The Blazers play the Hornets tonight in a battle between the two top rookie of the year candidates in Lillard and Anthony Davis. Lillard has the edge right now, but with three quarters of the season still to play, Davis could explode onto the scene, especially defensively. For Portland, there needs to be continued analysis on the play of JJ Hickson and Lamarcus Aldridge on the court together. According to 82games.com, both players are more effective playing with the other on the bench. Aldridge in particular has been better playing next to Meyers Leonard, and Hickson best next to Jared Jeffries. With the continued improvement of Joel Freeland, including his solid D-League outing, expect Portland to continue to experiment with a variety of post units. If Portland does not establish themselves as playoff contenders, Hickson could be a player on the move due to his potential and the status of his contract (A reasonable, expiring deal).
Keys to Tonight's Game:
1. LA gets 25. New Orleans does not have the best interior defense, though Anthony Davis will be one of the best in the league by next year, and LA should take advantage.
2. Win the 3 point shooting battle. Both teams like to shoot from the outside, and, the team that makes the most from downtown will likely prevail.
3. Commit less than ten turnovers. New Orleans is not a team that will win lots of games based off of talent alone, they rely on their opponent's mistakes. Look for Portland to be secure with the ball to win this game.
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