Clippers vs. Trail Blazers: How the two teams match up for their playoff series

Paul Pierce is perhaps the most worldly Clipper. Find the veteran forward at his locker before a game and he’ll ramble on about the best popcorn in the NBA (Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center, hands down) or the worst locker rooms (Sacramento and Detroit, you’ve got some catching up to do).

This is the time of year when there’s only one talking point: a championship.

“I don’t think you can accomplish anything,” Pierce said Saturday, “unless you really talk about it and have your mind set to it.”

The Clippers are widely expected to beat the Portland Trail Blazers in a first-round series that starts Sunday night at Staples Center but will be universal underdogs should they advance into an expected second-round matchup against the Golden State Warriors.

That means Pierce, who won a title with the Boston Celtics in 2008, could provide valuable reminders about remaining steady in both roles.

Pierce’s role remains unclear. He is known for clutch playoff shooting but rarely was on the court at the end of games this season. He should be ready after playing limited minutes and sitting out a handful of games to rest. Clippers Coach Doc Rivers even joked Saturday that Pierce was on a minutes restriction with the media.

Pierce said the Clippers have the versatility to make an unprecedented run for a franchise that has never made it past the second round of the playoffs.

“If you look at our team top to bottom, we can go big, we can go small, we match up with every team in the NBA,” Pierce said. “That’s why I think we have all the ingredients to win a championship.”

Of course, they won’t win anything if they can’t beat Portland. Here’s a closer look at the Clippers-Trail Blazers matchup:

Guards

Chris Paul and J.J. Redick versus Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum. Paul deserves more than a passing mention in discussions about the NBA’s most valuable player, having largely carried the Clippers during Blake Griffin’s 45-game absence. Redick was the league’s most accurate long-range marksman, making 47.5% of his three-point shots, but enters the series with a bruised left heel. Lillard somehow wasn’t an All-Star despite averaging a career-high 25.1 points per game, though that number dipped to 18.0 in four games against the Clippers. McCollum has a strong chance to be named the NBA’s most improved player after averaging 20.8 points, more than three times his average from last season. EDGE: Even.

Forwards

Griffin and Luc Mbah a Moute versus Maurice Harkless and Al-Farouq Aminu. The Trail Blazers probably will use a variety of defenders on Griffin, including Harkless, Aminu and Noah Vonleh. Rivers labeled Aminu “a sneaky scorer” who also recorded eight double-doubles this season. Mbah a Moute isn’t much of an offensive presence, averaging 3.1 points, but he has been a defensive tone-setter who can guard a variety of positions. EDGE: Clippers.

Center

DeAndre Jordan versus Mason Plumlee. Expect Jordan to spend long stretches of the series at the free-throw line. He took 34 attempts in a November game between the teams and tied Wilt Chamberlain’s NBA record with 22 misses. The Clippers didn’t care because they won. Plumlee averaged 14.5 points and 9.5 rebounds in four games against the Clippers, well above his season averages. EDGE: Clippers.

Bench

The Clippers have more game-changers among their reserves with Jamal Crawford, Austin Rivers and Jeff Green. But Portland’s Ed Davis has been a force in the season series between the teams, averaging 13.5 points and 11.3 rebounds on 70.9% shooting. “If he just sends his stats against us,” Doc Rivers said, “he’d make the max.” Former Los Angeles Price High star Allen Crabbe can score in spurts and averaged a career-best 10.3 points. EDGE: Clippers.

Coaches

Doc Rivers has a huge edge in playoff experience, but Portland counterpart Terry Stotts is known as one of the game’s better tacticians. There could be some lingering hard feelings after Rivers and Stotts got into it during a preseason game over Stotts having complained about the Clippers’ bench edging onto the court to celebrate their comeback from a 35-point deficit. EDGE: Even.

Intangibles

Trail Blazers owner Paul Allen was once Clippers counterpart Steve Ballmer’s boss at Microsoft, but Ballmer may be the more accomplished basketball player based on his dunking off a trampoline during halftime of a game this season. Home-court advantage could be big for the Clippers considering they won their final seven home games this season. EDGE: Clippers.

PICK: Clippers in five games.

Follow Ben Bolch on Twitter: @latbbolch