers are Everyman's Team, and America should be rooting for them against the Silicon Valley Warriors, led by mercenary ring-hunter Kevin Durant. This Blazers team is a group of hungry junkyard dogs and criminally overlooked stars from B-level college programs. They have the most heart and determination of any team still standing. There have been many heroic feats and plays in these playoffs, but the most astonishing (and, ironically, the least immediately gratifying from a viewer's perspective) was the Blazers' dogged, gritty comeback from 17 down to win Game 7 on the road in Denver.
This team is fueled by doubt and naysayers like a 1990 Dodge Ram runs on regular unleaded. Every pundit in America is picking Golden State, and the Everyman Blazers wouldn't have it any other way.
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@Parsnip
How many ways can you be wrong? You're wrong that every pundit is picking the Warriors, since Charles Barkley and Kenny Anderson have been picking the Blazers since the beginning of the playoffs. And with Durant out for the foreseeable future, no one on the Warriors side feels that confident.
Neither Steph Curry (Davidson) nor Thompson (Washington State) came from bigtime schools.
You also seem to forget that the Warriors won one championship and came within one victory -- hindered by injuries to Curry and Bogut, and some ridiculous calls on Greene -- of two consecutive championships prior to Durant's arrival.
And it's ridiculous to complain about the "Silicon Valley Warriors" when the Blazers were owned by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen until his recent death. The Warriors have been playing in Oakland for a half century. That's Lillard's hometown.
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@steve Consider that McCollum's school is Lehigh and Dame's is Weber State. Big-time, eh?
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So excited for this series!
I think people might be giving Portland a little too much credit here though. Only time will tell I suppose. With Durant and Cousins hobbled, the timing might be right.
What I don't see is who is going to step up when McCollum and Lillard have an off night? Hard to see a team with two stars taking out a team with 3.5 stars and home court advantage.
Would love to see KD come back and close it out in 5 or 6. Let's not forget that Blazers owner Paul Allen passed away during the season.
My prediction: Warriors in 5
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@Garrett
How did the Supersonics do this year?
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@Still Waiting for a NBA Title Undefeated ;)
@Garrett
Just a friendly reminder:
Oklahoma City was favored over Portland in the first round.
Denver was favored over Portland in the second round.
Is Golden State favored this time around? Okay. Let's play some ball.
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