Game Preview and NBA Trades

In 30 minutes, the Blazers take the court against the Oklahoma City Thunder at home.  The team has beaten the mighty (Miami), the supposed to be mighty (Lakers), and lots of contenders.  There were some embarrassing losses along the way, but Blazer fans everywhere should be happy with the team's start.  Portland is 8 games behind the Thunder in the standings, who lead the league, and sit in 7th place in the conference standings.  Lillard is coming off a big performance in a loss to Golden State where literally nobody else could hit a shot.  Especially against the Thunder, it is important to find scoring from every position.

Keys to the Game:

1. Hickson double double- Aldridge will most likely have Ibaka on him for most the night, and Hickson needs to take advantage to having the slow and unathletic Kendrick Perkins guarding him.  Hickson's motor has slowed some over the last few games.  He needs to be very active on the boards, offensive especially.*EDIT*- Ibaka out tonight.  Still important for Hickson (and LA) to control the glass
2.  Force 18 turnovers- Oklahoma leads the league in offensive efficiency.  Portland's defense must be active tonight, getting into the passing lanes and forcing steals.  Easy baskets are very important.
3. Shoot 48%- Just as Oklahoma is efficient, Portland needs to be efficient tonight.  Shooting 48% will help this cause.

This is a winnable game, especially if the keys are met.

There is lots of talk regarding trades in the NBA right now, as the deadline is roughly 6 weeks away.  Many players have surfaced.  In this list I will go through a handful of players who could be moved.  If they get a rank of 10, they are very likely to be moved.  Similarly, a 1 rank means they should not pack their bags.

Andrea Bargnani- 9, Colangelo's job is burning hot.  He needs to trade his mistake #1 pick
Eric Bledsoe- 2, Unless Paul is adamant about returning, they shouldn't deal Bledsoe.
Omri Casspi- 5, He wants out, and can make 3's, but will there really be a market for him?
DeMarcus Cousins- 3, Cousins can't be ruled out as long as the Maloof brothers still run the show.
Tyreke Evans-7, Evans has flopped some since his rookie year.  He won't re-sign.
Pau Gasol- 5, Gasol isn't used correctly by D'Antoni.  He deserves a bigger role, maybe on another team.
Rudy Gay- 6, Memphis needs to get under the tax line.  Didn't everyone see this coming when Gay signed his extension?
JJ Hickson- 5, Might be playing his way out of Portland's price tag.  They shouldn't deal him, but he should be wary.
Al Jefferson- 7, Most likely will be traded to make way for Favors and Kanter.  The Jazz need a guard.
Courtney Lee- 4, Lee hasn't been great in Boston.  He needs a bigger role, though he hasn't proven he deserves it.
Paul Millsap- 2, A cheap alternative to Jefferson, Millsap is a solid 4 man.
JJ Redick- 6, Doesn't want to go, but a shooter on an expiring contract is a valuable asset.
Anderson Varejao- 4, Makes sense for the Cavs to move him, but rumors have the price tag as exorbitant.

Teams Most Likely to make a move:  Lakers, 76ers, Rockets

Thoughts?