NBA Daily Picks: Thursday, October 27
By Jeremy Karll
Los Angeles Clippers @ Portland Trail Blazers
Damian Lillard said he wanted to be the MVP, and he wasn’t kidding. 39 points, nine rebounds and six assists in Portland’s season opener is absolutely insane. It will be hard for him to top that mark in Portland’s second home game of the season, but he won’t disappear just because Chris Paul is guarding him.
That being said, the Trail Blazers front court will have to step up. Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan make up one of the best front courts in the NBA, and Mason Plumlee and Al-Farouq Aminu do not. Maybe this is the first of the many Plumlee triple-doubles that he said he would record this season because Portland will need it.
Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum can only do so much for this team, eventually other scorers have to surface. Allen Crabbe contributed 18 points in the season opener but he’s not reliable for that many every game, leaving Portland in hopes that a new second unit wing player will step up every game.
Portland has a chance to gain home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs this year, but the Clippers are a proven veteran team who will fight with San Antonio for the two seed. The Clippers’ bench got better with the addition of Marreese Speights, and I think they pull out a close win.
Pick: Los Angeles Clippers