2018 NBA Playoffs: Portland Trail Blazers vs. New Orleans Pelicans preview

Individual matchups

PG: Damian Lillard vs. Jrue Holiday

A great guard matchup that pits a top-notch defender in Holiday vs. one of the best scorers in the NBA with Dame. Holiday’s contract gets plenty of criticism, but he’s played up to it this season. I’ll still side with Dame, but Holiday will make life difficult and get his own numbers offensively. Advantage: Trail Blazers

SG: C.J. McCollum vs. Rajon Rondo

Playoff Rondo is here in full swing. He dictates the pace of the game and still plays his aggressive style of defense, but McCollum is a supreme scorer and can take over games single-handedly. It’s close, but I’ll side with Portland here. Advantage: Trail Blazers

SF: Evan Turner vs. E’Twaun Moore

Moore spaces the floor better than Turner, but that’s about it. I think this is a matchup for Portland to target by posting Turner up against the smaller Moore. Turner takes this for me. Advantage: Trail Blazers

PF: Al-Farouq Aminu vs. Nikola Mirotic

A pair of floor-spacing 4s that will take on much different responsibilities on the defensive side of the ball. Aminu will have to deal with guarding Anthony Davis on the other end of the floor, while Mirotic will likely stay on the perimeter with Aminu. I’ll take Mirotic due to his offensive production. Advantage: Pelicans

C: Jusuf Nurkic vs. Anthony Davis

AD is the obvious answer, and if Nurkic struggles to defend, the series swings into the Pelicans’ favor. Nurkic will have to make his presence felt offensively, or head coach Terry Stotts will be forced to take him out to deal with guarding Davis and all of the guards New Orleans deploys. Advantage: Pelicans