Portland vs Dallas Matchup Preview (Week 7)

Wednesday’s GSB action pits the consistent Portland Pioneers against the unpredictable Dallas Flying Stallions. Portland sits at an impressive 4-2 record and are the current leaders in the tight Pacific. Coming off their back to back wins, has Dallas finally turned a corner after a nightmare start? 

Portland Keys to Victory

The last two weeks have been a tale of three point success for Portland. In their loss to Baltimore, the team shot 1/7 from beyond the arc while posting a season low in points scored. The team corrected the issue in their most recent game against NOLA as they shot over 50% from outside, hitting 8 threes in the process. Perhaps it was a bit of an over correction - the Pioneers reluctance to stretch the opposing defense out versus the Constellation seemingly cost them a shot at victory. If Portland can find consistent looks from outside, particularly from the likes of Rae’Sean Carter and Tim Savage, this becomes a very winnable game despite Dallas’ recent change in form. 

Dallas Keys to Victory

What changed for the Stallions in their last two games versus their dreadful start? In my opinion, it is the re-emergence of Jello being a primary facilitator. In their shock upset over the defending champion Otters, Jello finished the game with 11 assists. He followed that up with 14pts and 7 assists against the Merfolk. This team has a very impressive top end grouping with Jello, Abel, and Pinkard. It seems that having Jello focus on being a facilitator first and scorer second has drastically improved the Stallions offense. Will he be able to continue this impressive playmaking against one of the stingiest defenses in the league? 

Verdict

The Pioneers have been one of the more consistent picks since the league formed, they always seem to be in the picture and contending to be atop a loaded Pacific division. Given their recent changes to the offensive system, Dallas seems to be a much more difficult out than they were early in the season. I like Dallas to sneak out a win in a close one as Jello and Pinkard get the best of the Pioneers.

Score Prediction: Pioneers 85 - 91 Stallions