The Portland Trail Blazers are a year separated from the split with Damian Lillard. Scoot Henderson is still in a transitional phase, meaning Chauncey Billups will have a difficult time putting out a consistently competitive squad. Portland may not push for an NBA Playoffs spot this season, but they seem close to turning a corner as a franchise sooner rather than later.The Blazers can be bold with their experiments this season to define Scoot Henderson's All-Star potential. GM Joe Cronin has a few cards to play should the team get out to a better start than expected. Portland needs to keep its pick in the stacked 2025 NBA Draft, but can only do so if it falls in the lottery. That's why predictions of the team's record down the stretch should be littered with losses. The same goes for the first six weeks.
Surviving a six-week slaughterhouse
Saying the Blazers kick off their 2024-25 season with a tough schedule is a massive understatement. The only matchups against teams not in the NBA Playoffs picture last season will come against Victor Wembanyama's San Antonio Spurs, Ja Morant's Memphis Grizzlies, and the rejuvenated Houston Rockets.
Portland's fans get a three-game homestand to start the season. Steph Curry's Golden State Warriors followed by two games against Zion Williamson's New Orleans Pelicans will be no picnic, but let's give them credit. Then it's down the interstate for dates with the Sacramento Kings and the Los Angeles Clippers. November doesn’t get any easier, starting with the Oklahoma City Thunder at home and then the Phoenix Suns away.
That back-t0-back set precedes stops in New Orleans, San Antonio, and Minnesota. Given the strength of their opponents and the fact that the Blazers are still in a rebuilding phase, it’s likely they will struggle early on. They have five back-to-back sets in the first five weeks. A realistic prediction for their record by the end of November is 6-14.
Blazers have it easier during holidays
December brings a mix of winnable games and tough matchups, including the In-Season Tournament. First up is Luka Doncic's Dallas Mavericks. Then, depending on the IST draw, it's alternating home and road games through a Dec. 21 trip so see the Spurs again. The Blazers and Mavericks will play three times in December. Portland will host the Utah Jazz twice as well. The 2024 calendar flips after a visit from Joel Embiid's Philadelphia 76ers on Dec. 30.
The New Year starts with a winding five-game road trip. The Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks, Detroit Pistons, Pelicans, and Mavericks will be looking to feast on a lottery team going through the motions. Thankfully, Portland gets a manageable five-game homestand after racking up the travel miles. The Miami Heat have to make the longest flight in the NBA. Then come the Brooklyn Nets, Clippers, Rockets, and Chicago Bulls.
Unfortunately, the Blazers then trek to South Beach. They get a day off before jumping up to Orlando and then Charlotte for a back-to-back set. Then comes what might be the last homestand for Chauncey Billups. Portland has a seven-game stretch before a three-game road trip wraps up the pre-All-Star break portion of the schedule. All ten games come against squads expecting to win NBA Playoffs games.
The final five games of February are a mixed bag. A split with the Lakers and Charlotte Hornets at home would not be surprising. Seeing the Jazz, Washington Wizards, and Nets on the road will be a war to see who wants to win less. The tanking for Cooper Flagg will be in full effect as the Blazers enter the finals stretch with a record of 15-45.
Finding silver linings amid losing season
The final stretch of the season will be about building momentum for the future. March starts with four road games in six days against the Cleveland Cavaliers, 76ers, Boston Celtics, and Thunder. Good luck getting through that slate without some battle scars. The Blazers will stop in Portland to host the Pistons before bouncing down to Golden State in another back-to-back set.
Portland will again stay at home for seven straight games versus the New York Knicks, Toronto Raptors, Wizards, Grizzlies, Denver Nuggets, Celtics, and Cavaliers. Six of the next nine are on the road, starting in Sacramento and stopping in Utah. The Blazers will need their passports to get to Toronto before working through New York, Atlanta, and Chicago.
Golden State and the Lakers are the last two games, and both will be jockeying for postseason positioning. While the Blazers are unlikely to make a playoff push, they can use this time to evaluate their roster and plan for the offseason. A reasonable prediction for their record in March and April is 8-14, which would bring their final season record to 24-58.
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