Golden State Warriors vs. Portland Trailblazers: Who Has The Edge?
By Mike Dill
January 11, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard (0) and Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry (30, right) look on during the third quarter at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Trail Blazers 103-97. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Damian Lillard was the most electrifying rookie last season, but his excellent play was not enough to keep the Portland Trailblazers above .500 as they finished the season with a 33-49 record.
Although the Trailblazers had a few great pieces in Lillard, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Nicolas Batum, they did not have the depth to seriously threaten most teams. Their lack of depth led to Lillard playing more minutes than any other player last season (38.6 minutes per game). Lillard has already said he doesn’t want to lead the league in minutes again, so management has tried to bring more depth to the team.
Their first order of business was to draft C.J. McCollum, who had a college career similar to Lillard’s. McCollum is undersized for a shooting guard, but he can score and adds depth to the team at the very least.
Through trades and free agency, the Trailblazers also added Dorell Wright, Robin Lopez, Mo Williams, and Thomas Robinson.
The Golden State Warriors also brought in a few free agents – Andre Iguodala being the most publicized – to help increase the depth of the team. Let’s take a look at how these two teams stack up.