ESPN The Magazine: Blazers Have 0% Chance To Make Playoffs

ESPN The Magazine offers its 2012-13 season preview for the Portland Trail Blazers in this week's edition. The digital version is online here.

Here's the Blazers' rundown.

Conventional Wisdom: Coach Nate McMillan and several vets are gone, but LaMarcus Aldridge and re-signed Nic Batum aren't, so the Blazers won't be pushovers. And anything will be better than 2011-12.

Actual Wisdom: Progress will come in baby steps. Look past Aldridge and Batum and you'll see as many as five rookies playing regularly. A few could even start. The most precocious of the bunch is No. 6 pick Damian Lillard, who will run the offense from day one. Still, the clock is ticking. Before you know it, Aldridge will be a free agent. They grow up so fast.

Basketball Prospectus Predictions

• Projected record: 28.6 - 53.4
• 0 percent chance to make the playoffs
• 0 percent championship likelihood

-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter