Biggest Adjustments Portland Trail Blazers Must Make in Game 2 Versus Grizzlies
Boy, that was ugly.
In the words of Nicolas Batum, per Joe Freeman of The Oregonian: "Nothing can be worse than that."
The Portland Trail Blazers got the 2015 playoffs off on the wrong foot, dropping Game 1 to the Memphis Grizzlies 100-86. The Blazers were thoroughly outplayed on both ends, unable to find a rhythm offensively from the opening tip while giving up easy shots defensively.
Portland has a number of problems to address prior to Game 2, as remedying said issues would even out the series and take away home-court advantage from Memphis.
Fix the Offense
While a ton of credit is due to the Grizzlies’ superb half-court defense, Portland looked uncharacteristically poor offensively.
It ranked No. 9 in the NBA in points per game at 102.8 on 45.0 percent shooting during the regular season, but didn’t manage close to that over the weekend.
The Blazers’ 86 points were scored on just 33.7 percent, forcing the ball into the hands of LaMarcus Aldridge to create. His 32 points and 14 rebounds look great on paper, but closer inspection will reveal his 13-of-34 shooting from the field.
Fellow All-Star Damian Lillard struggled too, going 5-of-21 on field goals including a 0-of-6 showing from beyond the arc. Grizzlies head coach Dave Joerger touched on his team's defensive approach to the point guard: "We're not trying to go over or under or this and that -- we're just trying to front him any way shape or form," per Freeman's report.
With Aldridge and Lillard going against excellent defensive opponents in Marc Gasol, Tony Allen and Mike Conley, it isn't going to get any easier to score.
But this team was understandably shorthanded, missing third-leading scorer Wesley Matthews for the rest of the season and Arron Afflalo with a strained shoulder. Per a report from Jabari Young of CSNNW.com, Afflalo indicated he should return for Game 2, stating “Yeah, I’m good,” in response to his availability.
With another scorer in tow, Portland will have a better offensive unit. Afflalo will assume his starting spot, providing mid-range and outside shooting. C.J. McCollum, the starting 2-guard for Game 1, can take the reins as sixth man and provide some offense off the bench.
That's just the tip of the iceberg though, as this group will need a concentrated and structured approach when it comes to putting points on the board. Portland was able to play an up-tempo series in terms of offense with the Houston Rockets last season, but these Grizzlies play by a different philosophy.
The Blazers will need to adjust to that grind-it-out style if they have a chance of taking Game 2. Some of that will come down to spacing the floor properly, but most of the heavy lifting will fall on the shoulders of the guards.
Ensuring the offense runs smoothly is key, as they gave up 13 turnovers that led to 20 points. But even aside from costly errors, just making sure that sets are completed without hesitation or stoppage will limit Memphis' handle defensively.
Load Up Defensively
Portland can make some strides offensively in Game 2, but it won't be able to work at its usual efficiency. In turn, the Blazers must play stronger defense to keep up.
The Grizzlies went for 100 points on 44.3 percent shooting, including 52 points in the paint. This team doesn't hoist many three-point attempts, ranking No. 29 in the NBA this season with just 5.2 made shots per game.
They went 3-of-9 in Game 1, which is an area that Portland excels at defending. But against a team that shies away from offense in that area, the Blazers' expertise isn't as useful.
As such, Aldridge and his teammates must focus their attention elsewhere, specifically the mid-range area and at the rim.
Per NBA.com, Memphis knocked down 60 percent of its shots between 10 and 14 feet, as well as 52.8 percent of field goals within five feet of the hoop in the first game of the series. It shot 42.7 and 59.0 percent from those spots respectively during the season, ranking No. 1 mid-range attempts per game.
Portland had no answer to the play of Gasol and Beno Udrih, with the duo combining for 35 points on seven mid-range shots and 14 total assists. Whether it was the big man at the high post or the point guard moving around screens and creating, the Blazers were powerless.
They did mange to limit Zach Randolph to 6-of-19 shooting and Jeff Green to just 3-of-11, but that was about it.
Despite that concentrated effort, the members of Rip City must hone in on the aforesaid areas to limit Memphis' offense as a whole. Shutting down a player or two certainly helps, but Portland can beat the Grizzlies at their own game by interrupting sets and the overall offensive flow.
Looking Ahead to Game 2
Memphis is one of the toughest opponents the Blazers have faced this season, currently 0-5 between the regular season and the playoffs.
The grind-and-grit, slowed-down style of the Grizzlies clashes with the up-tempo offense of Portland, which must adjust to have a chance in the series.
Spreading out and balancing the offense will be key, ensuring there are multiple points of attack. Aldridge can be devastating one-on-one, but he can't be expected to shoot 30-plus shots per game to give his team a chance.
Lillard must step up on that end too, becoming a threat from outside to force defenders to respect his jumpers. In turn, he'll have better opportunities driving to the rim or dishing to his teammates.
On the opposite end, the Blazers must tighten the screws defensively. They did a sound job in Game 1, which could have resulted in a win had the offense been on par.
But if Portland struggles to score once more, the team had better hope it can give Memphis the same problems.
Otherwise this series may be over much sooner than expected for Rip City.
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