Raptors at Portland Trail Blazers: Preview & 3 keys to victory
By Brian Boake
Can the Raptors find a win in Portland, a city which has been inhospitable seemingly forever?
Game 3 of the Toronto Raptors’ 6-game road swing finds them in Portland for their first of two meetings with the Trail Blazers this season.
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Portland had a miserable off-season, losing four of their five starters from the 2014-15 team. The biggest defection was that of LaMarcus Aldridge, who went to San Antonio in search of a championship. The Blazers’ rebuild has been impressive. They may be below .500, but only slightly at 24-26, and have managed to grab onto the Western Conference’s final playoff rung. Whether they can retain it is another matter, but I think they are for real, and should be competitive for some time with their young core. Their plus/minus is zero, which I’ve never seen before this late in a season, and provides proof their record is no fluke.
Like the Raptors, the Blazers are led by a powerful backcourt. Damian Lillard has been a dandy player since his first game in the league, and is rolling big numbers again. He’s tied with Russell Westbrook for sixth in scoring at 24 points, and sits eighth in assists at 7.2 per game [PG]. The Blazers had little to lose when they turned over the other guard spot to C.J. McCollum, as this season was expected to be a throwaway. McCollum, not being one to miss his opportunity, has been stellar, averaging 20+ points PG. They are the West’s highest-scoring guard pairing outside of a couple of Warriors named Curry and Thompson.
Their frontcourt is adequate at best. They are certainly long enough (the shortest is Al-Farouq Aminu at 6’9″) but don’t frighten anyone. Meyers Leonard and Mason Plumlee are essentially the same player; tall and young, so with upside, but not terribly skilled at backing down their man, blocking shots or passing.
This game is a jump ball, since the Raptors’ lacklustre win over the Phoenix Suns, a team in turmoil, did little to convince me they are ready to resume their winning ways. Still, they can win if they…:
- …defend the 3-pointer well. Portland takes the fourth-highest number of attempts in the NBA with 28.4. Their percentage of makes (35.2) is middle of the pack. If Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan can fight off the picks of the Blazers’ giant frontcourt, and bother Lillard and McCollum, the Raptors will damage the opponents’ most productive offensive tactic. The Raptors are fourth-best in opponents 3-point field goal percentage with 37.3, so I like our chances.
- …neutralize their rebounders. Portland is well ahead of the Raptors in total rebounds, ranking fifth with 45.9. Clearly the best way to render rebounds moot is to make shots. Patrick Patterson and Cory Joseph, are you listening?
- …get to the free-throw line. The Raptors have a substantial edge in both attempts (26.5 to 21.3) and make percentage (78.5 to 72.7). In a close game, a few more successful trips to the charity stripe can make the difference.
Next: Alternate 5-man units for Raptors
The Blazers have won their last 5 games, all at home. The Raptors have had nothing but misery when visiting Portland, with one win in their last thirteen tries. Let’s defy history and call for a Toronto win by a 103-100 count.