NBA: 5 most surprising teams 15 games into the 2022-23 season

2. Portland Trail Blazers (10-6)

Ah, perhaps Vegas was correct? At the start of the season, Portland had arguably the most controversial O/U win total set at 40.5. After coming off a season winning just 27 games, all Portland added to their team was Pistons forward Jerami Grant, rookie Shaedon Sharpe, and Gary Payton II.

This left many questioning why Vegas was so high on Portland. Our questions have been answered, with Portland finding an incredible scoring duo between guards Damian Lillard and Anfernee Simons. The two are averaging a combined 50 plus points per game, and are a big part of why Portland is ranked third in three-point percentage. But questions continue to arise on how this team can defend down the stretch, and if Lillard can still play a full 82-game season and then playoffs.

Why it will continue: Portland is trying to win now, especially after trading for Jerami Grant and signing Damien Lillard to a massive extension. The acquisition of Jerami Grant has been terrific. He’s averaging 20 points per game, playing solid defense, and helping the backcourt with just under five boards per game. Portland is currently at the top of the West…if this success continues I would expect Portland to grab some depth at the trade deadline for legit contending. Let’s remember, they do have 2022 top 10 pick Shaedon Sharpe on their roster, which is a great young asset Portland could use to acquire some elite talent.

Why it won’t last: Simons, Lilliard, and Grant must stay healthy and continue to dominate every night. If one of them goes down for an extended period of time, this team is in deep trouble. Portland has a huge depth problem. We’ve already seen Lillard and center Jusuf Nurkic miss games due to injury…soon enough this team must realize they are short-handed and injury-prone.

Without a trade, Portland doesn’t have much depth to replace any of their valuable starters. However, they can solve that problem with a Shaedon Sharpe trade.