Three advantages the OKC Thunder still have over the Blazers
By Brayden Koch
The playoffs have begun, and while the sixth seeded OKC Thunder lost game one to the Blazers there are still three distinct advantages OKC has over Portland.
Strength in the back court
This series offers a matchup of superstars, with Russell Westbrook and Paul George facing off against Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. While it seems like an even matchup, the OKC Thunder have the slight edge in spite of the game one loss.
Russ is coming off of yet another season averaging a triple-double, with career highs in assists and rebounds. His passive play has lead to the success of second year teammate, Paul George. PG, averaging 28 points per-game along with 8.2 rebounds, has gained the attention of the league as he averaged career highs in points and rebounds while leading the league in steals. George’s defensive instincts give him the easy edge over McCollum.
Assuming the dynamic duo keeps up their high level of play, it seems improbable Portland will be able to slow them down.
Experience and head-to-head play
The OKC Thunder have been nothing short of a dominant team since entering the league 11 years ago. This will be the Thunder’s ninth time making the playoffs in franchise history. Portland is also appearing in their sixth straight playoffs, but they have yet to make it out of the second round during the Lillard era. On the other hand, the Thunder have at least made it to the conference finals in four out of their nine playoff appearances.
OKC has also found major success against the Trail Blazers this season. In their four meetings, the Thunder swept the season series with an astonishing +28 net rating. Hopefully, this success can translate into the playoffs.
Steven Adams
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With a handful of games remaining, the Trail Blazers took a huge blow, losing their star center Jusuf Nurkic.
This means Enes Kanter will take the starting position throughout the postseason.
Kanter has built his career through his offensive play but has struggled to find success on the defensive end.
This can serve as a major advantage for Steven Adams, who averaged career highs in rebounds, steals, and assists this season. Adams experienced a solid year defensively, and with Kanter as his defender, he should be able to score with ease.
Next. Thunder film room: defensive keys to shut down Blazers offense. dark
Besides, who doesn’t want to see the stache bros match up!