At times, it seems the Portland Trail Blazers have three point guards on the floor.
Damian Lillard is the man running the show, no question, and his backcourt mate CJ McCollum has the handle and ability to create that makes for a difficult matchup for opposing guards. Then there's big man Mason Plumlee.
The 6-11 center won over the Rip City faithful in his first season as a Blazer with his standout athleticism and thread-the-needle passing, both in transition and from the frontcourt. Having never recorded more than three assists in a game in two seasons with the Brooklyn Nets, Plumlee averaged 2.8 assists per game in 2015-16. The Duke product has exceeded that mark in Portland's first round matchup with the Los Angeles Clippers, averaging 6.0 assists through the first five games of the series to lead Portland in that category.
Plumlee's playmaking has been instrumental in finding the often double-teamed Lillard and McCollum versus the Clippers. Sports Illustrated's Rob Mahoney breaks down Plumlee's play ahead Game Six for SI.com:
Read Mahoney's entire analysis at SI.com. The Trail Blazers host the Clippers at Moda Center for Game Six on Friday night.