With Ja Morant joining a healthy Damian Lillard and emerging star Deni Avdija, Portland boasts the elite offensive firepower necessary to shatter expectations in a loaded West.
The Portland Trail Blazers are coming off a 42-win season in which they made the playoffs as the seventh seed. That came just one year after winning 36 games and two years after winning only 21.
There’s been clear, steady improvement from Portland over the past several seasons. Yet entering the 2026-27 campaign, most oddsmakers have the Blazers' win total sitting around 42.5. In other words, the expectation is essentially that Portland will be about as good as it was last season.
Of course, it's never that simple. Strength of schedule matters, the rest of the Western Conference provides important context and injuries can change the trajectory of any season. But on paper, the Blazers have plenty of reason to believe they can be better than the team that won 42 games a year ago.
For starters, Portland acquired Ja Morant, who immediately raises the offensive ceiling. There are legitimate questions about both his fit and health, but the Blazers added a player capable of consistently creating advantages off the dribble, putting pressure on the rim and generating opportunities for teammates. That's something last year's roster could have used.
Then there's Damian Lillard, who essentially represents another addition despite technically being on the roster last season. After spending the year recovering, Lillard is finally healthy and ready to take the floor again.
While Morant can bend defenses by attacking downhill, Lillard does it by stretching them well beyond the 3-point line. If both remain healthy, Portland suddenly has two very different types of offensive creators who can play off one another and make life easier for everyone else.
Their presence also gives Portland tremendous backcourt depth, even with Shaedon Sharpe dealing with an injury. The Blazers can throw several different combinations on the floor depending on matchup and circumstance.
And the reasons for optimism extend beyond the new-look backcourt.
Donovan Clingan could emerge as one of the better young centers in the NBA this season. Deni Avdija has taken significant steps forward throughout his career and is coming off an All-Star season. Toumani Camara remains an important defensive piece, and Portland has enough established talent around its young core that continued internal improvement could make a meaningful difference.
None of that guarantees the Blazers will make another major jump. Integrating Morant and Lillard will take time, and Portland is also entering its first season under head coach Micah Nori.
In fact, it wouldn't be surprising if this is a team that gets noticeably better as the season progresses and everyone settles into their roles.
But Portland doesn't need to become a 50-win contender overnight to clear a 42.5-win total. A jump into the 45-to-47-win range would be relatively modest considering where this team finished last season and the talent it added.
There's real reason to believe last year's 42-win season wasn't Portland's ceiling. It may simply have been another step in a climb that isn't finished yet.
