Los Angeles Lakers: 3 reasons why LA could sweep the Trail Blazers
By Jason Reed
2. The Los Angeles Lakers will dominate the Blazers near the basket and create second-chance points
The Los Angeles Lakers are one of the biggest teams in the league. Not every team has a skilled big in Anthony Davis that has guard skills but can also line up at center. The team’s two centers, JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard, have been great this season as well in being rim protectors and glass cleaners.
McGee has been pretty bad in the Orlando bubble thus far, but that is beside the point. The Lakers have size and they have used that size to their advantage in the past and will use it in this series.
The Lakers ranked seventh in the NBA in total offensive rebounds in the regular season. The Portland Trail Blazers ranked dead last in offensive rebounds allowed. The Lakers are going to be feasting on the glass, creating second-chance opportunities and shifting the momentum of games by doing so.
Our own Kevin Germany broke down this rebounding problem for the Blazers as something to scout in the play-in game against the Grizzlies. It continued to be a problem for Portland, as they allowed 12 offensive rebounds against Memphis.
Additionally, the Blazers allowed the Grizzlies to score 56 points (double what the Blazers did) in the paint. Memphis was first in points in the pain this season, the Lakers were second and the Blazers… 27th.
Yes, Jusuf Nurkic is back and that has been the narrative that has been pounded into the ground. It won’t matter. The Los Angeles Lakers will dominate near the basket.