NBA: Re-seeding the Western Conference heading into 2019-20

Tier 2: The playoff locks

7. Portland Trail Blazers

Last season: 53-29, 3rd in Western Conference

Notable additions: Hassan Whiteside, Kent Bazemore, Mario Hezonja, Anthony Tolliver, Nassir Little

Notable subtractions: Enes Kanter, Seth Curry, Evan Turner, Al-Farouq Aminu, Maurice Harkless, Jake Layman, Meyers Leonard

It feels wrong to have a team that just won more than 50 games and made the conference finals ranked barely inside the playoffs. The gap between the Blazers and the lottery is bigger than it might seem, though, as they and the next few teams will be a long way ahead of the Spurs below them. Portland is the first of the playoff locks, and it’s so tight between these teams that it wouldn’t be surprising if they finished much higher.

It’s the air of uncertainty that has them landing this low, as they have kept their superstar backcourt of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum but overhauled much of the remaining roster. With three of the starters from last year’s playoff run now gone, as well as most of their bench rotation, a number of new and existing Blazers will need to step up and fill the void.

Hassan Whiteside was the most notable addition this offseason, and he will start at center for as long as Jusuf Nurkic is out injured. That will reportedly be the first 4-5 months of the season, leaving Whiteside 40-plus games with 39-year-old Pau Gasol as his backup. In a year where he was dropped from Miami’s starting lineup and was occasionally held out of games, Whiteside still averaged a double-double and almost two blocks per game last season. Can he translate those raw numbers into the winning basketball Portland will want to play?

Alongside him in the frountcourt will be Zach Collins, who continues to show glimpses of his raw talent but still played just 17.6 minutes per game last season. Anfernee Simons is a similarly untested player, and he will likely be the first or second guard off the bench a year after playing just 20 games. There’s no doubt that both youngsters are talented, but they will need to grow up quickly if the Blazers are to remain in contention.

This team still lives and dies will Lillard and McCollum, and they show no signs of slowing down after combining for 46.8 points per game last season. Lillard was particularly impressive, named to the All-NBA second team and adding to his collection of monumental shots with a series-winner against the Thunder in the first round of the playoffs. As long as he is playing at that level, Portland will be a formidable opponent for any team.

Maybe things will look a little steadier by the time Nurkic returns to the lineup, but as of right now it’s hard to see the Blazers repeating last year’s third-place finish in the conference. They’re certainly in the mix with the next few teams, though, and with Lillard, at the helm, their upside is still immense.