Golden State Warriors vs Portland Trail Blazers: Predictions, Odds and Roster Notes

Where: Moda Center in Portland, OR

When: Wednesday, February 13th at 10:30 PM EST

How (TV/Radio): ESPN, NBC Sports Northwest, NBC Sports Bay Area | Rip City Radio 620, 95.7 The Game

Golden State Warriors (Away)

Head Coach: Steve Kerr {All-Time 304-78 | GSW}

The Golden State Warriors currently boast a firm hold over top position in the Western Conference. With a record of 40-15 the Warriors are a solid three games ahead of the Denver Nuggets in second place.

The Warriors have been as impressive as ever, going 9-1 in their last ten matches. Of those nine wins were impressive performances against the Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, and San Antonio Spurs.

When the Golden State Warriors face off against the Portland Trail Blazers they will be doing so off of the first leg of a back-to-back home and away series. The Warriors, despite their star power, do not have the deepest bench in the league so expect Steve Kerr to be more liberal with minutes distribution in this match.

Portland Trail Blazers (Home)

Head Coach: Terry Stotts {All-Time 420-409 | ATL, MIL, POR}

The Portland Trail Blazers seem to falter whenever they are in arms reach of the Oklahoma City Thunder who are third in the West. With a record of 33-22, the Trail Blazers are dangerously close to the Houston Rockets in fifth.

Over the past ten games the Portland Trail Blazers have maintained a 7-3 record with a +2.9 point differential. While they took care of business against lesser teams like the Hawks and Suns, the Blazers failed the real test against the Thunder and stumbled against the Miami Heat.

The match against the Golden State Warriors will mark the last home game for the Blazers over the span of two weeks. When the upcoming All-Star Break is included in the plans, the Portland Trail Blazers will be looking forward to eighteen days away from home. They will need a positive result against the Warriors to encourage their road success.

What’s At Stake?

The Golden State Warriors and the Portland Trail Blazers maintain a storied NBA rivalry. In the all-time series the Portland Trail Blazers lead the Golden State Warriors 124-104.

With a firm grasp over first in the Western Conference. The Golden State Warriors would affirm their position with a win.

Three games behind the Oklahoma City Thunder for third in the West, the Portland Trail Blazers would help close the gap with a win.

Questions to answer

Should the Warriors worry about the NBA’s movement?

Did the Blazers do enough tinkering?

We are going to compare the Golden State Warriors and the Portland Trail Blazers in an attempt to see who has the advantage in this matchup.

Steve Kerr Is Happy With the Roster

As per Mark Medina of The Mercury News, Steve Kerr, the Golden State Warriors’ head coach, is comfortable with his roster. Of course a team touting five all-stars would leave any coach comfortable, one can’t discount the NBA’s movement in hopes of improving their rosters to compete with the Warriors.

Particularly in the Eastern Conference, the Toronto Raptors acquired Marc Gasol, the Philadelphia 76ers acquired Tobias Harris, and the Milwaukee Bucks acquired Nikola Mitotic. Three players moving from the Western Conference to the Eastern Conference in hopes of competing for a championship.

As the reigning champions the Warriors likely don’t need to make a move to improve their roster. It would be foolish to ignore the additions other teams are making in order to compete with them though. Don’t be surprised to see the Warriors get in on the buy-out market, if only to take a candidate away from an opposing team.

The Blazers Added Rodney Hood and Skal Labissiere

The Blazers made some subtle additions to their roster by the end of the trade deadline when they added bench scorer Rodney Hood and prospect big man Skal Labissiere. Focused on succeeding in this years playoffs, the Blazers are clearly focused on have multiple options.

Skal Labissiere is a curious young big man. Once projected to be a top pick, Labissiere has taken time to develop – like most big men. On the other hand Rodney Hood is a proven scorer in this league. Considering the Blazers struggled to score when their main unit wasn’t on the court, Hood will surely help their chances.

The Portland Trail Blazers made moves to benefit them moving into the playoffs but it is still a wonder if they have enough. The Blazers seemed to have Wes Matthews lined up to return to Portland before he was quickly snatched up by the Indiana Pacers. The Blazers will also attack the buy-out market before the March 1st playoff deadline passes.

Golden State Warriors Roster Notes

G Jacob Evans – 9 Feb 2019 – Out (Pelvis) – Evans was ruled OUT for Sunday’s (Feb 10) game against the Heat.

Portland Trail Blazers Roster Notes

The Portland Trail Blazers have no roster injuries of note.

Head-to-Head: Stephen Curry (GSW) vs Damian Lillard (POR)

Stephen Curry

Point Guard | 6-3, 190lb (190cm, 86kg) | Davidson | Exp. 9 Years

28/7 PPG | 5.4 APG | 5.1 RPG | 1.2 SPG | 0.4 BPG | 2.9 TOV | .492 FG% | .448 3P%

Damian Lillard

Point Guard | 6-3, 195lb (190cm, 88kg) | Weber State | Exp. 6 Years

26.1 PPG | 6.4 APG | 4.5 RPG | 1.2 SPG | 0.5 BPG | 2.8 TOV | .449 FG% | .361 3P%

It will be a matchup between two of the most dangerous scoring point guards in the NBA when Stephen Curry and Damian Lillard face off. Ever the sniper, on a team of All-NBA talent Curry leads the Warriors in scoring over Finals MVP Kevin Durant. Looking to make up for last years playoffs gaffe Damian Lillard is looking as good as ever leading the Blazers.

Stephen Curry is averaging his best point output in the past three seasons. The six-time All-Star is not only the offensive and playmaking threat he’s been known to be, but has improved his efficiency since last season. Now shooting a scorching 45% from downtown with an effective field goal percentage of 62%, Curry has been able to adjust to his star teammates to fantastic benefit.

If there was ever a player to truly have ice water in his veins it would be Damian Lillard. The sixth year point guard is once again leading the Blazers in scoring, but also making contributions in other areas. Sporting a career high in steals (1.2) and effective field-goal percentage (52%), Lillard is doing his all to wipe away the memory of the 2018 NBA Playoffs and prove that Dame-Time is now.

Golden State Warriors at Portland Trail Blazers Predictions and Odds

The odds makers have the Golden State Warriors favoured over the Portland Trail Blazers by 5.5, with a 105 for the under (GSW) and 115 for the over (POR).