The Portland Trail Blazers are ninth in the Western Conference with a 6-9 record. They're on pace for 33 wins, which aligns with what their projected win total was set at heading into the season. So if these were the expectations all along, why does their start feel so disappointing?
Losing because of two buzzer-beater threes within the first 15 games of the season certainly doesn't help boost morale. Portland desperately could've used that home win over the Chicago Bulls, but Nikola Vucevic, who Toumani Camara inexplicably left wide open to win the game, had other plans.
Why the Blazers' start feels worse than it should
Portland has now lost six of its last seven games. Their brutal schedule to start the season somehow only gets harder with upcoming games against teams like the Golden State Warriors, Oklahoma City Thunder (twice), Milwaukee Bucks, and San Antonio Spurs.
Depth was perceived as a roster strength, but that's completely gone out the window as injuries have absolutely decimated the Blazers. They've essentially been playing G League-level talent in key rotational roles. In some ways, it's impressive that they are even in these games.
In part because of these injuries, the Blazers are far from the elite defensive team they expected to be, ranking just 22nd in defensive rating (116.6). Offensively, they remain a bottom-of-the-barrel three-point shooting team, on track to finish their third consecutive season ranked in the bottom five in efficiency. To make matters worse, Scoot Henderson's return from a hamstring tear is taking longer than anticipated.
The good news? These are all short-term problems in the scheme of things.
Blazers' long-term outlook remains promising
Portland still has a promising future outlook. Besides, that has always been the priority entering this season, which was very much a transitional one. These injuries are understandably disappointing for players and fans alike, as everyone is eager to end a four-year playoff drought. But the emphasis this season has always been on developing their young core, which is why they traded away Anfernee Simons and Deandre Ayton this summer.
From that standpoint, this season already feels like a success. Deni Avdija is making a strong All-Star case, Shaedon Sharpe is becoming that downhill scoring threat we always envisioned, and Donovan Clingan is showcasing his two-way impact in an increased role. Yang Hansen is even flashing some of the star potential that Portland saw in him as a prospect.
And is it really the worst thing if they don't surrender their lottery-protected first-round pick to the Chicago Bulls this summer? This is projected to be a strong draft class with multiple headliners in the No. 1 overall pick conversation early on.
The Blazers are in the midst of an ugly stretch, but they can't lose sight of the big picture. We already saw a glimpse of the vision for this roster at the start of the season, with wins over the Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets, arguably the two best teams in the league. It's only a matter of time before they get healthier and closer to that version we saw early on. Once they get healthier and add more shooting, both externally and with Damian Lillard's anticipated return, the Blazers are set to be a legitimate playoff team.
There have been growing pains, but Portland is still trending in the right direction overall. This recent stretch is just a minor setback on their non-linear path back to playoff relevancy.