How the Philadelphia 76ers stack up against the Northwest Division
Portland Trail Blazers
Portland Trail Blazers’ Projected Starting Five:
- Damian Lillard
- CJ McCollum
- Kent Bazemore
- Zach Collins
- Hassan Whiteside
- Other Notable Players — Rodney Hood, Anthony Tolliver, Nassir Little, Mario Hezonja, Pau Gasol, Jusuf Nurkic (hurt)
The Blazers made the conference finals last season, riding a strong Damian Lillard performance in a surprisingly open West. Now there’s a bit more competition, which will make a repeat difficult for a Portland team that last a couple key pieces.
Both Maurice Harkless and Al-Farouq Aminu moved on, leaving the Blazers with far less depth in the frontcourt. While Zach Collins and Anthony Tolliver are suitable replacements at the four — not to mention Bazemore on the wing — it’s fair to harbor skepticism.
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Where the Blazers will have no issue is scoring the ball. Both Lillard and McCollum are sublime offensive talents. Dame’s pull-up range is rivaled only by Stephen Curry, while McCollum’s growth as a playmaker continues to boost Portland’s offense.
Through staggered rotations, the Blazers can keep strong guard play on the floor at all times. Bazemore provides a nice upgrade over Evan Turner on the wing — his shooting and shot creation complementing Portland’s core pieces.
A big factor in the Blazers’ success will be the health of Jusuf Nurkic, who was a borderline top-50 player when healthy last season. Until Nurkic returns, Whiteside, Collins and Gasol will be tasked with patrolling the middle.
The Sixers and Blazers play five games into the season, which means at least one matchup will take place sans Nurkic. That swings the advantage in Philadelphia’s favor, especially given the past history of Embiid and Whiteside.
Portland is also ill-equipped to handle Philadelphia’s size and versatility. Lillard and McCollum are a below-average defensive backcourt who lack size, not to mention Bazemore at the three-spot. The Sixers have an immense physical advantage. I’ll say series sweep.