The Athletic’s John Hollinger predicted Portland will finish seventh in the Western Conference in his latest NBA season projections, putting the Blazers in position to compete for a playoff spot through the play-in tournament. Although Hollinger sees some potential problems with the roster, he believes Portland has the personnel to remain competitive in a difficult conference, “Nonetheless, Portland likely has too much raw talent to miss the Play-In. Even with the Morant and Lillard traffic cones, this projects as a good defense. Donovan Clingan is an emerging defensive force in the middle. Toumani Camara is an elite wing defender. Robert Williams III is arguably the league’s best backup center. And Jrue Holiday is still out there doing Jrue Holiday things.”
