3 reasons Portland Trail Blazers will make the 2019 NBA Playoffs

The Western Conference is tough, but the Portland Trail Blazers will still make the playoffs in 2018-19. Here are three reasons why.

“Portland” and “playoffs” isn’t just alliterative, those words have also been synonymous. The Portland Trail Blazers have successfully reached the postseason in each of the last five years.

Unfortunately, their last two trips have been met with disappointment. In 2017, the Blazers clinched the eighth seed in the West, but were quickly swept by the eventual champion Golden State Warriors. The next year, Portland won the Northwest Division and earned the third seed. However, they were once again swept, this time at the hands of the “underdog” New Orleans Pelicans.

Of course, the goal for 2018-19 is to get back to the playoffs and advance to the second round. However, that won’t be a walk in the park, since 11 of the West’s 15 teams, including Portland, could conceivably earn a spot in this year’s playoffs.

With the stiffer competition and summer transactions that lacked a “wow” factor for Rip City, people are expecting the Blazers to be sitting at home once the regular season wraps up. However, don’t be so quick to write them off. Here are three reasons why they will make their sixth consecutive trip to the postseason.