The Portland Trail Blazers will play the fourth game of their six-game road trip on Wednesday night when they visit the Atlanta Hawks for a nationally televised game on ESPN. The Hawks swept the Blazers last season, but they'll have to do it without the help of big man Al Horford when they meet on Wednesday night.
Blazers Vs. Hawks: LaMarcus Aldridge Has Chance To Shine With Al Horford Out
LaMarcus Aldridge will face lighter competition than expected when his Portland Trail Blazers take on the Atlanta Hawks sans Al Horford on Wednesday night.
The Blazers should be able to capitalize on the Al Horford absence with LaMarcus Aldridge, their own big man who seems to be playing better as of late, but there are plenty of other Atlanta options on offense to worry about. Dave from Blazersedge breaks down some of the finer points in his excellent preview of Portland’s game in Atlanta.
The best hope for Portland may be an uncanny explosion from one of LaMarcus Aldridge's sidekicks. I'm looking straight at Jamal Crawford here but Gerald Wallace, Wesley Matthews, or even Nicolas Batum would also do. Portland needs a boost somewhere...a wave to knock the Hawks off their feet. It feels like a game where Portland's individual heroics will have to overcome Atlanta's team play. Obviously the Blazers should try to put pressure on the middle of the Hawks defense as well. Aldridge is going to have a hard time getting inside. A few well-placed 15-footers early might clear out the lane enough that Portland's guards could drive and (hopefully) finish over the Horford-less interior.
Despite all that, there's a pretty good chance that this is an ugly game for the Blazers...that they can't force turnovers, can't run out, can't rebound, and are forced into an ugly halfcourt game which allows Atlanta to feast on long rebounds and run. If that does happen, remember Toronto and Detroit are just on the horizon. Relief is on the way.
Either way, the first of two games on Wednesday’s night ESPN doubleheader should be interesting. Logic says Aldridge should be able to have his way in the post, but will the ancillary pieces be the ones to actually make a difference?
For more on the Blazers, be sure to check out Blazers Edge. The best Hawks blog on the internet is housed at Peach Tree Hoops.
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