This week has been a positive one for the Bay Area. First off the San Francisco Giants win the World Series, and then the Warriors open their season with a win on the road. Before their home opener, the Warriors ink and lock up their two guard, Klay Thompson. The Lakers came to town and the good week kept rolling through. Golden State left Oakland with a 127-104 victory. Now the Warriors are 2-0 and play the second half of the back-to-back up North in Portland.
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Although the Blazers lost on Halloween night to the Sacramento Kings, the Trail Blazers are a great measuring stick for the Warriors. This will be the first of three contests between the two teams. In their last seven meetings, the Dubs have come away with a victory five times. David Lee will fly with the team but is expected to miss the game. Expect the matchup to be a tight game throughout.
Players To Watch
LaMarcus Aldridge
In the first game of the season, the Warriors had trouble with DeMarcus Cousins who kept badgering the big men and forced them into foul trouble. The Lakers didn’t have a big as skilled as Cousins, but Ed Davis and Wesley Johnson were able to get 28 points on 11-of- 16 shooting. The Warriors are suffering without David Lee and containing Aldridge is not a joke. This season he is averaging 24.5 points but his rebounding has dramatically dropped from 11.1 to 3.5. Don’t expect that trend to continue as it’ll be a shock to see Aldridge rebound less than four basketballs in this game.
Nicolas Batum
This versatile player is a handful on both ends. His size, athleticism, and speed allows him to play tough defense. His offense is sneaky as he takes a backseat to LaMarcus Aldridge and Damian Lillard. Don’t be fooled, he can hit jumpers and can get hot quickly. Anytime he’s on the floor, he has the
ability to grab a 5×5 line.
Damian Lillard
Many know Lillard from his younger days. He grew up in the Oakland area. To summarize Lillard’s game, he was a contestant in every All-Star event. Lillard has ice water in his veins and will never hesitate to shoot with the game on the line. In their loss to the Kings, Lillard dropped in 20 points but 12 came late in the fourth. He was only 4-of-13 from the field and look for him to shake off the rust and get back to his superstar form. Hopefully it won’t happen against the Warriors but it’s something to keep an eye on.
Keys To Victory
Stop The Turnovers
The first two matchups for the Warriors were tune up games. Although Kobe Bryant kept the Lakers alive, this matchup is not a gimme game. The Blazers are also a middle of the pack playoff team that has the ability to keep up with the best of the NBA. If the Warriors continue their turnover woes, the Blazers will capitalize and turn them into easy points. Against the Kings, the Warriors had 22 turnovers and 20 against the Lakers.
Continuing To End The California Drought
The “Splash Brothers” were terrible during the first half in Sacramento but redeemed themselves with their play against the Lakers. With Klay going for 41 and Curry notching 31 points each, the backcourt is proving to be more than teams can handle. They are going to be mirrored on offense by Wesley Matthews and Lillard. It’ll be tough for the duo to play defense and to score especially coming of a back-to-back. Becoming the best and grabbing wins in the NBA aren’t easy.
Harrison “Black Falcon” Barnes
Harrison Barnes will need to continue to be aggressive. When he becomes passive and only settles for jumpers, he’s not playing to his maximum potential. He’s best when he slashes and attacks the lane. Curry and the rest of the squad have the vision and passing ability to find him for easy baskets. His jumpers will come as his confidence builds. He looked great against the Lakers and will need to carry over that mentality.