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Are the Trail Blazers Being Overlooked?

By Steven Dewald

May 7, 2016; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts makes his case to referee Bill Kennedy (55) in game three of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports
May 7, 2016; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts makes his case to referee Bill Kennedy (55) in game three of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports /
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Are the Trail Blazers getting enough love in the offseason power rankings?

It is far too early to look at regular season projections, but it is already becoming painfully obvious that the Trail Blazers are being overlooked once again. Last summer’s low ranking was fairly understandable when you consider the massive roster turnover that took place. Even after a surprising playoff run and a relatively successful free agent period this year, Portland’s placement in Bleacher Report’s Offseason Power Rankings raises a few questions.

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The Trail Blazers come in at #12 on the list; which is behind the Rockets (#10), Grizzlies (#9), and Jazz (#4). Portland advanced farther in the postseason than each one of these teams (Utah didn’t even qualify for the playoffs). Neil Olshey (Trail Blazers GM) has brought back the majority of the pieces from that run and he has added talent to key positions in the process (Festus Ezeli, Evan Turner). How in the world could the Trail Blazers fall behind the three teams mentioned above?

The Rockets probably get the nod for their addition of offensive coaching guru Mike D’Antoni. There is no questioning that Houston’s point totals will be impressive, but does James Harden really need any more encouragement to not play defense (or take even more shots per game)? Their big offseason addition was the sweet shooting Ryan Anderson (formerly of the Pelicans). Anderson’s ability to stretch the floor should be a solid fit, but his durability is a huge question mark. The former Cal forward has only played more than 70 games in a season once (2012-13) and he has only started 12 games in the past two seasons combined.

Addition by subtraction might also be the idea behind Houston’s rise, as Dwight Howard moved to the Eastern Conference over the summer. Say what you want about Howard, but replacing his interior defense with Anderson and Clint Capela doesn’t sound like a pairing that should rank above the Trail Blazers.

Feb 10, 2016; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) drives past Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) during the fourth quarter at the Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 10, 2016; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) drives past Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) during the fourth quarter at the Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports /

The Grizzlies look impressive on paper, but age and injuries exist off of the page. Chandler Parsons is set to be the youngest player in Memphis’ starting five at the ripe age of 27, which is still considerably younger than Zach Randolph (35) and Tony Allen (34). Throw Marc Gasol and Mike Conley into the discussion and you now have a starting unit that missed a combined 109 games during the 2015-16 regular season. Do you really think a team with that many concerns should be ahead of a much younger and relatively healthy – knock on wood – Portland squad?

The Jazz have emerged as everyone’s not-so-secret sleeper going into the 2016-17 season, but are they really worthy of being eight spots ahead of the Trail Blazers? They are loaded with young talent and have made some solid veteran additions this summer, so they should be able to qualify for the playoffs this coming season.

Utah’s talented trio of Gordon Hayward, Derrick Favors, and Rudy Gobert have a total of eight playoff games between them (5 starts). Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum have more playoff experience on their own than those three combined. George Hill is a fine addition, but unless he gets moved for Kawhi Leonard again they will struggle to top Portland in the standings.

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Being underrated has proven to be a positive thing for the Trail Blazers recently. Perhaps being overlooked isn’t exactly the worst thing for a young team with playoff experience.