Portland Trail Blazers: 5 reasons they will make the playoffs in 2017-18

PORTLAND, OR - MARCH 2: The Portland Trail Blazers huddle up during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on March 2, 2017 at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images) /

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Photo by Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images /

5. The Big Three will deliver

The trio of Lillard, McCollum and Nurkic is potent for Portland. These three averaged the second-most minutes together among Blazer trios that appeared in at least 10 games. They were the most efficient producers of this group, sporting a +4.8 plus/minus.

That was done over 20 games. This time, however, these three will have a chance to do it over the course of a full season.

Jusuf Nurkic sets the tone as a tough screener that can roll to the basket or fade and knock down a mid-range shot. That’s useful for Lillard and McCollum, two players that thrive in the pick-and-roll and can score from anywhere on the floor.

Having a Big Three is crucial to a team’s success in the NBA. It allows the team to keep performing when one option is shut down by the defense. This was previously an issue before Nurkic arrived, and was partly to blame for the team’s struggles up to that point in 2016-17.

Nurkic has fully recovered from his injury and Lillard and McCollum are hitting their primes. That’s a recipe for them to wreak havoc on the Western Conference and earn a playoff spot.

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