Blazers Receive Unfortunate Grade for Offseason

The Portland Trail Blazers made a decision to try to make the playoffs after the trade deadline last season, despite not making any moves at the deadline. It was something that they were almost able to achieve.

After falling just short of the play-in tournament (and/or subtly tanking at the end of the year, some skeptics might say), the Trail Blazers decided to make some bold moves. They decided to trade away Anfernee Simons in return for Jrue Holiday and signed Damian Lillard.

Despite these massive moves, there are some pundits questioning the direction of the organization. They didn't receive a flattering grade for the offseason moves they made.

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The Blazers were given a C+ grade for their offseason grade by ClutchPoints. Brett Siegel cites the fact that, besides the trade for Holiday, the same core of players will be in the lineup next year.

"After the All-Star break last season, Portland went 13-15 and ranked fifth in defensive rating. With basically the same group returning with more experience and size, the Blazers finally have a path to move forward and grow," Siegel writes. "Then again, Lillard will miss all of the 2025-26 season, and there is still a lot of developing that needs to be done in Portland."

Portland is still going to have a chance to make the playoffs, something that Seigel acknowledges.

"This is a team that can compete for the 9-seed or 10-seed in the West, at best," Siegel predicts.

The Western Conference is insanely competitive, so making the playoffs would be a really impressive feat. They wil need their young guys to step up and develop at a faster rate than normal.

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Portland seems to have a defined plan on the defensive side of the court, as they were one of the best defensive teams at the end of the season. Now, they have to find an identity on the offensive end.

The Trail Blazers seem to finally have a defined plan on how to proceed for the next couple of years. Chauncey Billups and Joe Cronin seem to be on the same page on how to build the team.

How Portland comes out of next year without Lillard playing will determine how much of a chance they have to contend when he does return to the lineup.

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For more news and notes on the Portland Trail Blazers, visit Portland Trail Blazers on SI.