Kris Murray Questionable
Robert Williams Out
Matisse Thybulle Questionable
Scoot Henderson Out
Damian Lillard Out
Jusuf Nurkic Questionable
Isaiah Collier Out
Georges Niang Out
We’ve got two of the more surprising teams in the West facing off today. With Portland sitting at 2-2 so far, and the Jazz at 2-1, both have found some early season success. The Jazz have been an interesting group this year. After moving basically all their veteran talent except for Markkanen, this team is extremely young. They’re relying on players under 25 at almost every position in some capacity. But, that seems to be working. Along with being young, this team is gigantic. They’re starting three 7-footers in Filipowski, Kessler, and Markkanen. With Nurkic, Bailey, and Hendricks bringing size off the bench as well. This is a monstrous team, which explains why teams like the Clippers or Phoenix struggled against them. However, Portland might be one of the few teams that can actually match them.
The Blazers have been thriving on the defensive end this season. It’s been the core of their play out there. With them keeping nearly every game close, they’ve managed to control the pace. That’s been extremely important for them, as their offense just doesn’t have much firepower. They’re basically dependent on transition offense and winning the turnover battle to pull out games. Overall, this team is scary. They’re long, athletic, and skilled. They may not have the talent to compete at the highest levels yet, but they should make for an interesting challenge against Utah.
This game will come down to offense. If Utah can use their shooting and size against Portland, they’ll have a decent shot at outpacing them. That all starts with Markkanen. He’s been fantastic offensively so far, and if he can get through Portland’s defense, he could be devastating. But that’s a big if. With guys like Camara and Avdija out, Markkanen doesn’t have a huge size advantage. Which might be the difference for Portland.
For the Blazers to win this game, they need to play straightup. They have to prevent Markkanen and the rest of the team from getting to the line. They’ve been effective at that this season, but this is the first team they won’t have a size advantage over. If that leads them to jump more, it could result in more trips to the free-throw line. Overall, though, if Portland can push in transition, utilize their speed, and maintain the pace on defense, they should be okay. Despite Utah’s impressive start, I just don’t see their offense overcoming Portland. Unless Portland shoots extremely poorly from three, I think the Blazers will win. That’s why I’m taking the Portland moneyline, the under on the 234.5 points total, and the Blazers at -3.5.
Money line: POR (-148) / UTA (+124)
Total Points: 234.5
Spread: -3.5 POR (-102) / +3.5 UTA (-118)
This is going to be an interesting game. Markkanen can definitely hit this over, but the question is going to be, what’s his role tonight? We’ve already seen him drop 50 points this season, and he averages over 30. However, in his last game, there was a sharp decline in shot attempts against the Clippers. That could be just because of the Clippers' defense, or it could indicate a shift to move some of the shot creation to other positions. With Portland arguably having a better defense than the Clippers, it could be tough for Markkanen. But if the offense goes back to him taking over 20 attempts, 24 points looks very achievable.
Grant has bounced back well this year. Now coming off the bench, he’s played a significant role in leading the offense. With limited shooting or shot creation overall, Grant has been the go-to option in most of Portland’s rotations. Averaging over 20 points per game so far, and with his three-point shot dropping, 17 points against a relatively weak Utah defense looks great!
Kessler continues to dominate in the paint as the Jazz's main defender. However, he hasn’t had a standout game rebounding yet. The 7-footer can grab boards, but since he’s often called in on help defense, he’s frequently out of position. With guys like Markkanen, Filipowski, and Bailey all around, there’s a lot of competition for defensive rebounds. Especially with Kessler guarding Clingan in the post as well, I doubt he’ll be able to pursue many boards aggressively tonight.
Holiday has proven to be exactly what Portland needed. A true elite veteran, who is able to stabilize the team on both ends. His passing has been terrific too. He’s already averaging nearly 8 assists a game this year surrounded by springy athletes. Going against a big, but slower defense tonight, Holiday will likely be able to create for the team all night. With the line sitting at 6.5, the over is looking decent again.