LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Steph Curry may all be close to the sunsets of their careers, but take a moment to appreciate the big-man play we should enjoy from the Western Conference for years to come.
Nikola Jokic, Chet Holmgren, and Victor Wembanyama are all space-bending athletes, while Jaren Jackson Jr., Alperen Sengun, and Donovan Clingan all operate more like traditional bigs.
The first-round matchup between the Portland Trail Blazers and the San Antonio Spurs can also be seen as a matchup between Clingan and Wembanyama.
My Trail Blazers vs. Spurs predictions and NBA picks expect Wembanyama to win this matchup handily this afternoon.
Our best Trail Blazers vs Spurs SGP for Game 1
Victor Wembanyama is a difficult matchup for everyone in the NBA. He may be particularly difficult for the Portland Trail Blazers. They need Donovan Clingan on the court, but Wembanyama is too quick for Clingan away from the rim.
Presumably by coincidence, Wembanyama never actually faced the Trail Blazers this season, but look at how he fared in the San Antonio Spurs’ matchups against them last year, Clingan’s rookie season.
Wembanyama scored just 12 points in that first game, but he then scored 28 and 30 points in the next two matchups, both in December.
Clingan was not yet at full speed as a rookie, but he was hardly a deterrent for Wembanyama.
The Frenchmen should win on the perimeter, should win on drives, and should win in transition. That is too many ways to score not to exact some joy in his playoff debut.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
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