Portland Trail Blazers vs. Memphis Grizzlies: Game Preview, Prediction
By Nathan Grubel
@The_Only_Grubes
Getty Images
Friday night will play host to a battle of two of the Western Conference’s best teams to start the season in the Memphis Grizzlies and Portland Trail Blazers.
Both teams rank in the top 10 in offensive and defensive efficiency, something only four teams are currently doing in the entire NBA. The Grizzlies (13-2) and Blazers (12-3) both have big men they can go to for a basket late in the game in Marc Gasol and LaMarcus Aldridge.
Gasol has really been terrific on the offensive end this season, averaging 19.8 points to go along with 8.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. Gasol is the most versatile big man in the league, with the ability to be a distributor in the high post and a scoring presence in the low post, but it has been his aggressiveness that has really been a positive for a Grizzlies team that has ranked low offensively over the past few seasons. Gasol has always been able to step out and hit the mid-range shot, but this season he has put a premium on posting up and really looking for his shot down low. The result has been more double teams on Gasol, which has freed up some of his teammates on the perimeter for open shots, and with Gasol’s passing, the ball movement has been a thing of beauty early on. Gasol will need to keep this kind of aggressive attitude in order to take full advantage of his strengths and really put pressure on the Blazers’ defense.
For the Blazers, Aldridge is always a matchup problem, as he is one of the most skilled power forwards in the game. Aldridge has one of the best mid-range shots in the NBA, and he uses it to his advantage in order to stretch the floor for his team’s three-point barrage. Aldridge also has a variety of moves in the post, making him one of the best scoring threats for a big man. Zach Randolph of the Grizzlies is going to have a tough time guarding Aldridge, so they may play Gasol on him, but then Randolph would have to guard Blazers center Robin Lopez, a legit seven-footer who can cause problems in the low post. Lopez has a definitive size advantage on Gasol, so it is going to be really interesting how Grizzlies coach Dave Joerger decides to approach the situation.
Overall, the Blazers will have the advantage in this matchup because of the variety of weapons. Damian Lillard is a lights-out shooter who can act as both a distributor and mid-range scorer, while wings Wesley Matthews and Nicholas Batum are great at moving the ball in the half court as well as playing the transition game. The Blazers have so much offensive firepower that it is going to be tough for the Grizzlies to contain all of it while still having the energy to put a good amount of points on the board, especially on the road. Look for the Blazers to outlast the Grizzlies in a perimeter shot-making battle to the end.
Final Score: Blazers 102, Grizzlies 94
Nathan Grubel is an NBA writer for Rant Sports. Follow him on Twitter @The_Only_Grubes, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
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