Blazers-Hawks: Portland, Atlanta Should ProvideTightly-Contested Matchup

PG

On Sunday, Steve Blake got his groove back from behind the arc. He led all Portland scorers with 18 points and seemed confident, shooting 4-for-5 from deep. Andre Miller never got his game going, but against an aging Mike Bibby and rookie Jeff Teague, I like our chances. It's Andre's turn to do work tonight in the Rose Garden. Double digit assists seems like a good prediction!

PG

SG

Brandon Roy normally has the clout to win most matchups in the NBA, but he and Rudy have a tough task in front of them. Not only do they have the very underrated Joe Johnson, but the acquisition of Jamal Crawford makes Atlanta very dangerous offensively. I like Roy to have a good night tonight, but the tandem of Johnson and Crawford can outscore almost any shooting guards in the league.

SG

SF

The emergence of Martell Webster and overall hustle of Travis Outlaw have been pleasant surprises so far this season. Martell's defense on Kevin Durant, which was statistically proven to be magical, is something we'll need all year. If Martell can guard the opposing shooting guard or small forward, it relieves pressure on Roy and works well for overall defensive strategy. Then with Travis, as long as he keeps working and keeps getting boards, his few minutes a game can be worth while.

SF

PF

This is a tricky matchup here, with two very different types of star power forwards facing off. LaMarcus Aldridge goes with the finesse and the jump shot while Josh Smith likes to make waves with high-flying dunks and crashing the boards. The other interesting battle will be the eight minutes Juwan Howard and Joe Smith spend guarding each other. It should be fun to watch. Anyway, I like Josh Smith in this contest; his ability to block shots and get steals will make the difference.

PF

C

Greg Oden showed signs of maturity on Sunday against the Thunder and I think it continues at home against Atlanta. Greg's commitment to defense coupled with Przybilla's always strong work inside will cause problems for Al Horford and Zaza Pachulia. I like Greg and Joel to out-rebound and out-work the Hawks centers tonight.

C