Mavericks Vs. Blazers, Game 1: Dirk Nowitzki, LaMarcus Aldridge Face Off

The Dallas Mavericks, per usual, aren't getting any respect. Per usual, the Mavericks consider themselves legitimate NBA champion material; all anyone else can talk about are the Bulls, Lakers and Heat (teams that, mind you, have better records than Dallas, except in the case of L.A., who happens to be the two-time defending champion). Dallas feels disrespect, and carries that into its first round matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers, which tips off Saturday with Game 1 at 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN. But Dallas carried that disrespect card into a first-round matchup against the lower-seeded but better San Antonio Spurs last year; the Mavericks earned a 4-2 dismissal for their troubles.

The Blazers are a bit different an opponent. The Spurs knew the Mavericks intimately well, and vice versa; the Blazers, it seems, are constantly evolving, and not always in a good way. Previous incarnations served as Brandon Roy canvases with LaMarcus Aldridge cameos. Roy's double knee surgery has pushed the All-Star guard to full-on pip status -- even Rudy Fernandez thinks Roy isn't getting enough minutes (that's a joke) -- and Aldridge, along with apparent Roy rival Andre Miller and apparent demigod Gerald Wallace, has taken control.

That's where many feel the battle will be won or lost, with Wallace, who is better than any Mavericks but Dirk Nowitzki, and Miller, who is the most impactful guard in the series, provided he plays the way he has of late. But that assumes a good series for Aldridge. Is that the right assumption?

Dallas has a strong defense, with two of the better defensive centers in the NBA in Tyson Chandler and Brendan Haywood. Aldridge had no problems scoring on the Mavericks this season -- he averaged almost 28 points over four games, shooting 51 percent -- but Dallas coach Rick Carlisle will likely key up even more on LMA in this series. Good defenders have thwarted Aldridge at times, with length in particular giving LaMarcus trouble. LMA is a great player, but it's hardly unstoppable.

Nowitzki, though? The man, in the playoffs, averages 25 points on .579 True Shooting and 10 rebounds per game. Dirk has earned an unfair reputation as a scorer who shrinks in the tougher second season; it's simply not true. The Mavericks have been obliterated in the postseason repeatedly since the 2006 NBA Finals loss. But it's hardly Dirk's fault. He did struggle mightily against the Warriors in 2007, but he's been a real rock in the three seasons since, and he's as close to a sure thing in the playoffs as anyone you'll find. He's a monster!