In the first entry of this monthly mini-series, we take a look at how the Portland Trail Blazers will fare as their season kicks off in October.
The Portland Trail Blazers will open their season on a rough stretch of games away from home against some of their biggest rivals in the NBA. This will prove to be a grueling test for a team that has so many new parts to incorporate into the rotation, but is also a great opportunity to showcase the immense potential this team has when it plays to the best of its ability. Here’s what to expect from the Blazers in their early stretch of games in late October.
October 23 vs. Denver Nuggets
Don’t worry, you won’t have to wait long to see some high-octane basketball this season. Portland’s season opener could end up going down as one of the best games of the season. The Blazers will get to showcase their brand new court design in a rematch of last year’s seven-game postseason showdown. This game will also be cast by ESPN, making it Portland’s first and only nationally televised game of the month.
October 25 @ Sacramento Kings
After hopefully getting their season off to a strong start, the Blazers will head on down south to Sacramento to take on the blossoming young roster of the Kings. This is also the perfect opportunity for Damian Lillard to assert himself as the alpha male amongst an incredibly talented up-and-coming young star in De’Aaron Fox.
October 27 @ Dallas Mavericks
The Portland Trail Blazers have long had one of the top duos in the entire NBA with Lillard and CJ McCollum leading the pack. They’ll be forced to contend with the new boys on the block, in the form of the European star duo Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis. If the Blazers make the most of their talent and get this new roster looking like one cohesive machine, there’s a great chance they could rack up three wins against very good teams to kick-start their season.
October 28 @ San Antonio Spurs
This isn’t your daddy’s Spurs team anymore. After more than two long decades of success under legendary coach Greg Popovich, San Antonio is entering its’ twilight years where they may finally have to face the reality of a rebuilding process to once again form a championship contending team. That being said, the Blazers will be tested during this back-to-back away from home. Don’t be surprised to see the Spurs sneak one away as Popovich coaches his team to an upset victory against a weary Portland squad.
October 30 @ Oklahoma City Thunder
As if Dame’s legendary game-winning shot and wave goodbye weren’t enough to leave Oklahoma City in tatters, they will meet once again in the first week of regular season play. The Thunder may end up being a lot better than most people expect, as Chris Paul, Danilo Gallinari and Steven Adams actually form a pretty decent core. That won’t be enough to stop the Blazers though, who sport the superior roster and have a lot more to play for in the grand scheme of things.
Projected record in October: (4-1)