Few teams have gotten out to a better start to open the 2026-27 NBA campaign than the Portland Trail Blazers. Portland has secured wins in five of their first six games to start the year, and were one of the final teams left undefeated prior to a loss against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Despite the lone loss, the Blazers are riding high coming off a compelling win over the Denver Nuggets on Monday night. The win taught us a lot, along with Portland's other five games this season. Here are six things we've learned about this Blazers squad through six games.
Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija gestures as he dribbles the ball up court in the third quarter | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
After years of gradual progression, former No. 9 overall pick Deni Avdija reached his All-Star ceiling with a breakout campaign in 2025-26. He tallied career-high marks in points, assists and offensive usage, and has carried that momentum into the new season for Portland.
Through the team's 5-1 start, he's averaging 23.8 points, 6.2 rebounds and 5.5 assists, shooting 48.5 percent from the field. Avdija is leading the team in scoring (ranked 13th in the NBA) and assists, and is likely headed back to the All-Star game as Portland's No. 1 option offensively.
18th-year veteran point guard Jrue Holiday is still finding ways to make an impact, filling a valuable role off Portland's bench . During the win over Denver, Holiday notched 17 points, eight rebounds and a team-high 10 assists, connecting on three of his four attempts from 3-point range.
The Blazers are leaning on Holiday for greater production following an injury to Ja Morant , and the two-time champion is providing immensely valuable veteran leadership for a young team looking to take another step toward title contention.
Portland Trail Blazers center Donovan Clingan blocks the shot of Denver Nuggets forward Marvin Bagley III | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
I'll admit I was skeptical - albeit excited - to see how Portland's frontcourt would fare in its first significant test of the season against one of the Western Conference's proven contenders. The West is made up of elite frontcourts (Denver, San Antonio, Oklahoma City) and I felt the Nuggets matchup would be a tremendous test for the Blazers' young core down low.
Donovan Clingan answered the call with his best performance of the season, tallying 17 points, 18 rebounds and four blocks. Nikola Jokic was limited to 26 points over 22 attempts, and the Nuggets were dominated in rebounds. Clingan will be called on to match up against Victor Wembanyama for the first time this season on Saturday, another quality test for Portland's frontcourt.
Though Avdija is the clear No. 1 option for the Blazers' offense, Portland's rotation has seen a number of valuable contributions with six players averaging double-digit scoring margins. The lineups guard depth is shouldering plenty of scoring responsibility alongside Avdija, building a winning formula offensively during the early stages of the season.
Teams will have difficulty limiting the likes of Damian Lillard, Morant and Holiday, a lineup that features no shortage of scoring threats alongside its All-Star wing.
I've been quite surprise with Portland's success on the defensive end of the floor through its six-game start to open the year. The Blazers have allowed just 109.3 points per contest, a mark that ranks 11th in the NBA.
They also rank ninth in defensive rating (108.8), and have managed crucial stops late in games to secure victorites. This trend will help the team contend against some of the league's best clubs, with guys like Clingan and Toumani Camara leading the way defensively.
Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard high fives teammates during introductions before a game | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Blazers fans eagerly anticipated Lillard's return to action after missing the entire 2025-26 campaign after tearing his achilles during his second and final season with the Milwaukee Bucks. The nine-time All-Star has tallied 19.3 PPG, eclipsing the 20-point mark in four of the team's first six games.
He notched a season-high six 3-pointers in Portland's season opener, and gave fans his first signature 'Dame Time' celebration of the season during the win over the Phoenix Suns.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nba/trailblazers/onsi as 6 Facts We've Learned About The Blazers After 6 Games .
