Despite their forgettable performance in the Western Conference Finals last season against the former defending champs, the Golden State Warriors, it was still a very impressive season overall for the Portland Trail Blazers. This was the first time in nearly 20 years that the Blazers had gone this far in the postseason, and it was their deepest run in the Damian Lillard era.

Unfortunately for Portland, though, their four-game sweep at the hands of the Dubs in the WCF is perhaps how their season will be most remembered. Sadly, such are the breaks of the game.

The Blazers, however, had a pretty successful offseason themselves, and while they were unable to bring in another  superstar to Portland, they were still able to cover their bases, so to speak. The team's front office has done an admirable job in preparing the team for the season ahead, and below, we have five bold predictions of how the Blazers will fare in what should be a very entertaining 2019-20 season.

Hassan's Redemption

One of Portland's biggest moves in the offseason was to bring in some reinforcement for their front court. This came in the form of former Miami Heat star Hassan Whiteside, who arrived as part of a four-team trade centered around Jimmy Butler. The Blazers did part ways with Meyers Leonard and Maurice Harkless in this same deal, and while these two role-players will be missed, Whiteside's upside is simply too good to not see this move as a win for Portland.

Given the 7-footer's colorful history, this is a high-risk, high-reward move for the Blazers, but one we believe will pay off. So long as he is able to stay healthy, we don't see why Whiteside is not going to be able to re-establish himself as a top-tier big man in the league. The change of scenery should do wonders for the 30-year-old.

CJ Snubbed Yet Again

CJ McCollum is set to have another outstanding campaign in 2019-20. As a matter of fact, he might even improve on his numbers from last season (21.0 points on 45.9 percent shooting, 4.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 0.8 steals while also connecting on 2.4 three-pointers per contest on a 37.5 percent clip). The 2015-16 Most Improved Player winner actually saw a dip in his production and efficiency over the past couple of years, but he should be able to bounce back this coming season.

Nevertheless, with so much talent in the West, it's going to be a long shot for CJ to get his first ever All-Star nod this year. He might have a better chance if he were playing in the East, but in a ruthless Western Conference, we just don't see this happening.

Nurk Bounces Back

Losing Jusuf Nurkic to a season-ending leg injury late last season was a huge blow for the Blazers. Nevertheless, it looks like the 25-year-old 7-footer will be making a full recovery, and is set to make his return to the court by the middle of the new season.

Last season, Nurkic was averaging 15.6 points (on 50.8 percent shooting), 10.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.0 steals, and 1.4 blocks before going down to injury. Once he's ready to return, the Blazers will definitely bring him on slowly, but we don't see why he will not be able to match his production from the previous year. Nurkic suffered a leg fracture, and in most cases, the recovery rate from the same is quite high. Nurkic should be able to provide a late-season boost for Portland.

Dame Time

The most important thing the Blazers front office did this summer was to sign Lillard to another extension. This came to the tune of a jaw-dropping four-year, $191 million supermax deal which pretty much means that he will be a Blazer for life.

Lillard had another outstanding campaign in 2018-19 (25.8 points on 44.4 percent shooting, 3.0 three-pointers, 4.6 rebounds, 6.9 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.4 blocks) earning him his second consecutive All-Star nod. We expect more of the same from Dame, who will be out to prove to the rest of the world that he definitely deserves all that money.

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Last season, Lillard finished fifth in the final voting for the year's MVP, and perhaps this time around, he might be able to climb one or two steps up the MVP ladder. He will definitely be in the conversation, but will likely finish outside the top 3 once it's all said and done.

Playoffs-Bound

After a crazy offseason, the West only got more ruthless. This is not exactly an ideal scenario for a team like the Blazers, and given all the talent in the conference, we expect that the Blazers will struggle to secure a playoff spot this year. Odds are they will make the cut, but a sixth or seventh seed might be a best-case scenario for Portland.

They will be facing off against a powerhouse team like the Los Angeles Clippers or the Houston Rockets in the first round, and while they will have a fighting chance to score an upset, it's likely going to be a brief postseason run for the Blazers this time around.

All in all, this coming season is actually going to be a very important year for Portland. They have stuck with the same core for some time now, and if no significant progress is shown this year, then the pressure will continue to mount for the Blazers front office, thereby forcing their hand to seriously reconsider their long-term plans moving forward.