Sports 4 Dorks

New
Orleans at Portland

New Orleans
is on the road, playing the second night of a back to back. And, to be honest,
they looked a little sluggish at times in Thursday’s win over the Nuggets.

Portland, meanwhile, has gone
6-0 at home this season, compared to 10-6 overall, and this team’s depth seems
almost laughably good in comparison to New
Orleans’.

And yet, give ‘er a watch. I think we could get a game out
of this. The Hornets have already topped Portland,
87-82, in Louisiana,
and this slow-down affair could come down to the wire. Or it could be a
blowout, and you could come on here afterwards to rail against me. On a Friday
night. Good luck with that.

The typical storylines for these two, early in 2008-09, are
still in place. The Blazers have to act as if Greg Oden is an ensconced team
when he’s on the court, and not some novelty worth observing as the seconds
tick away. And the Hornets need to act like they deserve to be on a team with
Chris Paul.

New Orleans Trail
Blazers: 9-5, 88.1 possessions per game (27^th), 110.1 points
scored per 100 possessions (4^th), 105 points allowed per 100
possessions (12^th). Poor Old Dirt Farmer.

Portland Trail
Blazers: 10-6, 86.8 possessions per game (29^th-most in the NBA),
112.6 points scored per 100 possessions (2^nd-most in the NBA), 107.6
points allowed per 100 possessions (22^nd). Got Me a Woman.