The Portland Trail Blazers were founded as an NBA expansion team in 1970. They've had a handful of extremely successful seasons in that time, at least in the regular season. The Blazers' all-time record is 2293-2072 (a 52.5 percent win rate), but they only have one NBA championship to show for their 37 playoff appearances.
The Blazers' 1976-77 championship season began with a 7-3 record, which doesn't make the list as one of the best starts in franchise history. There were other years where it looked like they had a legitimate chance of winning it all to start the season.
Blazers' best start was in 1990-91
Record: 10-0
Key players: Clyde Drexler, Terry Porter, Kevin Duckworth
How the season went
This Blazers team had talent beyond its three All-Stars that season, including Jerome Kersey, Buck Williams, Cliff Robinson, and Danny Ainge. Portland finished with an impressive 63-19 record, the best in the NBA, even ahead of Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls. However, Portland came up short in the Western Conference Finals, losing to Magic Johnson, James Worthy, and the Los Angeles Lakers in six games.
A hot start for Portland in 1999-00
Record: 9-1
Key players: Rasheed Wallace, Scottie Pippen, Arvydas Sabonis
How the season went
This was a deep Portland roster, which contributed to a 59-23 record, second-best in the West. Their 97.5 points per game don't jump off the page, but the Blazers were efficient with their possessions, with the third-best offensive rating in the league (107.9). Due to the size of their notable players, it makes sense that they ranked 25th slowest in pace of play.
Portland ultimately lost in seven games to the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. The Lakers' legendary duo of Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal went on to win the Finals that year.
Blazers' impressive start in 1979-80
Record: 9-1
Key players: Kermit Washington, Ron Brewer, Tom Owens
How the season went
The Blazers' season ended in relative disappointment compared to their promising start. They finished with a 38-44 record, losing in the first round of the playoffs to their former Pacific Northwest rival, the Seattle Supersonics.
Bill Walton's MVP season in 1977-78
Record: 9-1
Key players: Bill Walton, Maurice Lucas, Lionel Hollins
How the season went
Portland finished with the best record in the West at 58-24. They were led by the late Bill Walton, who was the MVP that season. Walton finished with 18.9 points, 13.2 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 2.5 blocks a game. Maurice Lucas was also a huge contributor, finishing sixth in MVP voting. Portland lost in six games to the Sonics in the Semifinals.