Schilly

Matchups by position

PG Pippen Vs Nash
Advantage: Dallas

SG Anderson Vs Raja Bell
Advantage: Portland

SF Wells Vs Finely
Advantage: Dallas

PF Wallace Vs Nowitzki
Advantage: even

C Randolph/Davis Vs Lafrenz/Bradley
Advantage: Portland

Bench
Portland: Sabonis, Patterson, Mcinnis, Stoudamire
Dallas: Najera, Van Exel, Griffin, Popeye
Advantage: Portland

Portland has the ability to abuse Dallas in the post. Dallas can burn Portland from the outside.

Key for Portland's success: Rasheed Wallace Vs. Dirk Nowitzki.
Rasheed is often able to neatralize Guys like DIrk, Duncam=n and KG. It will take Sheed playing very hard for Portland to do so. Sheed will need to match Dirk Point for Point and let the rest of the Blazers do their thing, but Wallace really need to step up.

HOWIE

You know, if Rasheed would put forth some effort he would own Nowitzki. Rasheed and the Blazers is going to have to bring their A games! Still, after a physical battle I see the Blazers in 6!

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mook

It's really an exciting matchup.

On any given night you'll see Sheed, Bonzi, Zach, Ruben, Pip, Sabas and even DA abuse people in the post. Portland is 5th in the league in FG%, entirely because of their interior game.

On any given night you'll see Dirk, Nash, Finley, LaFrentz, and Van Exel drain threes. Dallas is tied for second in the league in 3 pt %.

You've got a great three pointer team with no low post threat against a great low post team with no perimeter threat.

And thank God Shaq isn't playing.

SheedSoNasty

This series is going to be much better than if we had been matched up against Minnesota or L.A. Portland and Dallas are pretty even all around at this point in the season so it should be a fun series to watch.

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hasoos

I could have swore Najara is their starting SF and Finley is their SG. I thought Bell comes off the bench.

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Hasoos

Schilly

Bell started ladt night.

hasoos

I think that was just because Dallas had wrapped up their playoff spot and Najara has been hurt a lot so they would let him rest. Maybe it has been permanent though, its not like I have got to watch a lot of hoops the last month since I switched to swing shift. Hmmm.

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Hasoos