Big game for both teams tonite, one that could set the trajectory for both teams on this home stretch of the regular season. This game could be the difference between the Blazers facing a team it just can't figure out in Houston in the first round without homecourt advantage to the Blazers having home court, where they are on fire, against a more amenable opponent. So this game is trully a pivot point.

In looking over some of the game stats for tonites matchup, comparing line ups in this one makes plain as day what everyone means when they say the Blazers are a 'young team'. It is something we all know, they are young and fun to watch, but let's look at tonite's matchup (pulled from mysanantonio.com)

STARTING LINEUPS
POS - SPURS - TRAIL BLAZERS

PG - 9 Tony Parker (6-2, 8th yr) - 2 Steve Blake (6-3, 6th yr)
Parker’s team-high and career-high 6.9 assists ranks 12th in NBA.

SG - 8 Roger Mason Jr. (6-5, 5th yr) - 7 Brandon Roy (6-6, 3rd yr)
Roy leads Blazers in scoring (22.9), assists (5.1) and steals (1.1).

SF - 4 Michael Finley (6-7, 14th yr) - 88 Nicolas Batum (6-8, 1st yr)
Only game Finley has missed was at Denver when he was rested.

PF - 21 Tim Duncan (6-11, 12th yr) - 12 L. Aldridge (6-11, 3rd yr)
Aldridge sprained wrist Sunday but played at Memphis on Tuesday.

C - 15 Matt Bonner (6-10, 5th yr) - 10 Joel Przybilla (7-1, 9th yr)
Przybilla went scoreless in 20 minutes in Sunday loss at Houston.

SPURS RESERVES
12 Bruce Bowen, F, 6-7, 13th yr
1 Malik Hairston, G, 6-6, 1st yr
3 George Hill, G, 6-2, 1st yr
7 Fabricio Oberto, C, 6-10, 4th yr
40 Kurt Thomas, C/F, 6-9, 14th yr
5 Ime Udoka, G/F, 6-5, 5th yr
11 Jacque Vaughn, G, 6-1, 12th yr

TRAIL BLAZERS RESERVES
4 Jerryd Bayless, G, 6-3, 1st yr
5 R. Fernandez, G/F, 6-6, 1st yr
44 Channing Frye, F, 6-11, 4th yr
25 Travis Outlaw, F, 6-9, 6th yr
52 Greg Oden, C, 7-0, 2nd yr
11 S. Rodriguez, G, 6-3, 3rd yr
51 Michael Ruffin, G/F, 6-8, 9th yr

When you look at the head to head matchups, only Joel has more experience than the player he is up against tonite. When you add it all together.

Starting Lineup Experience:

San Antonio = 44 years

Portland = 22 years

Bench Experience:

San Antonio = 50 years

Portland = 26 years

Total Roster Experience:

San Antonio = 94 years

Portland = 48 years

The contrast is stark and only serves to make what the Blazers have accomplished so far this season all the more impressive and exciting looking at future seasons!

Your thoughts?