| Marty
Burns' Breakdown |
|---|
| Utah |
|
Portland |
|
| Olden Polynice is
athletic, experienced, a good shot-blocker and he
knows how to play within the Jazz system. However,
don't be fooled by his 13-point explosion in Game 5
against the Sonics. He's not much of a scoring
threat. |
CENTER
The Edge:
 |
Arvydas Sabonis
doesn't put up huge numbers but he's usually a key for
the Blazers. His passing from the post sets up their
offense, and he has a deadly outside shot that force
opposing big men out of the middle. |
|
| Karl Malone showed
against the Sonics that he can still take over a game,
pouring in 50 points in Game 1. He faces a tough
matchup with Rasheed Wallace and all the Blazers' big
men, but it's the playoffs so the Mailman will
deliver. Bryon Russell, who went 1-for-16 shooting in
one game against Portland this season, must avoid a
similar meltdown. |
FORWARDS
The Edge:
None
|
Rasheed Wallace did a
great job containing Kevin Garnett in the last series,
and must play similarly well against Malone. His long
arms and quickness should serve him well, but he must
be careful to keep his head when the Mailman reaches
into his bag of tricks. Scottie Pippen raised his game
across the board against the Wolves, setting a tone
for his teammates. |
|
| John Stockton
struggles a bit against quick point guards like Damon
Stoudamire, but he's still one of the best floor
leaders in the game. Jeff Hornacek, meanwhile, has
bombed against the bigger Blazers shooting guards. In
four games Hornacek averaged just 6.3 points on a
combined seven-of-22 shooting from the
floor. |
GUARDS
The Edge:
 |
Damon Stoudamire is
a quick playmaker and effective scorer, but it will be
his defense against Stockton that tells the tale in
this series. Stoudamire must slow down Utah's
pick-and-roll if he wants to stay on the floor. Steve
Smith will try to use his size to shoot over Hornacek,
both on the perimeter and in the low
post. |
|
| Howard Eisley could
be a key for the Jazz, both at point guard and
shooting guard if Hornacek struggles. Armen Gilliam
and Greg Ostertag also need to play well to
counterbalance the Blazers' stable of big
men. |
BENCH
The
Edge:
|
Greg Anthony, Brian
Grant and Detlef Schrempf are all standout reserves,
especially on defense. Anthony is a good defender
against the pick-and-roll, while Grant's ability to
defend Malone could be huge if Wallace gets in foul
trouble. |
|
| The Jazz are too
talented and too experienced ever to be counted out.
With Hornacek set to retire at season's end, they know
this is probably their last chance to win an NBA
title. In addition, they remember how the Blazers
smoked them in six games last year during the
playoffs. |
INTANGIBLES
The Edge:
|
Although they are
seeded behind the Jazz, the Blazers will have home
court advantage by virtue of their superior
regular-season record. They also have had four days to
rest and prepare, while the Jazz have had just
one. |
|
| Jerry Sloan's
no-nonsense approach usually works, and he'll lay it
on the line to his team as they prepare for the
deeper, more-talented Blazers. They will compete and
play hard, and force their opponent to beat them at
their game. |
COACH
The
Edge:
|
Mike Dunleavy
gambled and went to an eight-man rotation against the
Wolves, benching Bonzi Wells and Jermaine O'Neal, and
it worked. He seems to have the Blazers hitting on all
cylinders. |
|
| After a slow start,
rookie forward Quincy Lewis came on late in the
season. He's the type of athletic scorer the Jazz have
lacked, and the kind Portland has in abundance. If he
can blossom suddenly, Utah would get a huge
boost. |
'X' FACTOR
The Edge:
|
Bonzi Wells didn't
get to play much against the Wolves, but he's still a
talented scorer who can drive to the basket and create
opportunities for teammates. If Smith struggles to
find his stroke, Wells is capable of picking up the
slack. |
| Burns'
Prediction: Blazers in 5 |
|---|
| |
