Portland Trail Blazers at Utah Jazz Game Thread: The Second half of the season starts now!

The Utah Jazz start the second half of their season at home tonight against the Northwest division leading Portland Trail Blazers. The Blazers have one goal this year -- and that's to get to the Western Conference Finials. They haven't been since 1999-2000, and even the lowly Jazz have since then and now. Portland has made the playoffs in four of the last six seasons, and advanced past the first round once. Getting through the second round is what it's all about for this team on the rise. In the rough Western Conference it's never easy.

The Blazers upgraded and simplified their roster with trades to bring in defensive shooting guard Arron Afflalo to back up Wesley Matthews. Alonzo Gee makes the team too, but I don't know if he'll make a big impact. Portland made the move to become more dangerous and deep from the wing spots in a year where Nicolas Batum's offensive game has become quite passive and Joe Ingles -like. Still, it starts and ends with Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge for these guys.

Trail Blazers Players Stats:

Utah also made a move, sending misused and abused Enes Kanter to a new home. It's left a huge hole inside that no one seems to be talking about. When you're 3rd big goes from 6'11 down to 6'8 you're just going to end up not getting a lot of the rebounds you used to get / score on those put backs.

Utah Jazz Player Stats:

Both teams are trying to improve, but one team has a purpose. The Jazz seem to have doubled down with the draft again, and the player they are hoping on is only 19. It's hard to say the clock hasn't turned back over the last two seasons, but it has.

Starters:

• Point Guards: Damian Lillard vs. Dante Exum
• Shooting Guards: Wesley Matthews vs. Joe Ingles
• Small Forwards: Nicolas Batum vs. Gordon Hayward
• Power Forwards: LaMarcus Aldridge vs. Derrick Favors <-- Marquee match-up
  
• Centers: Robin Lopez vs. Rudy Gobert

Bench:

• Steve Blake vs. Trey Burke
• Arron Afflalo vs. Rodney Hood and/or Elijah Millsap
• Chris Kaman vs. Trevor Booker
• Wildcard: C.J. McCollum vs. Jeremy Evans -- two different types of players

Injuries:

• Alec Burks (UTA) -- out
• Rodney Hood (UTA) -- probable, limited minutes
• Joe Ingles (UTA) -- will play through his ailment
• Kendrick Perkins (UTA) -- not expected to play for team ever
• Joel Freeland (POR) -- out
• Chris Kaman (POR) -- was questionable, I feel like he's probable / GTD at this point

The Jazz are 93-77 against the Blazers all-time, and 66-18 in Utah. Will our guys get number 67 tonight? Let's hope so!

GO JAZZ GO!