Golden State Warriors vs. the Northwestern Division: Predictions

April 17, 2013; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers power forward LaMarcus Aldridge (12) shoots over Golden State Warriors center Festus Ezeli (31) in the second half at the Rose Garden. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports

Portland Trailblazers

2012-13 Record: 33-49 (missed playoffs)

The Blazers are an interesting team.  Lillard is excellent, with a sky-high ceiling.  LaMarcus Aldridge, despite rumors he wants out of the city, remains a top-three talent at his position, one of the best offensive post players in the league.  What really killed Portland last year was an extremely weak bench.  They were very inefficient outside of a solid starting five featuring the supporting likes of J.J. Hickson and Wes Matthews.

Prediction:2-1

The Trailblazers were  second worst in the NBA last year in allowed field goal percentage, and bottom ten in overall defensive efficiency.  That doesn’t spell out well for a team that’s an offensive powerhouse with added wing defensive capabilities.  Luckily for the Blazers, arranging Aldridge-David Lee matchups on offense will usually result in scoring, since Lee’s weakness (interior defense) is one of Aldridge’s best strengths.  They’re also top-three in allowed three-point percentage for last season.  They won’t be able to handle Golden State, but wing defense and interior offense can win them one.