Mar 16, 2025; Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Scoot Henderson (00) dribbles the ball past Toronto Raptors guard A.J. Lawson (0) in the second half at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-Imagn Images Jaime Valdez-Imagn Images

Blazers Ranked Among NBA's Worst Teams in Preseason Power Rankings

Originally posted on Portland Trail Blazers on SI
By Ryan Stano | Last updated Sep 4, 2025 3:00 PM ET

The Portland Trail Blazers tried to make the playoffs a year ago, but came up just short of making the play-in. They dug themselves too big a hole early in the season when they were suffering some injuries.

Portland has already expressed its desire to make the playoffs this season. They don't want to toil away in the lottery any longer, and they want some postseason experience.

They traded for Jrue Holiday and got rid of deadweight Deandre Ayton in order to achieve that goal. Despite those moves, one NBA pundit thinks the Blazers are going to stink.

NBA pundit lists the Trail Blazers as one of the worst teams in the NBA

According to Lorenzo Reyes of USA Today, the Blazers will be one of the worst teams in the NBA this season. He has them ranked 26th in his preseason rankings.

Reyes doesn't believe that the addition of Holiday is going to be enough this season as Damian Lillard recovers from a torn Achilles.

"The Blazers showed modest improvement last season and traded for Jrue Holiday, who should bring steady leadership. Damian Lillard will be out until next season, but their growth rests on the play of shooting guard Shaedon Sharpe."

Portland is going to have a lot of young guys in positions to touch the ball, and they feel confident that they will be better offensively than they were last season. Deni Avdija seems to have taken a leap in the right direction.

The Trail Blazers believe they can sneak into the playoffs

Shadeon Sharpe's growth, specifically with his 3-point shooting, has a chance to make Reyes look foolish. If he turns into a good 3-point shooter, the Blazers become much more dangerous.

Defensively, this team looks like it can be pretty good. They seemed to put it together at the end of last season, when they finished at the top of the defensive rating statistic in the month of April.

Getting anything out of Jerami Grant might be the bellwether for them making the playoffs. If he stinks again, they likely will miss the postseason. If he plays with more effort and vigor, they have a shot to sneak into the play-in.