Golden St. at Portland
Time: 9:30 PM CT (ESPN)
Spread: GSW -6
Total: 226
Odds c/o 5dimes
POR
Portland fell last outing to the red hot Utah Jazz… The Blazers still are five games above .500, but it should remain in the playoff picture as long as its two main guards remain healthy. Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum combine to average 46.5 points per game and 9.8 assists, and doing the math, that accounts for over 67 points of Portland’s 103.9 per game. That alone tells one how indespensable the duo is, but they need more help outside of the backcourt before Portland can make a realistic leap from “pretender” to “contender.”
Center Jusuf Nurkic ideally could be a third star, but he plays limited minutes to usurp such a heady title. Nurkic is averaging 14.5 points and eight rebounds per game in just 27 minutes a night, and still it must be seen that he has been something of an upgrade over what Mason Plumlee brought to the team a year ago (the two were swapped for one another at least year’s trade deadline). Perhaps the biggest surprise for Portland, though, has been how well Shabazz Napier has played.
Napier was basically gifted to the Blazers from the Orlando Magic after disappointing in his first few NBA seasons (both in Miami and in Orlando), but this year the former UConn Husky and National Champion is averaging 10 points and two assists per game, and he filled in brilliantly for Lillard recently during an injury absence. He adds some backcourt depth, and the Blazers in all have a very well-rounded and deep team— just one that is in need of a third star, no matter how one dices it. Dame and CJ need help…
Golden State
The Warriors most recently trounced the Phoenix Suns 129-83, San Antonio Spurs 122-105 and the Dallas Mavericks 121-103…but prior to those three wins it had dropped three of four contests, with losses to Oklahoma City, Denver and Utah over that span. A big win over the Sacramento Kings mixes in, but the Dubs have lost three of five overall and desperately need to get a win to keep its place atop the Western Conference standings. Golden State did not dapple with other teams at the trade deadline, instead standing pat with a roster that has shown few flaws at any rate.
The Warriors could have sought to improve, but instead with the “do not fix what is not broken” adage in not engaging at the deadline. Instead, the team moves forward with its four All-Stars, and two MVPs, as the prohibitive NBA Finals favorite for the fourth straight season (albeit only two of the previous three resulted in a title!). The Warriors have strung together the most dominant three-run season stretch in NBA history, per wins only, and the fact that the front office realized there is no tinkering with something already balanced was a mature and wise decision overall.
Stephen Curry is leading the team in scoring this year with 27.2 points per game, to go with his 5.1 rebounds, 6.4 assists and 1.58 steals per night. Durant trails him at 26 points per game, but Durant is really close to having a 50/40/90 season, as he is shooting 51 percent from the floor, 42 percent from three and 89 percent at the line. Thompson, too, is close to that precipice, but falls shorter at the charity stripe where he is just 86 percent.
Draymond Green is only attempting 8.9 field goals per game, but he leads the team in assists with 7.3 per game, and he is vital in defending a myriad of switched pick and rolls on defense, having the foot speed and agility to switch out onto guards and defend them in the isolation that follows.
Green is one of the best defenders to come through the league in recent seasons, and his stellar ability to disrupt sets is one of the reasons why the Warriors are such a strong defensive team overall. He keeps the defensive lineup active and fast, rather than slowing it down with a traditional 5. Green,of course, starts at center, but he has a lot of positionless traits as an NBA player, and perhaps the league has not seen such a physical specimen with such grace since the late Anthony Mason. Indeed, they are similar type players.
