The first round of the 2014 NBA playoffs are offically over after five of the eight series went a full seven games. In the end only two lower seeds, the Brooklyn Nets and Portland Trail Blazers, advanced to the second round. This means that despite some amazing drama to open the playoffs, there are sure to be a lot of great games in the second round.
Let’s quickly preview the Western Conference semfinals, which get started this evening with the Los Angeles Clippers traveling to Oklahoma City to take on the Thunder.
2) Oklahoma City Thunder vs 3) Los Angeles Clippers
Kelvin Kuo, USA Today: This series promises to be a physical encounter on both ends of the court.
These two teams split 2-2 during the regular season with each one grabbing a win on the road. Kevin Durant was right on his yearly average at 32.5 points per game against the Clippers during the regular year. Meanwhile, star point guard Russell Westbrook put up 18.5 points and nearly seven assists per game. Oklahoma City defeated Los Angeles in their last matchup less than a month ago with Durant and Westbrook combining for 57 points.
As it relates to the Clippers, Chris Paul put up 18.5 points and 12.5 assists per outing while Blake Griffin tallied nearly 25 points and over 12 rebounds per outing against the Thunder in the regular year.
These are the four stars to watch in what promises to be an epic Western Conference semifinals matchup. With that said, there are other key players who might need to step up if their team is going to come out on top. Let’s look at the key matchups between the Thunder and Clippers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dX9m3EqAWk8
Serge Ibaka (OKC) vs Blake Griffin (LAC): Ibaka averaged 13 points and nearly nine boards in the first round. It’s not going to be his offense that will make a difference here. Oklahoma City’s power forward will have to do everything possible to keep Griffin from getting the easy buckets we saw against the Golden State Warriors in the first round. That’s going to tell us a lot. I really want to see how Scott Brooks goes about defending Griffin. Will he send an immediate double team every time or possibly delay that to see how the play develops? Griffin had his struggles against an under-manned Warriors frontcourt, but was still able to compile over 23 points per game. If the Thunder, who have more size, are able to contain him, they should come out on top.
Russell Westbrook (OKC) vs Chris Paul (LAC): Paul is in his second consecutive epic matchup with another All-Star point guard. After outplaying Stephen Curry for the most part last round, Paul will have to take on a shoot-first player in Westbrook, who is coming off a ridiculous Game 7 performance against the Memphis Grizzlies. These two players matched up quite evenly during the regular season. But if one has a major advantage on the stat line when all is said and done, his team will likely come out on top.
Series Prediction (Clippers in Seven): While many want to conclude that the Thunder’s hard-faught round one win over Memphis shows that they are battle tested, it’s hard to count against a Clippers team that took out a really good Warriors team in an equally hard-faught series with the whole Donald Sterling backdrop rearing its ugly head. I like DeAndre Jordan and Griffin going up against a good defensive frontcourt that Oklahoma City brings to the table. If they are able to create an inside-out game like we have seen all year, it’s going to put a ton of perimeter pressure on Derek Fisher, Caron Butler, Reggie Jackson and Westbrook defensively. That’s a match up the Clippers will take all the time, especially with the shooters they have on the roster.
1) San Antonio Spurs vs 5) Portland Trail Blazers
Soobum Im, USA Today: Can Duncan help lead the Spurs to yet another Western Conference Final?
The only Western Conference playoff series that didn’t go seven games was literally less than one second from going the distance before Damian Lillard walked off with a three-pointer to send the Houston Rockets packing. That one shot, which won the series, may have an even bigger impact in round two. By virtue of not having to travel to Houston to take on the Rockets in Game 7, the Blazers acquired an extra two days of rest. Don’t think for one second that’s not going to have an impact against an old San Antonio Spurs team just coming off a difficult seven-game set against the Dallas Mavericks. Youthful exuberance and fresh legs could play a large role in this one.
Portland took the first two games in the season series, but San Antonio came on strong in the final two outings, winning both. They both did tally a win on the road, which is an indication that homecourt might not be a huge advantage for the No. 1 seeded Spurs. Tim Duncan averaged 15.7 points and over eight rebounds per outing against the Blazers during the regular year. He went for just 10 points and 11 rebounds in their last matchup back in March, a 103-90 Spurs win. Tony Parker went for just 12.7 points and six assists in three games against the Blazers. Both numbers were below his season average.
For the Blazers, it’s all about getting the scoring punch from LaMarcus Aldridge and Lillard. Aldridge was solid in four matchups against Duncan and the Spurs in the regular year. He averaged 21.3 points and eight boards per outing. As always, Lillard was about as good as you can get in the backcourt, going for 25 points, 5.3 rebounds and 6.3 assists per outing against the Spurs, all above his season average.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2GJ2PwXQ4E
Tony Parker (SAS) vs Damian Lillard (Port): The old guard against the new guard, quite literally. This should make for an interesting matchup. Can a limited Tony Parker go up against the athletic and young Lillard, especially after a grinding series against Dallas? That’s going to be the big question here. Sure the Spurs will switch Danny Green and Patrick Mills to cover Lillard at times, but it can’t afford to let too many situations arise with Parker covering him one on one. That’s not going to end well for the Spurs.
Lillard averaged 22.6 points and 5.7 rebounds per game against the Mavericks in the first round. A repeat performance here, and the Blazers will likely move on. On the other hand, Parker has a distinct advantage over Lillard on the offensive end of the court, as the young Blazers’ guard isn’t the best of all-around defenders. Parker put up an average of 15.3 points and 4.1 assists per outing against the Mavericks in the first round. He will need to improve that against a vastly superior offensive team in the Blazers.
Tim Duncan (SAS) vs LaMarcus Aldridge (Port): Probably one of the most exciting matchups of the first round, Duncan is still an elite defender at his advanced age, but can he hold up against Aldridge in this series? It’s not going to be all on Duncan, as San Antonio will likely find a way to match Tiago Splitter up against Aldridge on the defensive end. Still, there will be times throughout the series that Duncan will have to hold his own. Offensively, the future Hall of Fame power forward should be okay, especially considering he will go up against Robin Lopez, among others, in addition to Aldridge.
Series Prediction (Blazers in Six): I just don’t envision a scenario here where the Spurs are able to hang with a young team that is coming into the series the more rested of the two. The real issue here, as I indicated above, is how Parker and Duncan will perform on the defensive side of the ball. While they have always been great all-around players, age is going to make a major difference in this one. In addition to that, it’s hard to find another one-two duo that is currently playing better basketball than Aldridge and Lillard.
Photo: Mark D. Smith, USA Today