2025 - 2026 Blazers prediction thread

[DusterBuster]

Just looked at the Group play lined up for Portland and thinking twice...

Nuggets, Rockets, Warriors, Spurs as the matchups ... woof. Maybe that line was based off who they play and less their overall talent, cause that might be the hardest four of all the teams.

[dckingsfan]

Wins
42 - PDXKnight
41 - Blazinaway
40 - Village Idiot; Wizenheimer
39- aussieblazer; dckingsfan; tester551
38 - Norm2953; DusterBuster
37 - oldfishermen; zzaj
36 - JRoy
35.5 - Las Vegas
34 - DaVoiceMaster

WC
9th - PDXKnight; Village Idiot
10th - oldfishermen; aussieblazer; Blazinaway; Wizenheimer; dckingsfan; tester551
11th - Las Vegas; DusterBuster
12th - DaVoiceMaster

League
16th - PDXKnight; Blazinaway
17th - Village Idiot
18th - DaVoiceMaster; tester551
19th - aussieblazer; dckingsfan
21 - oldfishermen; DusterBuster
22nd - Las Vegas

Pick
3rd - dckingsfan; tester551
9th - oldfishermen
11 - DusterBuster
12th - aussieblazer; DaVoiceMaster
13th - Village Idiot
14th - Wizenheimer
15th - Blazinaway

[DaVoiceMaster]

I'm starting to wonder if I aimed too high. I'm starting to think 31 wins, 13th in the Conference, 22nd overall, and 8th pick.

[DusterBuster]

I'm starting to wonder if I aimed too high. I'm starting to think 31 wins, 13th in the Conference, 22nd overall, and 8th pick.

Yeah, my confidence in the team is starting to wane too as the season is coming to open. The depth is pretty bad and even with Shae looking better to start the year, he's continued to be a bit inconsistent night to night. As good as the team looks on paper, the few injuries they already have on the books in Scoot, Thybulle (again... out of seemingly nowhere) and Rob (which was pretty much a foregone conclusion) make the team pretty thin.

It's hard to take much out of preseason, so trying to not overcorrect, but yeah, one more injury and things can go sideways in a hurry. If Jrue goes down, the starting PG is Wesley. Talented but completely unproven, basically like handing the starting PG to a g-league call-up.

[Norm2953]

26 wins might be a smart bet if Scoot's rehab leads to a January return and Jrue goes down.

[DusterBuster]

I'm OK with one more garbage season if it lands the Blazers a high pick in this next draft. Dundon will have a good collection of assets to work with and decisions to make. If it's another sub-30 season and high lotto pick, I could see him having a quick rip-the-bandaid off summer. Maybe letting Cronin and Co go by April if its clear the team is tanking and going nowhere again. I think Billups would be kept for the rest of the season, but likely let go by the new GM Dundon picks so the new GM can pick his own coach.

[Case2012]

32 wins and the 11 seed.

[DaVoiceMaster]

Yeah, I actually wouldn't mind one more lotto season to grab a decent PF next summer.

[DusterBuster]

Yeah, I actually wouldn't mind one more lotto season to grab a decent PF next summer.

Getting a Top 5 pick in next summers draft would do a lot to soothe having to watch one more rough season.

[dckingsfan]

Yeah, I actually wouldn't mind one more lotto season to grab a decent PF next summer.

Getting a Top five four pick in next summers draft would do a lot to soothe having to watch one more rough season.

FTFY

[dckingsfan]

Wins
42 - PDXKnight
41 - Blazinaway
40 - Village Idiot; Wizenheimer
39- aussieblazer; dckingsfan; tester551
38 - Norm2953; DusterBuster
37 - oldfishermen; zzaj
36 - JRoy
35.5 - Las Vegas
32 - Case2012
31 - DaVoiceMaster

WC
9th - PDXKnight; Village Idiot
10th - oldfishermen; aussieblazer; Blazinaway; Wizenheimer; dckingsfan; tester551
11th - Las Vegas; DusterBuster; Case2012
13th - DaVoiceMaster

League
16th - PDXKnight; Blazinaway
17th - Village Idiot
18th - tester551
19th - aussieblazer; dckingsfan
21 - oldfishermen; DusterBuster
22nd - Las Vegas; DaVoiceMaster

Pick
3rd - dckingsfan; tester551
8th - DaVoiceMaster
9th - oldfishermen
11 - DusterBuster
12th - aussieblazer
13th - Village Idiot
14th - Wizenheimer
15th - Blazinaway

[Walton1one]

So, they were 36-46 LY, picking up a lot of late season wins off of teams resting players\full on tanking....

Are they good defensively? They should be, though transistion defense has look awful to start the year....

The issue for me is, where is the offense going to come from? Especially from the bench...

I am going to guess 39-43, and this based on them staying healthy (particularly Avdija\Sharpe) & scoot coming back in form and showing progress. Anywhere in the 11th to 14th in WC, in a group with SAC, NO, PHX, MEM

Starting 5 is solid enough, but leans heavily on Avdija\Sharpe scoring a lot and then hoping a rotating group of Holiday\Camara\Grant can score enough to keep them in the games, that is a fairly big ask IMO

Thybulle helps defensively off the bench but historically has provided litttle offensively of note, and after that? The depth falls off a cliff. I think Yang will struggle mightily, both defensively & staying on the floor (fouls) and he is your 8th man right now? Yikes....

