Quick Preview: WC 1st Round - Sonics vs Blazers
Mar 18, 2016 6:42:12 GMT
Post by ranger74 on Mar 18, 2016 6:42:12 GMT
These two teams from the Pacific Northwest have had some great battles both within the division and in the post-season, and this promises to be another close series. The Blazers earned the home court advantage with 53 regular season wins to the Sonics 47. However, Seattle took the season series 4-2 with one win on the Blazers court.
Matchups
PG Darrell Walker vs Ray Williams
The 36 year old Williams is still a capable player, but not the offensive threat he once was. That negates Walker's strength somewhat (his defense) and this should be a competitive contest.
SG Paul Pressey vs Drazen Petrovic
One of the key battles that will decide the series. If Pressey can keep Petro quiet, he might not need to contribute a lot offensively himself to give the Blazers the edge.
SF Jerome Kersey vs Charles Smith
The Blazers will be hoping to have the edge here, but both players are equally capable of taking over a game. Kersey probably has a better chance of stopping Smith than Smith does of stopping Kersey.
PF Cliff Robinson vs Kevin McHale
Another pivotal contest with McHale a tough assignment for the Blazers' off-season recruit. Robinson will look to draw McHale outside with his outside shooting while using his long arms to bother McHale at the other end.
C James Edwards vs Larry Bird
Edwards has been slowly assuming a bigger role off the bench as the season has progressed and will start due to the injury to Granville Waiters. The Sonics may decide to switch Bird and McHale, as this would appear a challenging defensive task for Bird should he go against Edwards. On the other hand, it's hard to see Edwards keeping track of Bird on the perimeter.
Benches
The Blazers 2nd unit of Steve Colter, John Starks, Derrick McKey, Buck Williams and Thurl Bailey gives them a little of everything. The Sonics rely more heavily on their starters with only Wayne Cooper and Darrell Armstrong logging more than 15 minutes per game (all five of those Blazers do).
Prediction
Portland is one of the best defensive teams in the league, with a combined team stop rate of 94% on drives, tough post defenders and a number of good shot blockers. However, the Sonics have several players capable of dismantling that defense for a big score, as they have proven during the regular season. All of their starters except Williams have scored 22 points or more on at least one occasion and the Sonics are one of the few teams to consistently shoot well against Portland, hitting over 47% of their attempts in 5 of 6 games.
It should be a great series and I expect it to go to at least 6 games with the Sonics progressing to the next round.