The Portland Trail Blazers didn’t spend the offseason acting like a team satisfied with a good year. Even after going 42-40 and grabbing the No. 7 seed last season, Portland made major changes, headlined by the addition of Ja Morant to a backcourt that already includes Damian Lillard, Scoot Henderson, Jrue Holiday and Shaedon Sharpe.
That kind of guard depth is the obvious selling point here. Morant, Lillard, Holiday and Henderson give the Blazers a perimeter group that can overwhelm a lot of opponents, and with Deni Avdija coming off a breakout season in which he averaged 24.2 points, Portland has another creator to keep the offense moving. Donovan Clingan and Toumani Camara bring real size, length and defense, while Sochan and Robert Williams III add even more of the same.
Of course, all that talent still has to be sorted out by Micah Nori, who is entering his first season as head coach. That’s never a simple job, especially when the roster features so many moving parts.
Shaedon Sharpe is likely to miss most of the season because of a torn meniscus, though he could be back around the All-Star break. If he returns on that timeline, he’d give Portland another important piece for the stretch run.
The big swing question in the win-total market is whether this group can get over 41.5 victories. There’s a clear case for the over if you like depth and shot creation. Portland should have an edge on the perimeter in plenty of games, and Avdija gives the offense another 6-foot-8 playmaker.
But the concerns are just as obvious. Lillard is 36 and coming off a torn Achilles, and Morant will be operating in a different setting where he may not get the same offensive workload he had in Memphis. That leaves plenty of uncertainty around how smoothly the pieces will actually fit.
When it comes to futures, the cleanest look is the playoffs rather than the more ambitious division, conference or championship markets. The Northwest still runs through Oklahoma City, with Denver and Minnesota also ahead of Portland in the division picture, so winning that race would require a lot to break the Blazers’ way.
A playoff berth, though, is a much more realistic ask. Portland made the postseason last year, upgraded the top end of the roster with Morant and still has enough defensive depth to weather the stretches when the offense isn’t crisp.
This is not a championship team. Sharpe will be out most of the season, and the chemistry remains a work in progress. But if Lillard and Morant stay healthy, click quickly and Avdija holds onto the level he showed last season, the Blazers should not be stuck fighting merely to get back to the Play-In.
For this roster, reaching the playoffs ought to be the baseline. Anything more would be the real step forward.
In Other News...
Blazers Just Proved They Can Win Without Relying On One Star
The Trail Blazers first road win of the season came with a little of everything, including early foul trouble, a first-quarter hole and a needed response from the bench and supporting cast. Portland outlasted the Sacramento Kings 128-120 to move to 2-0, and the victory felt as much about the group around the lineup as it did about any single name on the floor.
Sidy Cissoko, Deni Avdija and Toumani Camara all helped steady things while Damian Lillard added his own impact, giving Portland the kind of balanced night that can travel. Coach Micah Nori pointed to the teams depth and collective effort afterward, and for a young season, that may be the most encouraging part for a Blazers team trying to show it can win without leaning too heavily on one star. [Read more 🡒]
Blazers Showed Something In Sacramento Fans Have Been Waiting For
The early-season win in Sacramento offered a clean snapshot of why the Trail Blazers have looked different through two games. Portland fell behind in the first half, then used a balanced attack to flip the game and beat the Kings 128-120 on the road, with seven players reaching double figures. For a team that has spent recent seasons searching for a more reliable collective identity, the depth on display was hard to miss.
Micah Noris group also showed a poise in the closing stretches that fans have been waiting to see more often. Rather than relying on one hot hand, Portland kept finding answers from different spots on the floor and held up when the game tightened, turning an early hole into a statement road win. It is still early, but the Blazers have at least given themselves a foundation built on balance and timely execution. [Read more 🡒]