BDL’s 2014-15 Playoff Previews: Portland Trail Blazers vs. Memphis Grizzlies (Ball Don’t Lie)

How They Got Here • Portland : Coming off 54 wins and an unforgettable opening-round victory over the Houston Rockets, the Blazers largely stood pat. With one of the league's best big-minutes lineups in place and no picks in the 2014 draft due to past trades, general manager Neil Olshey bolstered the bench by signing veterans Chris Kaman and Steve Blake; beyond that, he banked on in-house development and roster-wide improvement in executing coach Terry Stotts' schemes. For a while, it worked. The Blazers roared to a 26-7 mark behind All-Stars LaMarcus Aldridge and Damian Lillard, riding a surprisingly stingy defense that ranked third in the league in points allowed per possession. As the calendar turned to 2015, Portland owned the NBA's second-best record, sitting just a half-game behind the Golden State Warriors. A post-holiday swoon coinciding with the loss of center Robin Lopez to a broken right hand and a tougher schedule brought the Blazers back to the pack. A torn ligament in Aldridge's left thumb seemed to spell doom, but he decided to put off surgery and play through the pain , continuing to confound defenses en route to a fourth straight All-Star berth. The Blazers...