Clippers-Trail Blazers Game 1: Predictions, final thoughts

With just hours to wait until Game 1 of the Los Angeles Clippers’ first round series against the Portland Trail Blazers, here are some final thoughts about certain matchups and predictions for how the game may play out.

The 2015-16 NBA playoffs are here, and after seeing the Golden State Warriors obliterate the Houston Rockets 104-78 and the Oklahoma City Thunder crushing the Dallas Mavericks 108-70, we know who the Los Angeles Clippers will want to emulate. Like these two victors, the Clippers are also heavy favorites for their first round series against the Portland Trail Blazers, even if they aren’t favored nearly as heavily to win a championship.

Nevertheless, another trip to the second round looks fairly inevitable for the Clippers. But, as everyone knows by looking at their thoroughly unconvincing record at that stage of the playoffs in the past, a likely matchup against the Warriors is nerve-wracking for Clipper Nation to say the least.

Until then, though, let’s just focus on the series at hand.

Here are some quick thoughts before the game begins on some key matchups to watch, problems the Clippers may face, and some predictions (who knows what the score will be, but why not throw out a guess?)

• Does J.J. Redick play? A couple of days ago, we had heard that after suffering a bruised heel and leaving early against the Memphis Grizzlies, he would be hopeful to play in the opening of the playoffs. Now, the latest from the Los Angeles Times’ Ben Bolch is that he’s “probable” to play. To avoid any early setbacks, it looks like Doc Rivers will want him to suit up.

• The amount of minutes Blake Griffin plays is largely depending on how the game goes, with Doc having the option to bench him in the fourth after a sizeable lead is establish being the favorable outcome. The Blazers aren’t to be underestimated after the entire NBA was so wrong to do so this season, though, and Griffin will be needed to abuse matchups inside, especially when the Blazers go small. At this point, you have to think Doc will give Griffin plenty of minutes so he can settle into form and make the most of three days between each of the first three games.

• How the Clippers handle Ed Davis is something to be wary of. Portland ranked 10th in rebounding rate this season, which is awfully impressive in comparison to the Clippers’ woeful ranking of 29th, only beating out the Philadelphia 76ers to avoid 30th. Regardless of how talented L.A.’s starting frontcourt duo is and how Griffin’s absence has lowered rebounding statistics, the Clippers still aren’t a good rebounding team. And against the bench, Davis — a top Sixth Man of the Year candidate with 11.2 points and 12.8 rebounds per 36 minutes — could cause some trouble.

More clippers: Clippers-Trail Blazers: Full series schedule

• We may even see Griffin play some minutes as a small-ball center, a strategy that will be particularly applicable against a team like the Blazers who go small on a regular basis. At times when Al-Farouq Aminu moves to the four, look out for whether Griffin may support the bench unit at center.

• How efficient will Damian Lillard be? For the Clippers, the less the better, seeing as he’s one of the best scorers in the NBA. With his well-known nature for making clutch shots, driving through contact, and three-point shooting, he averaged a career-high 25.1 points per game (6th in the NBA) to lead the depleted Blazers this season. However, in four games against the Clippers, he struggled against their tough perimeter defenders such as Chris Paul, averaging only 18 points on 32.5 percent shooting (9.4 percent below his average). If the Clippers keep that trend up, even if it’s only for a couple of games, the Blazers will struggle immensely.

• As a final prediction, judging by the relatively low-scoring games these teams have had against each other this season, I’m going with the Clippers to get the win in Game 1 as they defend Staples Center, winning by a score of 105-96. Seeing as I probably won’t be lucky enough to guess an exact game score, though, I’ll throw out my series prediction of the Clippers winning 4-2.

So, as much as Game 1 may only seem like the beginning of what can potentially be a seven-game series, it’s still important beyond the simple fact of someone taking a 1-0 lead. It helps to set the tone early on and can at least spark a little momentum for the next contest.

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For the Clippers, the early games of this series hold particular importance. First and foremost, it’s because of Griffin. How he moves, how much explosiveness fills his legs, how he attacks the basket or runs breaks in transition; there’s a lot riding on him for whatever run the Clippers can put together this postseason.

There’s no question that if he isn’t near 100 percent and he isn’t healthy enough to make as much of an impact for at least 30 minutes per game, the Clippers’ potential will be limited. It’s hard to not predict that they’ll be advancing to the second round, which means they’ll need everything they have in order to defeat the Golden State Warriors once they most likely sweep the Houston Rockets.

Next: 5 keys to the Clippers defeating the Trail Blazers

Until the game begins, be sure to check out our content in preparation for the series. It’s not too long till tip-off at 10:30 PM ET.