November 21, 2012; Oakland, CA, USA; Brooklyn Nets point guard Deron Williams (8) looks on during the fourth quarter against the Golden State Warriors at ORACLE Arena. The Warriors defeated the Nets 102-93. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-US PRESSWIRE

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Beginning at the start of the 2012-13 NBA season, there was a new question on every NBA fan’s mind. That question, would the Brooklyn of the West Coast (Portland) still be able to maintain its stranglehold on home of the largest number of hipster NBA fans now that the Brooklyn of the East Coast (Brooklyn) has itself a full fledged professional basketball team?

Sunday in BK, the first of two match-ups of the league’s respective “home of the hipsters” commences. I’m sure there will be plenty of cuts of dudes in the stands wearing plastic framed glasses, beanies, and beards dressed head-to-toe in Brooklyn black-and-white. There will probably even be at least one mention of the various artisan snacks and beers available in the Barclay Center concourse. I’m sure Jay-Z will come up too. In truth, no matter how hard we try in Portland, it’s going to be hard to out-Brooklyn Brooklyn.

Hipsters should hope for a push, when it comes to fashion and aesthetic for Sunday’s game. If they can achieve that, there’s a chance when the Nets come to Portland hipster Blazer fans can really hipster out and put an end to the whole hipster discussion one and for all.

But don’t forget, there’s going to be a basketball game too.

Blazers Starting 5: PG Damian Lillard, SG Wesley Matthews, SF Nicolas Batum, PF J.J. Hickson Aldridge, C Meyers Leonard

Nets Starting 5: PG Deron Williams, SG Joe Johnson, SF Gerald Wallace, PF Kris Humphries, C Brook Lopez

Portland is maybe the team in the NBA with the worst bench. Brooklyn, though, may be the elite squad with the worst bench (unless you’re one of those NBA fans who count this season’s Lakers as an elite squad). Teams like the Spurs and the Thunder and the Grizzlies and the Heat can all go pretty deep into their rotations. The Thunder no longer have a Sixth Man of the Year, and the Heat may rely too heavily on veterans at or near their very last legs, but both of those teams, not to mention teams like the Clippers and the Spurs with full second squads, aren’t being forced to play Andray Blatche 17 minutes a game.

If Brooklyn has a weakness that can be exploited by a team like Portland, it very well might be their bench. I know it’s strange to say that considering how bad the Blazers’ bench is and will continue to be, but there’s potential there, should one of Portland’s reserves find a way to get hot, for the visiting team to give themselves a leg up.

It’s foolhardy, for sure, to put faith in the Blazers’ second unit, but anything is possible, especially considering that nobody thinks Portland should be in this game at all.

What to Watch For

• Damian Lillard vs. Deron Williams. Sunday is going to be one of the biggest early season tests for Portland’s rookie PG. As we all know, Lillard has played remarkably well through his first 12 games. He’s also had to play against a murder’s row of the league’s best point guards. That being said, he’s yet to play against one like Deron Williams. That’s because there is only one point guard like Deron Williams, and that’s Deron Williams. For my money Chris Paul is a better pure point guard, but when it comes to scoring points guards, the only one better than Williams is Derrick Rose. Lillard hasn’t quite been exposed as a bad on the ball defender, but it is clearly the element of his game that needs the most work. Bad on the ball defense won’t kill a guy when it’s being played against somebody like Minnesota’s Luke Ridnour. Being unable to stop a guy like Deron Williams, however, can be a game breaker. Look for Williams to try and take Lillard into the post and over power him. Also look for head coach Terry Stotts to make the early switch to Nicolas Batum or Wesley Matthews on Deron Williams (or more likely a switch to zone defense since Lillard wouldn’t be very effective on Joe Johnson or Gerald Wallace) if things get out of hand early.
• Rebounding. Kris Humphries is a great rebounder. Portland got lucky to beat Minnesota on Friday considering Kevin Love and Nikola Pekovic got almost all the rebounds. If the Blazers get destroyed on the offensive glass, it could be a long night in Brooklyn.
• Size vs. Speed. The Nets have a size advantage at almost every position. Portland can mitigate the relative size disparity by getting out in the open court. Friday’s game turned when the Blazers turned over the Timberwolves and created a few easy buckets. Defense leading to turnovers leading to offense should be Portland’s game plan Sunday.

@mikeacker | @ripcityproject | mike.acker1@gmail.com

Since the Lloyd Center Buffalo Wild Wings is halfway between my place of business and where I live, I choose to make a pit stop on my way home from work this evening to check out the Blazers’ Draft Lottery Announcement Party.