Losing Scoot for a significant part of the season hurts and POR has been lucky to be relatively injury free, so I expect the injury bug to hit POR a fair bit this year (even more than Scoot).

Jrue has averaged 64 games over the last 7 years. but is 36, and is likely going to be leaned on heavily by Billups to start the season (they have to, otherwise....Wesley). I expect him to miss some games here and there (minor injuries\rest) but if Billups is hell bent playing him heavy minutes I would not at all be surprised if he breaaks down and after him there is nothing there....

Williams is what he is, always hurt,, don't expect much from him and while a major upgrade from Yang, doesn't help much offensively either, seems to be the theme of this team.

Murray\Wesley\Rupert\Reath....oof, nothing there to help much at all

[JasonStern]

No money on the line, so 82-0. Go big or go home.

[dckingsfan]

You still have until the start of the second game to add predictions or change your prediction...

[zzaj]

No money on the line, so 82-0. Go big or go home.

Let me guess...Billups convinced you to make this bet?

Too soon?

[Wizenheimer]

You still have until the start of the second game to add predictions or change your prediction...

I'm going to stay with my 40 wins prediction even though I knew it was likely high. I want to root for wins instead of a tank, even though the roster construction is kind of wacky

but if they lose tonight, it could be a bad beginning to the season looking at the schedule:

Golden State Warriors
@ Los Angeles Clippers
@ Los Angeles Lakers
@ Utah Jazz
Denver Nuggets
Los Angeles Lakers
Oklahoma City Thunder
@ Miami Heat
@ Orlando Magic
@ New Orleans Pelicans
@ Houston Rockets
@ Dallas Mavericks

Blazers do not want to dig a 3-10 hole to start the season

or, look at the 11 games after the first 13:

Phoenix Suns
Chicago Bulls
@ Golden State Warriors
@ Oklahoma City Thunder
@ Milwaukee Bucks
San Antonio Spurs
Oklahoma City Thunder
@ Toronto Raptors
@ Cleveland Cavaliers
@ Detroit Pistons
@ Memphis Grizzlies

that's the first 24 games of the season

I can easily see a 7-17 record. I think it will be better, especially if Splitter is legit. But that's a tough schedule

good news is it starts tonight against the Warriors. And the Warriors are an old team that will be playing the 2nd game of a B2B after going into OT last night

[zzaj]

You still have until the start of the second game to add predictions or change your prediction...

I'm going to stay with my 40 wins prediction even though I knew it was likely high. I want to root for wins instead of a tank, even though the roster construction is kind of wacky

but if they lose tonight, it could be a bad beginning to the season looking at the schedule:

Golden State Warriors
@ Los Angeles Clippers
@ Los Angeles Lakers
@ Utah Jazz
Denver Nuggets
Los Angeles Lakers
Oklahoma City Thunder
@ Miami Heat
@ Orlando Magic
@ New Orleans Pelicans
@ Houston Rockets
@ Dallas Mavericks

Blazers do not want to dig a 3-10 hole to start the season

or, look at the 11 games after the first 13:

Phoenix Suns
Chicago Bulls
@ Golden State Warriors
@ Oklahoma City Thunder
@ Milwaukee Bucks
San Antonio Spurs
Oklahoma City Thunder
@ Toronto Raptors
@ Cleveland Cavaliers
@ Detroit Pistons
@ Memphis Grizzlies

that's the first 24 games of the season

I can easily see a 7-17 record. I think it will be better, especially if Splitter is legit. But that's a tough schedule

good news is it starts tonight against the Warriors. And the Warriors are an old team that will be playing the 2nd game of a B2B after going into OT last night

Wow, I hadn't really looked at the schedule that closely. Could very easily see the Blazers winning only 7 games out of all of those...Blazers also have an added distraction of ceremoniously losing a head coach--although I think I remember reading that historically teams tend to play better in those situations for a few games. So, who knows...

One of the marks of the team's run at the end of last year was that they beat teams they were "supposed" to beat on paper, and lost to teams that were better than them on paper...it'll be interesting to see if any of that carries over. I'd say in the first game the defense looked pretty good except for in transition...if the Blazers get a league average shooting night they'll likely be pretty competitive in games.

[PDXKnight]

Since I said 16th in the league id like to say 12 pick btw

[dckingsfan]

Final

Wins
82 - JasonStern
42 - PDXKnight
41 - Blazinaway
40 - Village Idiot; Wizenheimer
39- aussieblazer; dckingsfan; tester551; Walton1one
38 - Norm2953; DusterBuster
37 - oldfishermen; zzaj
36 - JRoy
35.5 - Las Vegas
32 - Case2012
31 - DaVoiceMaster

WC
9th - PDXKnight; Village Idiot
10th - oldfishermen; aussieblazer; Blazinaway; Wizenheimer; dckingsfan; tester551
11th - Las Vegas; DusterBuster; Case2012
13th - DaVoiceMaster

League
16th - PDXKnight; Blazinaway
17th - Village Idiot
18th - tester551
19th - aussieblazer; dckingsfan
21 - oldfishermen; DusterBuster
22nd - Las Vegas; DaVoiceMaster

Pick
3rd - dckingsfan; tester551
8th - DaVoiceMaster
9th - oldfishermen
11 - DusterBuster
12th - aussieblazer; PDXKnight
13th - Village Idiot
14th - Wizenheimer
15th - Blazinaway

[Sinobas]

48 wins, make 8th seed.