The Portland Trail Blazers had a quick playoff exit, falling 4-1 in the first round at the hands of Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs. The short series raised questions regarding how far this young core still has to go. However, after seeing the Spurs make their way to the NBA Finals after a Game 7 win over the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder, maybe Portland's future isn't so grim after all.
You can make a case that this team gave San Antonio more of a challenge than the Minnesota Timberwolves, who fell 4-2 in the Western Conference Semifinals. Portland legitimately could've extended the series to six or even seven games had they not blown two second-half leads.
With their length, athleticism, and defensive identity, this Blazers team is built for postseason basketball. It makes you wonder how they would've fared had this team not been matched up against the Spurs, who suddenly find themselves favored to take home the sixth Larry O'Brien Trophy in franchise history.
Blazers are quietly climbing their way up the West
After securing the seventh seed and surviving the Play-In gauntlet, Portland had all the momentum as a team that was finally getting healthy at the right time. Outside of San Antonio and Oklahoma City, you could at least make a case for them to have a strong series against any other team out West.
With the return of Damian Lillard, a healthier roster, another year of internal development, and any external offseason additions, the Blazers should be considered in the same secondary tier of Western Conference teams like the Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets, and Minnesota Timberwolves.
Of course, the challenge lies in elevating their ceiling to eventually join the Spurs and Thunder, who appear to be on a collision course for the next decade and, unfortunately, are on the same timeline as Portland.
Still, this postseason development shows that the gap between the Blazers and contention isn't as wide as one might think. The fact that they finished with 42 wins, ranked near the bottom in turnovers and three-point efficiency, and lost their head coach one game into the season shows this team is capable of giving the Spurs legitimate trouble if they can clean up their offense.
This Blazers season was a relative success. Their roster can compete with the league's elite teams, highlighted by several high-quality wins. It should make fans and their front office feel more optimistic about their standing in the league and the state of their young core, potentially even giving them more incentive to make a blockbuster trade this summer.
Portland had shocking wins this season, but sooner rather than later, those won't be considered upsets and will be the new norm. The competitive series they gave San Antonio and the Spurs' subsequent Finals run is just further confirmation that this team is closer to making a deep playoff run than the first-round exit suggests.
Add us as a preferred source on Google