John Hollinger on Portland's Best Playoff Matchup ben (Atlanta) what's the best matchup/hope for...

John Hollinger on Portland's Best Playoff Matchup

ben (Atlanta)

what's the best matchup/hope for Portland in the playoffs? vs Dallas? or OKC?

John Hollinger (1:00 PM)

Well, I think we can all agree it's not Utah (lost season series 0-4) ... and they've done well against Dallas this year but couldn't handle the Mavs at all last season. I wonder actually if Denver isn't the best pairing -- Batum does pretty well against Melo and Miller has the size to check Chauncey.

Comments

Of teams in the playoffs

San Antonio and Phoenix. It’s just possible a Phoenix matchup might happen, though both are unlikely.

I wouldn’t mind an OKC matchup, either.

I think Dallas would be very tough, with their new lineup.

I think L.A. wouldn’t be a horrible matchup.

Give Blake the MLE in 2010!
Farewell to #2 and #25, good luck to you!
#7 #10 #52 -- #5 & #88 are back!

by jscot on Feb 25, 2010 11:47 AM PST reply actions 1 recs

San Antonio and Phoenix are our best matchups, but aren’t very likely. OKC would be okay because a) they lack grizzled playoff vets that will beat us up, and b) they won’t kill us inside. And L.A. is (relatively) ripe for a take down.

Utah is a doomsday scenario for us. Denver might be competitive, but I don’t like our chances. And Dallas looks good.

"...it was like he brought his own personal cross-wind to the arena." - Dave

by DC Blazer on Feb 25, 2010 11:56 AM PST up reply actions

Phoenix would be the best and Utah the worst

1. Phoenix
2. San Antonio
3. Oklahoma City
4. Denver
5. Dallas
6. L@kers
7. Utah

by Sean M on Feb 25, 2010 11:57 AM PST reply actions

I think OKC is the best matchup

Oden would come back just to dunk on Durant’s head and shut everybody up.

by zbrum on Feb 25, 2010 12:38 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs

I'd only switch OKC and SA on this list.

Otherwise, I agree completely.

Yes! Yes! In the face!

by LeafHawk on Feb 25, 2010 1:38 PM PST up reply actions

OKC would be the best matchup, by far

You remember what the Rockets did to us in Game 1? Someone is going to do that to OKC.

by senormateo on Feb 25, 2010 12:46 PM PST reply actions

Exactly

The Blazers could punk the young thunder now that they aren’t the new kids on the block. I think OKC would be the perfect matchup and I would bet money the blazers beat them in 6, if healthy…

RUDY > MJ
Thank you KP

by Rudiculous on Feb 25, 2010 1:38 PM PST up reply actions

We've owned Dallas this year

Though we haven’t seen them with their new line up. I’ll reserve judgment until that happens in March. Right now, I’m leaning Dallas.

by easybuckets on Feb 25, 2010 12:56 PM PST reply actions

LOL, Denver would clean our clocks.

I agree, Thunder, Spurs, Suns, Lakers. I could live with any of those.

Denver, Dallas, Utah – NOOOOO Thank You.

by pdxrob on Feb 25, 2010 1:10 PM PST reply actions

I am not as scared of Utah as most

I think Losing Brewer helps the blazers quite a bit, he was really the only guy on their roster that had a chance to stick with Roy. Of the probable playoff match ups (Lakers, Nugs, Jazz, Mavs) I go Mavs, Jazz, Nugs, Lakers in order of preference, although the Nugs and Jazz are equally bad match ups to me. Even though the blazers have matched up well with the Lakers, there is simply no chance of beating them in a 7 game series. There is at last a smidgen of hope against any other team…

RUDY > MJ
Thank you KP

by Rudiculous on Feb 25, 2010 1:46 PM PST reply actions

I think there's no smidgen against Utah.

Even if we can play better than we’ve shown this year, we still can’t win at Utah, which we would have to do, since they’ll have the higher seed. We all know about our record this year, but even last year, we didn’t fair well at Utah. Utah matches up very well against us, and honestly, when healthy and happy, they’re probably the second best team in the West. All of the injuries they suffered last year and the Boozer situation this year have made people forget that they were the darlings of the NBA going into last season. I hate Utah, but I like their chances of winning the conference this year (playoffs, not regular season, of course).

