The Trail Blazers begin
their season at home Wednesday night against a Lakers team seeking to avoid a
second straight 0-2 start.
Portland went 28-38 last
season, after averaging 50.7 wins over its previous three seasons when it
appeared to be a team on the rise. Coach Nate McMillan was fired during last
year's campaign and the roster has been overhauled along with a new general manager
in Neil Olshey and new coach in Terry Stotts.
All-Star big man LaMarcus
Aldridge, forward Nicolas Batum and guard Wesley Matthews are the mainstays
with new blood brought in that includes first-round picks Damian Lillard, a
point guard drafted 6th overall, and Meyers Leonard, a center
drafted 11th overall.
While Portland's new faces
are unproven, the same cannot be said for those with Los Angeles. With Dwight
Howard and Steve Nash on board, the Lakers are among the favorites as they seek
the franchise's 17th championship.
Los Angeles, however, opened
with a surprising 99-91 home loss to Dallas on Tuesday, where Los Angeles
missed more free throws than Dallas attempted, and neither Howard nor Nash
excelled in their team debuts.
Howard had 19 points and 10
rebounds while missing 11 of 14 free throws before fouling out with 2:02 to
play. Nash managed just seven points and four assists with seemingly little to
do in the Lakers' new offensive scheme. Pau Gasol led the Lakers with 23 points
and 13 rebounds while Kobe Bryant scored a wonderfully efficient 22 (11-14
shooting) while playing on an injured right foot. The offense was smooth last
night, as it created fairly easy opportunities that the Lakers didn’t convert
(especially free throws).
There are a few minor
injuries on the Lakers’ side of things; Kobe Bryant is listed as day to day
with his injured right foot and ankle, but he still played last night and is
expected to play tonight. Backup center Jordan Hill is also listed as day to
day with a bulging disk he suffered early in the preseason, he will also play.
On Portland’s side, backup point guard Ronnie Price is out for tonight’s
contest.
Position
|
Lakers
|
Trailblazers
|
Point Guard
|
Steve Nash
|
Damian Lillard
|
Shooting Guard
|
Kobe
Bryant
|
Wesley
Matthews
|
Small Forward
|
Metta World Peace
|
Nicolas Batum
|
Power Forward
|
Pau
Gasol
|
LaMarcus
Aldrige
|
Center
|
Dwight Howard
|
J.J. Hickson
|
