The Portland Trail Blazers are getting ready to tip off the 2026-27 season , where they hope to make the playoffs for the second year in a row.
The Blazers finished with the No. 7 seed last season , which is around where many expect them to place this season. However, former Blazers center Robin Lopez is high on Portland, believing they will finish No. 4 in the West behind the Oklahoma City Thunder, Minnesota Timberwolves, and San Antonio Spurs.
"The West has gotten worse. LeBron James has departed. He headed east. Kawhi Leonard, headed east. The Warriors are no longer ascended. It's a youthful west, and this is a team that has Damian Lillard coming back...they picked up what seems like for a discount Ja Morant. If he's in his right mindset, he's a top 5, top 10 player in the NBA paired with Damian Lillard," Lopez said.
There is some obvious bias in this take, considering that Lopez played for the Blazers from 2013 to 2015. He is a big fan of Damian Lillard and what he can do, and he is amped about his return to the team after spending last season on the sideline nursing a torn Achilles.
If everything goes right for the Blazers, they should be able to field a winning record, but it's hard to imagine them pulling out more than 50 wins, which is likely the number that will be needed to get that No. 4 seed and homecourt advantage.
It's extremely hard for a team to take that jump from 42 wins to 50 in one season, and even though the Blazers added Ja Morant, it would be hard to get to that total even with that addition.
The Blazers are going into the season with a lot of optimism. They are looking to build off the performance they had last season, and they are confident they can make that leap.
The No. 4 seed is a hard goal to reach, but if a few of the other contenders in the West deal with injuries and Portland can remain healthy, the Blazers might be able to shock the world this season.
The Blazers will begin the regular season on Wednesday when they take on the Phoenix Suns. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. PT inside the Moda Center. Fans can watch the game on the Rip City Television Network or stream it on NBA League Pass.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nba/trailblazers/onsi as Robin Lopez Drops Hot Blazers Take - but It May Be True .
