A very real possibility for the Portland Trail Blazers is that the team plays hard, competitive basketball night-in and night-out, improves modestly, yet still fall short of even the NBA play-in. That is where ESPN comes down when [evaluating the Western Conference](https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/46082108/nba-predictions-2025-26-expert-picks-east-west-conference-standings), pegging the Blazers one position short of the play-in at spot 11 in the West.
In his write-up of the play-in teams in the West, Ohm Youngmisuk has some reasonably good things about Portland:
> The Blazers have a new owner on the way, Damian Lillard is back and Yang Hansen is an intriguing rookie for a team working toward contender status. Although head coach Chauncey Billups will have his team competing with new addition Jrue Holiday, the Blazers’ prospects seem brighter when looking beyond this season. The West has only gotten better, and Lillard is out for the season. Portland has young talent in Deni Avdija and Shaedon Sharpe and prospects to develop such as Donovan Clingan. But if the Blazers are to compete for a play-in or playoff spot, they will need Scoot Henderson to realize the potential that made him the third pick in 2023.
Not too much to quibble with there. Dame is a feel-good story, not a play-good story, at least for next season. The Blazers’ young talent and prospects are undeniable, and Jrue Holiday is on paper a very helpful player to have if he’s healthy and bounces back some from last season. Of course, a breakout season from Henderson could improve the Blazers’ potential for this season. With all of that said, not everything is completely in the Blazers’ hands. The West appears to be absolutely stacked. It’s not hard to imagine a scenario where all but a handful of teams in the West beat up on the East at nearly every opportunity, while also handing out Ls like candy to the bottom teams in the West. Modest improvement from the Blazers might not be enough to get out of that bottom tier, especially with so many other teams with more star power and experience.
Still, nearly every season teams expected to be in the top half of the conference fail to be in those spots when the season ends. Injuries, underachievement, old age, or internal turmoil can take out a team that most assume are a guaranteed playoff team. The odds are high that there is an opportunity for a team in ESPN’s bottom tier of teams to find themselves in post-season play. If the Blazers can improve this season, perhaps that opportunity can be something they take advantage of.
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