The San Antonio Spurs will take on the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round of the NBA Playoffs.
The San Antonio Spurs got their wish, with the Portland Trail Blazers beating the Phoenix Suns in the play-in tournament, advancing to be the seventh seed in the Western Conference.
The last time the Spurs met Portland in the playoffs was 2014, where Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Kawhi Leonard went to battle against LaMarcus Aldridge, Damian Lillard, and Nicolas Batum. Lillard is the only player from that series still on either team, and he has missed the entire season with an Achilles tear.
The Spurs beat Portland in two of the three games they played this season, and while the Silver and Black are heavy favorites, fans shouldn't expect the Trail Blazers to roll over without a fight.
San Antonio Spurs' First Round Preview
First things first: if the series goes more than six games (or if the Spurs lose), it'll be hard to call the matchup a success for the Spurs. Of course, as long as the Spurs advance, fans will be thrilled, and they will get to take on a more experienced Denver or Minnesota team.
In the play-in game, Deni Avdija posted 40 points, clinching the game for the Blazers. Against the Spurs this season, he averaged 31.7 points in the three games, and he will be the most dangerous player on the other side of the floor.
With Victor Wembanyama anchoring the paint, expect a trio of Stephon Castle, Keldon Johnson, and Julian Champagnie to be assigned to stop Avdija.
While scouting Avdija - one of the league's more overlooked offensive players - will prove to be tough for the Spurs, Portland has a much harder go of things. Wembanyama is one of the singular biggest game-breakers in the league, and can take over any given game on any given night.
Of course, Wembanyama has never played in the NBA postseason, but then again, neither has Avdija. On top of that, Wembanyama has not played against Portland this season, which means he's never seen them. It also means they've never seen him.
While Donovan Clingan is one of the few players in the league with the size to stop Wembanyama, he doesn't have the lateral quickness to beat him in space. While Wembanyama will be tasked with carrying the offense, expect him to play an inside-out game full of 3-pointers and midrange shots.
Older fans might not stomach that playstyle, but think of it like this: imagine if Aldrisge was still playing in 2026. His offensive bag would be weirdly similar to Wembanyama's.
The Spurs are expected to sweep the Blazers in the first round, and who are we to argue with that? Expect Wemby to come out of the gate swinging, and for the rest of the team to follow suit.