These 8 Underrated Players Hold the Power to Shake Up the NBA Playoffs from Day One
Can Williams rekindle his old groove in this warmup matchup?
No. 2 San Antonio Spurs (62-20) vs. No. 7 Portland Trail Blazers (42-20)
X-Factor: Jerami Grant, Trail Blazers
The Spurs are one of the favorites to take home the NBA title (a 13.6% chance, which is third-best), headlined, of course, by prodigious big man Victor Wembanyama.

At just 22, Wembanyama is already the best defensive player in the league, ranking first in D-DRIP and block rate.
At the end of Portland’s Play-In Tournament victory over Phoenix, the paint became much more open when Grant was playing the small-ball 5 spot. After he checked in for Donovan Clingan with 3:17 remaining, the Blazers scored 15 points.



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