HOU 100
LAL 112
SA 118
MIA 92
LAC 99
MIN 109
CHA 90
BOS 107
NO 118
MIL 121
GS 115
PHO 108
ATL 101
DAL 105
ORL 98
BKN 116
SAC 106
LAL 112
OKC 115
PHO 106
GS 113
POR 94
BKN 130
DET 122
DAL 119
OKC 114
CHA 117
ORL 108
POR 122
LAC 107
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Feb 28 2:10 pm

NSL Insider - R1 Preview: Portland V Phoenix

by dazman, updated on Tuesday, May 02 2023, 01:05 am EST

Introduction: After a long and ultra-competitive NSL season the playoffs are finally here, easily my favourite time of the season. This is where the best of the best gets to square off for bragging rights and the chance to claim the coveted NSL championship. This first round Western Conference matchup pits the 1st seed Portland Trail Blazers against the 8th Seed Phoenix Suns.

Regular Season Recap: The Trail Blazers finished the regular season with an incredible 70 wins, finishing first in the Western Conference despite barely ever seeing their 2 stars, Kevin Durant and Lebron James on the floor at the same time. There was certainly no championship hangover in Portland as either James or Durant would lead the team, alongside consistently great performances by Andre Drummond, Josh Richardson and Jakob Poeltl.

The Suns, on the other hand, had a slow start to the season, before the mid-season acquisitions of Jalen Brunson and Brandon Ingram came to town and alongside the much-improved Bol Bol and Nick Richards were able to turn the ship round and scrape into the 10th Seed in the Western Conference. From there, the Suns were able to defeat the New Orleans Pelicans before a come from behind win against the Los Angeles Clippers would see them secure a playoff berth.

Head-to-Head: During the regular season, the Trail Blazers and Suns faced each other 4 times, with Portland prevailing in all 4 games by an average margin of 26 points. Andre Drummond was huge in all of those games, while Kevin Durant and Lebron James both got a chance to lead the Blazers to victory.

Key Matchups: In this series, there will be several key matchups to keep an eye on.

Kevin Durant vs Brandon Ingram: Both long, athletic and terrific scorers from anywhere on the floor, this matchup at shooting guard will be pivotal to fuel the offense of both teams. It may come down to their work on the defensive side of the ball. Who can slow down the other more?

Josh Richardson vs Jalen Brunson: Brunson is the current darling of Suns GM Laddas and a huge reason for their turnaround, Richardson has been incredible as a plug and play point guard. Brunson needs to win this matchup and win it big for the Suns to be a chance here.

Lebron James vs Jaden McDaniels: Monumental is the task facing McDaniels, he will be required to slow down the most dominant force this league has seen in Lebron James, the ageless one. If Lebron can do his usual thing the Suns will have a torrid time keeping it close.

X-Factors: While both teams have star players, there may be some X-factors that could have a significant impact on the series. For the Trail Blazers, Andre Drummond has been a constant source of rebounds, blocks, second chance points and frustration for the opposition for multiple seasons now in Portland. Wherever he goes, titles seem to follow. For the Suns, Nick �Big Dick� Richards has had a terrific season and can also contribute in all the ways Drummond has. He will need to.

Strength:

The Trail Blazers have many strengths, they boast the league�s best offensive and shooting metrics. However, it is probably their league best rebounding that probably contributes the most to the win column, and aids in those offensive numbers.

The Suns did finish 10th in the West, so their numbers don�t stand out as much, but where they do shine is at the free throw line, ranked 2nd best in the league. The Suns are clearly aggressive at getting to the rim and therefore the free throw line.

Weakness: 

The Trail Blazers have few weaknesses, but probably the Suns main strength is their main weakness. They are poor at getting to the free throw line, ranked 28th in the league. Perhaps its because they are so good, defenders are rarely close enough to foul them, who knows?

The Suns main weakness is their offensive efficiency. Their stars in Brandon Ingram and Jalen Brunson while great talents haven�t exactly shot the ball consistently well, both having their fair share of poor shooting games. They are also a young team which feeds into this in-consistency.

Prediction: The Suns are young, exciting and a team on the rise, they have good shooters, length on the wings and a really improved front court that can trouble you each night. But It�s really hard to overlook the defending champs in this one. The Blazers have two of the game�s best on the wings and terrific role players who excel when the defence is preoccupied with the Portland stars. While I hope for a really competitive and entertaining series, and really admire what the Suns are putting together, I think, like in the regular season, the Trail Blazers will be far too strong in this series, and will likely sweep the plucky Suns in 4 games.

Archive

· R1 Preview: New York V Boston

· R1 Preview: Washington V Charlotte

· R1 Preview: San Antonio V Houston

· R1 Preview: Milwaukee V Philly

· R1 Preview: Portland V Phoenix

· R1 Preview: Wolves V Nuggets

· Premium: Season Storylines

· THE RACE HOME W20

· Premium: League Leaders Breakdown

· Premium: All-NSL Predictions

 

 

 

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