The Portland Trail Blazers are entering the 2026-27 season with something bigger than a return to the playoffs in mind. They already ended their postseason drought last year, and now the bar has moved. Making the field again is one thing; becoming a real factor in the Western Conference is another.
There’s a path where Portland does exactly that. Damian Lillard and Ja Morant are set to join the starting lineup, and that kind of backcourt could be one of the NBA’s better ones if it clicks. Add in new head coach Micah Nori, and the Blazers have the ingredients to be one of the league’s surprise teams.
The optimistic case starts with a real shot at winning a playoff series for the first time since 2019. Portland’s roster is more talented than it was a year ago, and it also has veteran presence. Lillard was the team’s best player when the Blazers reached the Western Conference Finals almost eight years ago, and there’s at least a chance he taps back into that same level now that he’s back in a Portland uniform.
The path through the West is crowded, but not locked up beyond the top. The Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs sit in that clear top tier, while the Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Houston Rockets look like the likeliest teams to claim the other two spots in the Western Conference semifinals. Still, Portland has enough talent to make that group sweat.
For the Blazers, health is the hinge. They haven’t had great injury luck over the past couple of seasons, and several of the players they’re counting on don’t have spotless durability records. But if the roster stays intact, the depth in the backcourt - Morant, Lillard, Jrue Holiday, and Scoot Henderson - gives Portland a real chance to survive the grind.
Defense remains the biggest question. If the Blazers can settle in at league average on that end, they could push close to 50 wins and put themselves in position to make a first-round series interesting.
A run past that point is harder to picture, and getting through the Thunder or Spurs to reach the Western Conference Finals would be a major climb. Even so, a second-round exit is on the table.
Of course, the other side of the ledger is just as easy to see. Lillard could rediscover his old form, but he could also look like a 36-year-old trying to climb back after tearing his Achilles.
Morant’s talent is obvious, but his injury history is a concern, and it’s still unclear how smoothly he’ll fit into the offense Portland wants to build. Deni Avdija was building momentum last season, but with Morant and Lillard added to the mix, he could slide back into a more limited role.
That’s the reality for Portland: plenty can go right, but plenty can also unravel. If the injuries pile up and the fit doesn’t come together in a tough Western Conference, the Blazers could wind up back in the lottery.
There’s also a business-side wrinkle hanging over the team. New owner Tom Dundon is frosty in his negotiations to sign a new lease for the Moda Center, and that tension could spill over into the franchise in ways that affect morale and results.
So while the upside is real, the risk is, too. The Blazers may well be better than they were last season, but this roster comes with plenty of volatility. Anyone following Portland has to keep both outcomes in view.
In Other News...
Scoot Henderson Faces A Blazers Season That Could Change Everything
Scoot Henderson enters this season in a familiar place for a young guard trying to prove he belongs at the center of a franchises plans, but the stakes are a little sharper now. Hes in the final year of his rookie contract with Portland, and his role will be shaped by a backcourt that has gotten more crowded around him as he adjusts his game to fit what the Blazers need.
There are encouraging signs in that transition, especially the way Hendersons shot has started to come around from long range. Portland does not have to make a long-term call today, but how he handles this season will matter for both sides, with his future and the teams next step tied closely to what comes next on the court. [Read more 🡒]