4. Portland Trail Blazers – 40.5 wins: OVER
Another team in the West that’s not getting enough respect for their name. The Blazers limped into the playoffs last year, having gotten almost the entire season without key starter Jusuf Nurkic and with other key frontcourt players missing time.
I’m a big believer in what Portland did this offseason, bringing in Robert Covington, Derrick Jones, and Harry Giles III, while also re-signing Rodney Hood. Those four players, along with Carmelo Anthony and a finally-healthy Jusef Nurkic, give Terry Stotts a plethora of lineup options to match with Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. Portland easily is a top-tier offensive team when healthy, and they likely won’t be as injured as they were last year.
Portland will have a softer schedule compared to most to start the NBA season, which should give Stotts time to tinker with those lineups. With all the noise coming from those California NBA teams, the team just the north should have something to prove this season and contend for a top-four seed.