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2019 Western Conference Finals: Golden State Warriors vs. Portland Trail Blazers preview

By Daniel Lubofsky

Photo by Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images
Photo by Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images /
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(Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
(Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) /

Key Matchup: Klay Thompson vs. CJ McCollum

The point guard battle is the true must-see matchup of this series. Stephen Curry and Damian Lillard are two of the best shot-makers in the league, capable of exploding from anywhere on the court in a matter of minutes.

Neither can truly be stifled, at least for more than a game. Either way, their impact is obvious. Instead, we move one position over to the shooting guard spot, where CJ McCollum and Klay Thompson are sure to go back and forth in an underrated positional battle.

McCollum is coming off arguably the best stretch of his career, leading Portland in scoring during its second-round series with 26.4 points per game, including a 37-point virtuoso performance in Game 7. His herky-jerky off-the-dribble prowess gives the Blazers a secondary ball-handler who at times has also functioned as the go-to option throughout these playoffs.

He struggled, however, against Golden State during the regular season, averaging three fewer points and shooting 9.3 percentage points worse from the field (and 7.5 percent worse from downtown). Against a stout defender like Thompson with help from guys like Andre Iguodala and Draymond Green, CJ is sure to get all he can handle.

Klay may be third on the Warriors in scoring so far this postseason, but he is hardly a guy hunting for his share of shot attempts. Instead, his looks come within the flow of Golden State’s high-octane offense, reveling in the chaos born out of constant motion.

With Durant sidelined, Thompson now moves back into a secondary role. He managed just fine against Houston in Game 6, scoring 27 points on 10-of-20 shooting. It’ll be interesting to see what happens to both his volume and efficiency in a position he occupied for a number of seasons prior to KD’s arrival.

The greatness of both Steph and Dame are sure to be met with a number of double-teams throughout their battles. Because of that, their respective backcourt mate will have the chance to swing games one way or another. Which one steps up to the challenge will say a lot about how competitive this conference finals will be.