9. Portland Trail Blazers (33-23)
The Portland Trail Blazers didn’t do much at the NBA Trade Deadline, mostly because they don’t have many assets at their disposal. They did make a Caleb Swanigan for Skal Labissiere swap with the Kings that could be beneficial for both sides in the future. They also added Rodney Hood, who should be able to help this season.
But there was really no reason to blow up what has been working for the Blazers this season, and that has been the dynamic duo of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum. The Blazers will likely finish as one of the top 5 seeds in the West.
The big question with this team, however, as is always the case recently, is whether or not this team will be able to translate their regular season success to the playoffs. This team has struggled with that as of late.