"...it was like he brought his own personal cross-wind to the arena." - Dave

by DC Blazer on Feb 25, 2010 1:58 PM PST up reply actions

Think of how bad Sloan would outcoach Nate in a 7 game series...

#52

by Roybot on Feb 25, 2010 2:52 PM PST up reply actions

there has to be a mercy rule for coaches

"In Batum's case he must realize he is very likely the first Blazer to successfully fight over a pick all season..."
-Ben

by Magnum on Feb 25, 2010 2:52 PM PST up reply actions

It probably wouldnt be any worse than what George Karl or Phil Jackson would do to poor Nate.

RUDY > MJ
Thank you KP

by Rudiculous on Feb 25, 2010 6:04 PM PST up reply actions

Seems to be a common theme.

#52

by Roybot on Feb 25, 2010 11:54 PM PST up reply actions

Yes

that all these teams have better/healthier rosters than we do

by Billy Hoyle on Feb 26, 2010 8:35 AM PST up reply actions

The three teams I think we would beat in a 7 game series:

Spurs, Suns, Thunder. Too bad we won’t get matched up with any of them.

Get well Greg! Rip City is still behind you!

by axel360 on Feb 25, 2010 2:50 PM PST reply actions

The top 4 teams currently are

Fakers
Nuggets
Jazz
Mavericks

Since the Blazers are looking at no higher than a 6th seed, I think we can limit the discussion to these 4 teams and maybe the Suns, who have a nice closing schedule.

Even if our 0-4 record against the Jazz doesn’t tell the whole story, you can bet the team will be mentally whipped to some extent especially after blowing a 25 point lead. This is the worst match up possible.

I think we have the best shot to beat the Mavs and the Suns in a 7 game series. I think the Faker match up would be the most fun. Just contemplate the possible upset.

"In Batum's case he must realize he is very likely the first Blazer to successfully fight over a pick all season..."
-Ben

by Magnum on Feb 25, 2010 2:57 PM PST reply actions

Just imagine....

We could at the very least give LA a ton of ish in the first round and scare the crap out of them. It would be soooo cool.

Anyhoo, It all depends on if we have Oden back in time for playoffs. I wouldn’t even be that scared of the Mavs in that case. Interesting that Hollinger says Denver, given that two of our starters were on the Nuggets. Maybe their knowledge of the system would be an advantage???

by HailOden! on Feb 25, 2010 3:21 PM PST up reply actions

In my opinion

Of all playoff teams currently here’s how I see it

1. Phoenix
2. Dallas
3. San Antonio
4. OKC
5. L*kers
6. Denver
7. Jazz

Dallas I think is who we should be aiming for, because of other favorable match ups they’ll probably not get home court.

I'm not saying, I'm just saying.

by RyanRTE on Feb 25, 2010 3:29 PM PST reply actions

would oden be available for the playoffs?

by CleBlazer on Feb 26, 2010 12:14 AM PST reply actions

I think you're forgetting ...

who wants to see LA vs CLE in the finals and that’s David Stern. He’ll make it happen and for that, if we get LA first round I know that we own them at home but there’d be so many B.S. calls by the refs and it’d be so lop-sided that it’d make the Houston series last year look like a joke. (Gee… I wonder how many Yao jersey’s the NBA sold in China for Houston winning a series…)

Lakers and Jazz are last on my list. I’d love the rusty old SA at the top as well as OKC

by The realist on Feb 26, 2010 4:01 AM PST reply actions

Dallas is easily our best matchup

My order of preference:

Dallas
Denver
San Antonio
LA
Phoenix
OKC
Utah

That being said, I would love for us to keep the 8th seed and face the FLakers in the first round. Can you imagine the intensity in the Rose Garden for our home games? Plus the chance to exact our revenge 10 years later can’t be ignored.

by Bib Fortuna on Feb 26, 2010 7:55 AM PST reply actions