NorthWest Sports Blog brings you daily features on Oregon, Washington State, and BC amateur and pro sports teams.
Bryant Knox previews the Portland Trail Blazers’ Dec. 20 matchup against the Denver Nuggets. The Blazers will play host to the Nuggets Wednesday night, and a lot of points should be scored in front of a national television audience. The key matchup in this one is going to be between LaMarcus Aldridge and Kenneth Faried, but Damian Lillard and Ty Lawson will also be fun to watch.
NWSB Insider and Portland Trail Blazers Blogger Bryant Knox breaks down how the team earned an ‘A’ at the 2013 NBA trade deadline. Portland’s bench has been the worst in the NBA, and it found a huge upgrade at the point guard spot when it picked up Eric Maynor from the Oklahoma City Thunder. Damian Lillard has been fantastic, but he’s playing the fourth-most minutes in the NBA and he needs help. The other move—or non-move, if you will—was to keep J.J. Hickson.
Bryant Knox previews the Portland Trail Blazers’ Feb. 24 matchup against the Boston Celtics. The Blazers have lost eight straight games, and coming off a heart-breaking loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, they need a statement win at this point in ths season. The key matchup is going to be between LaMarcus Aldridge and Kevin Garnett, as there’s almost always bad blood when these two meet up.
Bryant Knox previews the Portland Trail Blazers’ Feb. 22 matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers. Staples Center has been a tough place to play for the Blazers throughout the years, and that’s not expected to change at this point in the losing streak. The key matchup is going to be between Damian Lillard and Steve Nash. Wesley Matthews is questionable, while Pau Gasol and Jordan Hill are out.
NWSB Insider and Portland Trail Blazers writer Rick Stella gives us his weekly Rick’s Picks, naming the All-Star performances showcased in Rip City. LaMarcus Aldridge and Damian Lillard earn All-Star recognition for their performance against the Miami Heat, while Lillard earns double recognition for his time at All-Star Weekend. Reaching away from the Blazers, but staying true to the Pacific Northwest, Portland native and former Washington Husky earns Dunk of the Week for his showing in the Dunk Contest.
NWSB Insider and Portland Trail Blazers blogger Steve Lee breaks his best of the best of the NBA All-Star performances from the Blazers history. As the past weekend showed us all, the Blazers weren’t highly publicized during the festivities. That’s okay though, Steve has brought us the days of yore, back when the Blazers were relevant in the NBA world.
Bryant Knox previews the Portland Trail Blazers’ Feb. 19 matchup against the Phoenix Suns. The Blazers went into All-Star Weekend on one of their coldest streaks of the entire season. They need to turn things around beginning with Phoenix, and they need to start winning winnable games if they hope to make the playoffs. The key matchup is going to be between Damian Lillard and Goran Dragic. J.J. Hickson and Marcin Gortat will also be fun to watch.
NWSB Insider and Portland Trail Blazers blogger Steve Lee breaks down what Rip City might do with the NBA trade deadline right around the corner. The team ha a number of expiring contracts, including those of J.J. Hickson, Luke Babbitt, Elliot Williams and Shawne Williams, that they could look to move. Potential targets could be Chris Kaman, Emeka Okafor, Jarrett Jack and Mike Dunleavy Jr.
NWSB inside and Blazers blogger Jon Irwin reports on what he thinks are the odds for Portland players to bring home top NBA honors. Leading the way is Damian Lillard, who has a great shot at the rookie of the year award. LaMarcus Aldridge has a great resume for MVP, but is a long-shot in today’s NBA.
NWSB Insider and Portland Trail Blazers writer Rick Stella gives us his weekly Rick’s Picks, naming the All-Star performances showcased in Rip City. The Blazers struggled this past week, but a few solid performances continue to give this team hopes for the postseason. LaMarcus Aldridge, JJ Hickson and Nicolas Batum earn All-Star recognition, while Meyers Leonard takes home honors for Dunk of the Week.
Bryant Knox previews the Portland Trail Blazers Feb. 13 matchup against the New Orleans Hornets. The key matchup in this one is going to be at the power forward position, where LaMarcus Aldridge will be playing against both Anthony Davis and Ryan Anderson.
Bryant Knox previews the Portland Trail Blazers Feb. 10 matchup against the Miami Heat. The Blazers took down the Heat in comeback fashion the last time they faced off, on they’ve historically found success in the state of Florida. However, Miami is a title contender for a reason, and AmericanAirlines Arena should be a difficult place to win. The key matchup in this one is between Nicolas Batum and LeBron James.
