Miami Heat vs. Portland Trail Blazers: Game Preview, Prediction
By Dan Schultz
@DSchultz89
Getty Images
Miami Heat (15-20) vs. Portland Trail Blazers (27-8)
Game Time, TV: Thursday, Jan. 8 – 10:30 ET on TNT
Projected Starting Lineups:
Miami Heat: PG: Mario Chalmers, SG: Dwyane Wade, SF: Luol Deng, PF: Chris Andersen, C: Chris Bosh
Portland Trail Blazers: PG: Damian Lillard, SG: Wesley Matthews SF: Nicolas Batum, PF: LaMarcus Aldridge, C: Chris Kaman
The four-time defending Eastern Conference champion Heat find themselves desperately needing a win when they face off against the hot Trail Blazers on Thursday night.
The Heat have struggled to play consistent basketball, and one can already tell that they are still haunted by the exit of LeBron James this past summer when he decided to return home to play for the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Heat relied on James for so long and are finding life without him to be very difficult. Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh are still very good players, but the supporting cast around them is simply not getting it done right now.
The Trail Blazers, just like they started last season, are on a tear to begin the year. Damian Lillard has proven that he is a superstar point guard in this league, while LaMarcus Aldridge remains the king of the mid-range jump shot. Not only is their starting unit very impressive, but they went out this offseason and added to their bench by grabbing Steve Blake and Chris Kaman. I still have a few concerns about them defensively, but overall this is a fantastic team.
The key matchup for this game will be Bosh vs. Aldridge. Bosh probably has a little more length and athleticism than Aldridge, but will he settle for shooting nothing but outside shots this game or will he make Aldridge play tough defense against him? Aldridge will most likely get a lot of one on one opportunities against Bosh in the post as well as around the mid-range area, and this bodes well for the Trail Blazers.
Due to their lack of depth and the fact that this game is being played in Portland, I see the Trail Blazers winning this one. Lillard has been torching everyone lately, so if the Heat have any chance at winning this game, Chalmers will have to be a force on defense. I do not see it happening this game, and for that reason I am going with the Blazers.
Prediction: Blazers 111, Heat 98
Dan Schultz is an NBA sports writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on twitter @dschultz89. “Like” him on Facebook and add him on Google.
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