Blazers at the Midseason Mark: Cohesion, Injuries, and a Path Through the West
The Portland Trail Blazers didn’t exactly ease into the 2025-26 NBA season. Less than 24 hours after a hard-fought opening night loss to the Timberwolves, they were rocked by scandal and the sudden departure of their head coach. Just like that, a team looking to build chemistry and momentum was thrown into uncertainty.
Enter Tiago Splitter, the former NBA big man and European champion, now tasked with steadying the ship as interim head coach. While many fans remember Splitter’s days banging in the paint for the Spurs, he’s now drawing up plays and managing rotations. It’s been a trial by fire, but halfway through the season, Portland is still standing-and maybe even starting to find its stride.
The Preseason Vision: Growth, Not Greatness
Let’s be clear: this season was never about contending for a title. After four straight years in the lottery, the bar was set at progress-internal development, a shot at the Play-In, and building a foundation for the future. A 36-46 finish last year left room for improvement, and with most of the roster returning, the hope was that continuity would spark cohesion.
So where do things stand at the midway point? Well, the Blazers are 23-23, sitting ninth in the Western Conference. That’s not groundbreaking, but given the chaos that started this campaign, it’s a sign this team has some fight-and maybe a little upside.
The Injury Bug Bites Hard
Let’s not sugarcoat it: injuries have been brutal. Toumani Camara is the only Blazer to suit up in all 46 games.
Everyone else? Banged up or sidelined at some point.
Scoot Henderson hasn’t played, Jrue Holiday and Jerami Grant have missed stretches, and Matisse Thybulle, Blake Wesley, Kris Murray-heck, even Damian Lillard-have all logged significant time in street clothes.
Still, there have been bright spots. Shaedon Sharpe is ironing out the wrinkles in his defensive game and making smarter choices with the ball.
Donovan Clingan looks physically ready for big minutes and has brought real presence in the paint. Camara has been steady, and even looks more confident when he’s asked to do a little more on offense.
But the real revelation? Deni Avdija.
The former top-10 pick has taken a leap-maybe even a leap-and-a-half. He’s been a matchup nightmare with his combination of size, skill, and speed, and he’s doing it on both ends.
We’re talking All-Star level play, maybe even brushing up against All-NBA territory. His emergence has changed the ceiling for this team.
And then there’s Jrue Holiday. When healthy, he’s been exactly what you’d expect: poised, unselfish, and unshakably professional.
His leadership has been a stabilizing force, much like it was during title runs in Milwaukee and Boston. Add in solid contributions from two-way players like Sidy Cissoko and Caleb Love, and the Blazers have quietly built some depth-even if that depth has been tested more than they’d like.
The Western Conference Landscape
Now for the fun part. Portland is in the thick of the Play-In race, but the standings are tight.
At 23-23, they trail the Warriors by two games, and are 4.5 back of the Timberwolves, Suns, and Lakers. Houston’s five and a half games ahead, and probably out of reach.
But the teams directly above? They’ve got some issues.
The Warriors are still getting vintage Steph Curry, but they just lost Jimmy Butler to an ACL tear. Draymond Green is doing more damage with his mouth than his play, and the Jonathan Kuminga situation is unresolved. Outside of Steph, this roster is aging and inconsistent.
The Suns? Devin Booker’s ankle injury throws a wrench into everything. Without him, their offensive firepower takes a serious hit.
The Lakers? They’re leaning heavily on a 41-year-old LeBron James and haven’t gotten what they hoped for from Deandre Ayton. Austin Reaves has been out, and the supporting cast hasn’t stepped up consistently.
Even the Clippers, just two games behind Portland, are a question mark. If Kawhi Leonard can stay healthy-and that’s always a big “if”-they’re a threat. But if he can’t, it’s hard to see them making a serious push.
The Schedule Favors Portland
Here’s where things get interesting. The Blazers have the league’s easiest remaining schedule. They’ll see a lot of the Pacers, Wizards, Nets, and Jazz-teams that aren’t exactly setting the world on fire.
Meanwhile, the Warriors, Suns, Wolves, and Lakers all face top-10 toughest schedules the rest of the way. That matters. A soft schedule won’t win you games by itself, but it gives a young, hungry team like Portland a real window to climb.
Eyes on the Deadline
General Manager Joe Cronin has some decisions to make before the February 5 trade deadline. Two-way players Sidy Cissoko and Caleb Love are nearing their 50-game limit, which means the front office will need to either convert them or make room on the roster.
Whether that means waiving a veteran, making a minor trade, or pulling off a bigger move remains to be seen. But one way or another, Cronin will have to act to keep this roster balanced and playoff-eligible.
The Outlook: Trending Up
If the Blazers can get healthy-particularly Henderson, Thybulle, Murray, and Wesley-they’ll suddenly have real depth and a chance to make some noise. The cohesion we’re seeing now is no accident. It’s the product of a group that’s grown together, learned from adversity, and leaned on each other when things got rocky.
And with Avdija playing like a star, they’ve got a legitimate centerpiece to build around.
Barring a major setback, Portland looks like a safe bet to stay in the Play-In mix. But if the injury luck finally tilts in their favor, and if the teams above them continue to stumble, a top-six seed isn’t out of the question.
It’s been a wild ride so far-but for the first time in years, the Trail Blazers are heading into the second half of the season with something real to play for.