The Portland Trail Blazers are coming off a nail-biting loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, falling 133-129 in OT. This was a moral victory for the young Blazers team to go on the road and have plenty of opportunities to beat the best team in the league record-wise.
If this game were played a month ago, it's an ideal outcome for their long-term outlook, with Portland worsening their record while also playing great basketball that they can build off of. However, this late in the season, the 27-34 Blazers are too high up in the standings to improve their draft odds significantly. At this point, they might as well go for the play-in, emphasize player development, and let the lottery balls fall where they may.
Even if they shut down their veterans as they have in past seasons, Portland's young core has gotten too good to be a bottom-five team in the league. That's a double-edged sword, as it's great that they are taking that next step, but it also means this could be their core going forward without any franchise-altering prospects to bring into the equation.
Blazers analytics insider Tom Haberstroh pointed out that Portland was the first team to surpass their projected win total this season.
stat I just dropped on the @trailblazers broadcast:
— Mr. Statistician Face Man (@tomhaberstroh) March 1, 2025
the blazers are the nba's first team to beat their preseason over/under this season 🤯 pic.twitter.com/mQsz2duZHg
So what's changed from last season's 21-win team? There are a few reasons for their improved play, but the one that stands out the most is the addition of arguably their best player this season, Deni Avdija.
Deni Avdija keeps proving Blazers’ offseason trade was a steal
Avdija was a key reason the Blazers had a legitimate shot at defeating Cleveland, recording a 30-point triple-double. He was one of four Trail Blazers in history to record a 30-point triple-double, joining Sidney Wicks, Clyde Drexler, and Damian Lillard.
The 6-foot-9 wing was playing like a LeBron James-lite in terms of his ability to be a point forward and initiate the offense. Avdija had a few questionable decisions toward the end of the game, but overall, his playmaking was tremendous. He was also one of the few Blazers that was consistently able to get in the paint against a talented Cavs frontcourt and Defensive Player of the Year candidate Evan Mobley.
It's unusual for a rebuilding team to prioritize players over draft capital. But credit Joe Cronin and Mike Schmitz for their ability to evaluate talent around the league and go out and get their guys who fit Portland's timeline and roster needs. Adding Avdija into the mix may have been the trade that pushed the Blazers over the top in terms of being too good to bottom out, but it's been undoubtedly worth it.
Avdija fills several weaknesses for a Blazers team that was previously too stagnant and lacked physicality as well as versatility. Portland needed this exact type of well-rounded player on the wing. His recent triple-double is just the latest example of how he impacts winning in multiple aspects and why he's one of the most underrated players in the league.