3 Reasons Blazers Can Upset Victor Wembanyama, Spurs

The Spurs’ offense is still evolving, often relying on young guards like Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper to navigate complex passing lanes to find Wembanyama. The Blazers' defensive identity is built on length and disruption.

• By deploying high-motor defenders like Toumani Camara and Jrue Holiday, the Blazers can smother the Spurs' primary initiators.
• If the Blazers can force live ball turnovers, they negate the Spurs' half-court defensive set-up. Turning the game into a track meet prevents the Spurs from establishing a rhythm and limits the number of times Wembanyama can be utilized as a stationary hub.

Winning the Bench Battle

One of the Blazers' biggest X-factors is their explosiveness off the bench. While the Spurs' starting lineup is formidable, their depth can be inconsistent.

• The Blazers have multiple players off the bench capable of scoring 15+ points on any given night, like Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe. Whether it's a hot shooting night from the perimeter or aggressive rim-running, Portland's second unit can create a scoring swing during the transition from the first to the second quarter.
• If the Blazers bench can outscore the Spurs' second unit by a significant margin, they put immense pressure on the San Antonio starters to play perfect basketball in the closing minutes.

Crashing The Glass as a Team

Despite Wembanyama’s height, the Spurs have occasionally struggled with team rebounding, particularly against physical, high-jumping rosters.

• The Blazers have shown a knack for crashing the offensive boards. Players like Donovan Clingan and the Blazers' scrappy wings can create extra possessions.
• In games where shooting percentages are low, the team that takes more shots usually wins. By securing offensive rebounds and limiting the Spurs to one shot per possession, Portland can frustrate San Antonio and wear them down physically over the course of the game.

The Bottom Line

The Blazers are a massive underdog in this series, and winning one game should be considered a massive accomplishment. Their goal is to win four, and to do that they have to win the effort battles. They have to match the Spurs and beat them in terms of physicality and speed.

Even if all of that works in their favor, the Blazers may still lose. They need to do all of this just to have a chance against a superior Spurs opponent. That's what you have to do when you face a championship-caliber team in the first round of the playoffs.