5 realistic predictions for the 2022 Portland Trail Blazers

2. A play-in berth for the Blazers

This team likely isn’t going to be a top-four seed in the West, with Golden State, Phoenix, Los Angles (the Clippers that is), Minnesota, Denver and others, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be a successful season in Portland. Many people have talked about the Blazers as a team that should be going into full-on tank mode for Victor Wenbanyama in 2022, but this team is very talented, and if they can come together and build chemistry, there’s no reason why they can’t battle for a play-in spot.

Injuries happen, whether it’s to the Blazers or other teams, and that can certainly affect the way things shake out in 2022, but looking at the roster right now, this team can certainly win 42-45 games on the year, and we’ve all seen how clutch Dame can be late in games, which will certainly give Portland a solid chance to make a run. The defence has questions, but offensively, both the starting lineup and bench unit have fantastic offensive potential, and if they can meet that, the team should be expected to see the playoffs in some form.