Last season, the Portland Trail Blazers started the season 3-11, setting the tone for a long season in which they finished at the bottom of the Western Conference with a 21-61 record. Signs already pointed to more of the same in terms of a slow start to the 2024-25 season for them, primarily due to the extremely tough start to their schedule. They are slated to play 27 of their first 29 games against teams in the deeply competitive Western Conference.
The Blazers are entering this season with realistic expectations. They already know this is a lost season regarding their playoff hopes. But what fans and the front office alike were excited about was seeing the development of their young core and how their healthy roster meshes together.
Injury bug strikes Blazers again
Unfortunately, that won't be the case again heading into the season. Matisse Thybulle is undergoing further evaluation for right knee soreness. Two key players who were injured last season, Robert Williams III and Shaedon Sharpe, are already injured before the Blazers even begin preseason play.
Williams III was only able to play six games last season before suffering a torn right knee ligament. Many, including himself, were excited about his return this season, but he suffered a relatively minor setback after a grade 1 left hamstring sprain.
RW3 has been ruled out for two weeks, but Portland hasn't ruled him out yet for opening night, which is Wednesday, October 23, against the Golden State Warriors. The concern surrounding Williams isn't that this is a major injury; it's that this could be a reoccurring thing that he and the Blazers will have to endure throughout the season.
Sharpe expected to miss at least 7 games
The more significant injury in terms of extent and the impact it will have on the Blazers' start to the season is Sharpe, who suffered the same shoulder injury he had in the 2022 Summer League. Sharpe's expected recovery timeline is 4-6 weeks. If it's only four weeks, he would still miss the Blazers' first seven games to start the season, at least.
Signs pointed to a significant third-year breakout for Sharpe. He had an extremely promising end to his rookie season in 2022-23, and many expected that to carry over to his second season. But Sharpe only played 32 games last year after surgery for a core muscle injury. He certainly could still have that breakout season, but the anticipation will be building as he appears to be out for at least the Blazers' first seven games.