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Portland Trail Blazers 2015 NBA Season Preview

By Cody Williams

Apr 27, 2015; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) reacts after making a 3 point basket against the Memphis Grizzlies during the fourth quarter in game four of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at the Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 27, 2015; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) reacts after making a 3 point basket against the Memphis Grizzlies during the fourth quarter in game four of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at the Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports /
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Feb 7, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) during the game against the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center. The Mavericks defeated the Trail Blazers 111-101 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 7, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) during the game against the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center. The Mavericks defeated the Trail Blazers 111-101 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /

Final Prediction

This is going to be a monster year for Damian Lillard. He’s now the unquestioned alpha dog on the Trail Blazers and, with question marks or unproven players surrounding him in the core of the roster, he’s going to have the opportunity to jump to superstardom in the 2015-16 season. Given what we’ve seen already from the point guard in his brief career to this point.

However, good that I think Lillard is going to be, though, it’s near impossible to think that the Trail Blazers are going to have the same kind of success that they have in recent seasons. They’re simply a team coming into the 2015-16 season with too many unknown quantities and too many integral pieces that led to their success last year and in previous years.

Maybe C.J. McCollum is the next complimentary star in this league as he helps fill the Blazers’ backcourt alongside Lillard. Maybe Meyers Leonard is an elite big man who can stretch the floor. There’s a ton of upside with this team and there are definite reasons to be excited about the future of this team in Portland. However, I just don’t see a scenario where you can predictably and rationally be excited about this season. It’s going to be a rough one, even if it doesn’t last for long.

Predicted Record: 22-60

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