The Portland Trail Blazers face long odds to advance during the restart in Orlando. Here are three X-factors that can lead them to the playoffs.
Expectations are not particularly high for the Portland Trail Blazers two weeks ahead of the NBA’s Orlando restart. Counting out Damian Lillard and company is a risk one should make at their own peril, though.
The Trail Blazers were not having a particularly good season when it came to a stop in March. A year after making the Western Conference Finals, Portland appeared poised to miss the postseason altogether in 2019-20, sporting a 29-37 record with just 16 games to go.
The structure of the NBA’s restart has given Portland new life. They’ll have eight games to reach striking distance of eighth place in the Western Conference, which would force a play-in tournament for a postseason berth. In order to reach that stage, Portland will likely have to win at least five or six of their eight games starting July 31 against the Memphis Grizzlies.
They will have to do so without Trevor Ariza. The forward chose to opt out of the NBA’s restart so that he can visit his son; the Trail Blazers replaced him with Jaylen Adams.
Despite losing a key player from the roster, the Trail Blazers have a real chance to make some noise this summer, thanks to their new addition, a young guard ready to step up at the right time, and the newfound health of their frontcourt. Here are three X-factors for Portland entering the NBA bubble.