Contributors discussing the Blazers’ season raised concerns about Western Conference matchups, frontcourt depth and the durability of recent role changes.
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A season preview looking ahead to Halloween singled out three areas it describes as potentially “scary” for the Portland Trail Blazers, including the challenge of upcoming games, questions around frontcourt depth and whether recent sacrifices and lineup changes can be sustained.
One concern was the level of competition in the West. Austin White said the Blazers “continue to feel like those young Memphis teams from a few years back that dominated the regular season, got a top two seed and flamed out quickly in the postseason,” adding that he does not believe Portland can beat a “No. 7 seed Denver Nuggets team or a No. 6 Golden State Warriors,” and that an early playoff exit could erase the value of a strong regular season.
White also pointed to how limited time together as a full team could affect Portland compared with teams that have “been fighting in the playoffs consistently over the past couple of years.”
Another contributor, Ethen Hutton, said the frontcourt is the Blazers’ biggest risk, arguing that while Ja and Dame form a “high-ceiling pairing in the backcourt,” Portland’s interior play on both sides of the ball will be tested over the course of an 82-game season.
Hutton said deeper frontcourts in the West—naming Denver, San Antonio and OKC—could expose Portland as games accumulate.
Rocco Moschella similarly focused on Portland’s frontcourt depth, warning that if either Deni Avdija or Toumani Camara goes down, the team would have to rely on Sidy Cissoko or Micah Potter to step up.
Moschella also referenced Portland’s previous postseason result, saying the Blazers “got beat in the first round of the playoffs last season against the San Antonio Spurs,” who he said “thrived in the frontcourt with Victor Wembanyama,” and added that every contender in the West needs a strong center or two.
A third concern came from Sahal Arwo, who said Portland has made “a lot of sacrifices” including Avdija’s reduced usage compared with last season and changes that have Scoot Henderson and Jrue Holiday coming off the bench after starting playoff games together.
Arwo said he is “not entirely convinced that these things are sustainable for the entirety of the season,” arguing that the team’s togetherness will ultimately shape how far it goes and that any misalignment could show “in the way they play.”
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