Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija dribbles the ball past Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards. Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Grading the Trail Blazers After All-Star Weekend

Originally posted on Portland Trail Blazers on SI
By Jeremy Brener | Last updated Feb 15, 2026 3:00 PM ET

The Portland Trail Blazers are going into the second half of the season with a lot of optimism about how far they can go as a team.

While they sit in ninth place in the Western Conference and are seven games back of the number six seed Minnesota Timberwolves, who they lost to by 24 points less than a week ago, the Blazers still have a lot to like about how the first half of their season has gone.

The Blazers won 36 games last season, and the team is on pace to beat that total in the second half of the season. If the Blazers were to be graded on a report card, they should be given a B+ with how things have gone through the first 56 games of the year.

Blazers Get Great Report Card Grade

The Blazers have beaten expectations so far this season, and a big reason for that is All-Star forward Deni Avdija, who could be the league's Most Improved Player of the Year award recipient as he is averaging over 25 points per game after notching just under 17 last season.

Avdija has been incredible, and his teammates have taken his lead over the course of the season. The Blazers have a true number one option in Avdija, and that has been the biggest revelation this season has provided. It remains to be seen if Avdija can be the top option for a contending Blazers squad, but this team also has a lot of potential still coming up the pipeline.

Shaedon Sharpe has improved, Donovan Clingan has gotten better, and Scoot Henderson is showing flashes after finally coming back from injury. On top of that, veterans like Jerami Grant, Jrue Holiday and Damian Lillard give the team some insight and help push the squad forward.

Players like Sidy Cissoko and Caleb Love have operated on two-way contracts and have developed very well. Only a few players on the team have had down seasons, which is why the Blazers have crept into the next tier of the Western Conference standings. The Blazers could have gotten a higher grade if they were in the playoff picture, but that shouldn't take away from their accomplishments they've had so far this season.

The Blazers are back in action on Friday against Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and the Denver Nuggets. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. PT inside the Moda Center. Fans can watch the game on Rip City Sports Network or stream it on NBA League Pass.