Clippers-Trail Blazers Game 1: Five key things we learned

Here are five key things we learned from the Los Angeles Clippers’ dominant 115-95 win over the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 1.

1 – The Blazers Have No Answer For DeAndre Jordan

The Trail Blazers can’t stop Chris Paul and J.J. Redick, but offensive output from Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum could neutralize all of what the Clippers’ starting backcourt can offer on any given night. The Blazers can’t outright stop Blake Griffin either, but between rust and Al-Farouq Aminu‘s defense, they can slow him down to producing below comfort level, a plus for Portland in any situation. But what they can’t do is contain DeAndre Jordan, on offense and defense.

It’s really a story of how Jordan has once again improved. He’s better offensively, making use of the few possession where the Clippers target him on duck-ins in the paint, and better defensively, even if still overrated in that facet of his game by the general public — there’s a case for Jordan making All-NBA 3rd team; that’s something interesting to keep an eye on.

Where Portland could take advantage of Jordan’s weaknesses, guarding bigs who stretch the floor, it’d open up the flood gates on the opposite end of the floor: putting Noah Vonleh, the predicted stretch-big coming into the draft, at center — Vonleh isn’t much of a defender, much of a shooter, and lacks the size to battle as the primary rebounder against Jordan (or Griffin, Aldrich). They could go super small with Aminu at center a la Draymond Green but that’s risky , though it does clear Jordan from the paint and in itself, that’s a moral victory.

It’s been a good year for DJ. And it doesn’t look like that good year is ending anytime soon.

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