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The Portland Trail Blazers have an uphill battle if they want to make the NBA Playoffs. A new roster and injuries hindered any full cohesion, forcing Portland to make on-the-fly moves — like signing Carmelo Anthony — to keep their playoff hopes alive. In a midseason playoff prediction column, Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report has Portland missing the 2020 playoffs.
Buckley gives the San Antonio Spurs his nod for the eighth and final playoff spot over other teams like the Grizzlies, Pelicans, Blazers and Timberwolves:
This spot feels like it should go to someone else. The red-hot Grizzlies would be a fascinating addition to the playoff field. The New Orleans Pelicans are picking up steam ahead of Zion Williamson’s return. The Portland Trail Blazers have Damian Lillard and the ammunition to make more win-now moves. The Minnesota Timberwolves have Karl-Anthony Towns and an All-Star point guard in their sights.
But the Grizzlies and Pelicans lack experience. The Blazers haven’t had a rhythm all season. The Wolves have no obvious ways to get a D’Angelo Russell deal done. Somehow, someway, the Spurs seem like they’ll figure out how to secure an absurd 23rd consecutive trip to the postseason.
Portland currently sits at No. 10 in the Western Conference with a record of 19-26. They trail the 9-seed Spurs by 1.5 games and the 8-seed Grizzlies by 2 games.
Do you think the Blazers will make another late-season push for the playoffs and sneak into a lower seed? Let us know in the comments.