As of Nov. 3, the 2026-27 Portland Trail Blazers were 5-1 and third in the Western Conference despite injuries to Ja Morant and Shaedon Sharpe.
The Story
The Portland Trail Blazers have enjoyed a strong start to the 2026-27 season, posting a 5-1 record and sitting third in the Western Conference as of Nov. 3.
Portland’s results through the first six games were: Oct. 22 vs Phoenix Suns (home) 124-83 win; Oct. 24 vs Sacramento Kings (away) 128-120 win; Oct. 28 vs Los Angeles Lakers (away) 136-129 win; Oct. 30 vs Memphis Grizzlies (home) 103-124 loss; Nov. 1 vs Utah Jazz (away) 112-90 win; and Nov. 3 vs Denver Nuggets (away) 118-110 win.
The team has been without Ja Morant and Shaedon Sharpe. Sharpe suffered a torn meniscus in his right knee during the offseason and underwent surgery, with the expectation he will be out for about six months. Morant, acquired from the Memphis Grizzlies via trade before this season, injured his left hamstring in the Oct. 30 game against the Grizzlies and is set to be re-evaluated in four weeks.
Portland’s early start includes victories over teams with losing records so far in the season stretch, including a 3-0 record against the Suns (1-4), Kings (1-6) and Jazz (1-6). The Trail Blazers’ lone loss in the six-game stretch came against the Grizzlies, who are listed at 6-1 and second in the Western Conference.
Last season, Portland finished 42-40 and were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. Head coach Micah Nori, speaking during his introductory press conference, identified a high number of turnovers and 3-point shooting percentage as key areas for improvement.
Through the first six games, Portland has recorded 92 turnovers, averaging about 15.3 per game, and has made 94 of 265 three-point attempts for a shooting percentage of about 35.5%. Deni Avdija has made 11 of 33 attempts from three (about 33.3%), while Nori said Avdija’s shooting has improved and that additions including Morant and Damian Lillard have strengthened the team’s clutch performance in the final minutes of close games.
Despite those positives, Nori said the team’s defence has not improved, citing Donovan Clingan’s size alongside instances where opponents are allowed to score. He also pointed to defensive struggles from the guard rotation involving Scoot Henderson, Sharpe, Morant and Lillard, and referenced Sharpe’s defensive effort at times last season.
← More stories