I usually skip out on these types of events. To me they always feel a bit forced; an attempt by management to scrub the memories of Blazer fans while at the same time reminding them how great their team is so they don’t forget to buy tickets when ticket-buying time rolls around again as it always does. I don’t know if you feel like I do, but I’m a Blazer fan regardless of the team’s record, and I don’t need to be pumped up about the team at every available opportunity.

Also, covering the team has become somewhat of a semi full-time job. One that I don’t get paid for, mind you. Putting in the hours doesn’t bother me that much during the regular season, when there are actual games to cover and stuff, but I take the idea of an off-season seriously, using the few free hours I have during the summer to do things that aren’t basketball related.

But Wednesday’s Draft Lottery was one of the more important Draft Lotteries of recent Blazer history, and since the bar where the official team party was being held was on my route from downtown to North East, I figured I might as well check it out.

I slipped into Buffalo Wild Wings just as the envelope, or whatever, was being opened that showed the New Jersey Brooklyn Racial Slurs Nets had been given the sixth pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. A loud cheer ripped through the packed bar. The Blazers would be getting Brooklyn’s first round pick. Portland’s Draft future was official; they would be picking 6^th and 11^th.

The scene at Buffalo Wild Wings confirmed one other thing too: Portland’s off-season is now officially over. I hope you enjoyed it. For the Blazers, the 2012-13 season began Wednesday.

This fan base is ready to go, and Portland’s front office better be ready. From now on, every move, every breath, every half rumor can and will become front-page news. I hope Larry Miller and his staff got some rest over the last month and change—the Blazers’ final game was April 26^th—because they aren’t going to get a second of shuteye the rest of the way.

Along with the 6^th and 11^th picks, the Blazers will be selecting 40^th and 41^st in the second round. Portland will also be dealing with an assortment of free agent related situations. Which leads to the scariest part of the Blazers’ present and immediate future.

As we all know well, Portland is without either a General Manager, or a Head Coach. The GM situation seems to be getting closer to wrapping up. Although, every new Tweet seems to have a revolving door of top-three candidates followed by a fourth and/or fifth candidate, how that equates to being close to finished is beyond me. Seemingly, the Head Coaching appointment will come down to where Stan Van Gundy lands, and how quickly the Blazers can jump into the fray, if and when SVG decides not to come to the Rose City, and grab whichever top coaching prospect is left standing.

In many ways, Portland’s Draft positioning should help solidify the GM search. Paul Allen can now ask his favorite candidates what they would do with the 6^th and 11^th picks (and the 40^th and 41^st), knowing that in fact those will be the picks the Blazers have.

Unfortunately for whoever Allen decides to hire, their very first executive decisions are not going to be done behind closed doors. Portland’s new GM will have to decide who to draft, or if to trade the picks, or whatever in full view of fans that are expecting to be treated to a sea change in the franchise. That’s a lot of pressure.

I don’t believe the franchise will be made or broken on Draft Night. The Blazers don’t need a franchise player since they’ve still got LaMarcus Aldridge. They also don’t need a second or even third scorer; they’ve got Nicolas Batum and Wesley Matthews in that order.

I would go as far as to say Portland doesn’t even need to draft a point guard or a center. Yes, Portland desperately needs new blood at both of those positions, but that doesn’t mean they have to fill those gaps through the Draft.

That being said, what the Blazers need to do, more than anything, is show up with some conviction. That means not passing on Kenneth Faried to take a flyer on Nolan Smith. That means putting together a trade package—if that’s the course of action Yet To Be Named New GM should choose—that brings Portland something significant, not just cap room, cash, and/or more future second-round picks.

It doesn’t seem like too much to ask, I know. The table is set, the Blazers have one of the more enviable positions in a super-duper load Draft. Certainly whichever Blazer staffer was tasked with manning the Trade Phone has their hands full right about know. Lots of interest in Portland’s picks means the Blazers have the ability to better control their fate and won’t have to jump at the first offer that comes along.

But if history is any indication, one area of management where Portland excels is making an absolute mess out of even the most straightforward situation.

Let’s hope that Portland’s GM of the future sees the group of rowdy and cheering Blazer fans filling a barroom on a Wednesday evening to watch what is an otherwise boring ceremony as eager masses waiting to embrace their next savior, and not a coming together of restless and skeptical townsfolk ready to claim the head of their next victim who, regardless of how hard he tries, won’t be able to satisfy.

Whoever that GM of the future turns out to be, their job started today.

email me: mike.acker1@gmail.com

Twitter: @mikeacker | @ripcityproject