USA Today Preseason Power Rankings (Blazers #26)

Discussion in 'Portland Trail Blazers' started by SlyPokerDog, Sep 2, 2025 at 6:16 AM.

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  1. THE HCP

    THE HCP NorthEastPortland'sFinest

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    I said somewhere on here recently that we actually COULD be better this season and yet not win more games. The west is stacked, and that needs to reflect your win predictions. Put em in the east and they would win 10 games. Which is exactly why I don’t believe the KNICKS are the 4th or 5th best team in the league or wherever they have them. If they played out here, different story.
     
    THE HCP, Sep 2, 2025 at 10:22 AM
    #21
  2. Cugel

    Cugel The epitome of mediocrity

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    USA Today? Isn’t that for 8th graders?
     
    Cugel, Sep 2, 2025 at 10:24 AM
    #22
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  3. julius

    julius Living on the air in Cincinnati... Staff Member Global Moderator

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    They might have added vets, but they're still a *bad* team.

    Even if they're in the East, they're a baaaaaaaaad team.
     
    julius, Sep 2, 2025 at 10:48 AM
    #23
  4. THE HCP

    THE HCP NorthEastPortland'sFinest

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    Bro if we switched conferences with them, they would simply switch ranking positions. Not questioning if they are bad, but that entire conference is horrible.
     
    THE HCP, Sep 2, 2025 at 10:56 AM
    #24
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  5. julius

    julius Living on the air in Cincinnati... Staff Member Global Moderator

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    They finished with 18 wins last year, the blazers finished with 36. They aren't going to improve by that many games based on the vets they added
     
    julius, Sep 2, 2025 at 11:13 AM
    #25
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  6. blazerkor

    blazerkor Well-Known Member

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    I think we'll likely add wins to last year's total, probably between 4 wins and 8 wins. I realize that the West is even stronger than it was but I think we are outpacing the improvement of the conference. That doesn't mean I'm saying we're now one of the 8 best teams in the West just that we will improve from 36 wins to between 40 and 44 wins.

    I do think that will put us at between 15th and 20th in the league. That also would put us somewhere between 9th and 11th in the West (either in one of the two bottom teams in the play-in to just outside of the play-in.

    So I predict that we'll make the play-in as the 10th seed. I think we'll end up with 41 wins. I think that will give us the 16th best record in the league. So I think 26th is off but I've overestimated our team before, I'm willing to admit that and will not bemoan the players or coaches if we end up as bad as the articel in the OP says we'll be.
     
    blazerkor, Sep 2, 2025 at 1:15 PM
    #26
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  7. THE HCP

    THE HCP NorthEastPortland'sFinest

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    You know what your problem is FAMS….you can never admit when you are wrong. I win this and you lose….NEXT!
     
    THE HCP, Sep 2, 2025 at 1:20 PM
    #27
  8. THE HCP

    THE HCP NorthEastPortland'sFinest

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    #BAM
     
    THE HCP, Sep 2, 2025 at 1:22 PM
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  9. julius

    julius Living on the air in Cincinnati... Staff Member Global Moderator

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    Is today opposite day?
     
    julius, Sep 2, 2025 at 2:30 PM
    #29
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  10. THE HCP

    THE HCP NorthEastPortland'sFinest

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    Ha!!!!
     
    THE HCP, Sep 2, 2025 at 2:45 PM
    #30
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  11. kjironman1

    kjironman1 Well-Known Member

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    Pretty much the way I see it.
    They got the right 10 teams (give or take 1) in the top 10. They got the right 10 teams in the bottom 10 (give or take 1). That leaves the other 10 teams somewhere in the middle.
    Sliding any team a couple notches up or down doesn’t change much other than if you are talking the top 5.
     
    kjironman1, Sep 2, 2025 at 3:13 PM
    #31
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  12. kjironman1

    kjironman1 Well-Known Member

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    For people who stay at Best Western or Holiday Inn Express.
     
    kjironman1, Sep 2, 2025 at 3:15 PM
    #32
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  13. Wizard Mentor

    Wizard Mentor Wizard Mentor

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    There is no way all of the teams listed 16 to 25 will finish ahead of the Blazers. I expect we'll finish higher than about half of them. It's either hate, stupidity, or trolling.
     
    Wizard Mentor, Sep 2, 2025 at 4:06 PM
    #33
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  14. THE HCP

    THE HCP NorthEastPortland'sFinest

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    Do you think us playing in the west would be a reason for us finishing below some of the teams ranked higher than us?
     
    THE HCP, Sep 2, 2025 at 10:36 PM
    #34
  15. wizenheimer

    wizenheimer Well-Known Member

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    Western vs Eastern conference records over the last few decades:

    upload_2025-9-3_9-30-21.png
    upload_2025-9-3_9-31-43.png

    https://www.basketball-reference.com/friv/east_vs_west.html


    so then, over the last 26 years, since 1999-00 season, the Western Conference has had the better head-to-head record 23 of 26 times. It's almost like the imbalance is so baked into the equation it doesn't matter
     
    wizenheimer, Sep 3, 2025 at 9:37 AM
    #35
  16. SharpesTriumph

    SharpesTriumph Well-Known Member

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    The playoffs being easy vs west actually helps the west stay on top.

    West and East each get exactly 7 lottery picks every year regardless of the East having more than 7 lottery quality teams.

    If it was straight 16 team playoffs you might had had years with 11 lottery picks headed East.

    Also easier to rack up losses in the west for those top picks.
     
    SharpesTriumph, Sep 3, 2025 at 3:17 PM
    #36
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