The NBA recently announced the Portland Trail Blazers’ schedule for the 2024-25 season. For many teams with playoff aspirations, there is one part of their schedule that can be crucial in determining whether or not they make the playoffs. The Blazers, who are currently in the process of rebuilding, have a different idea of what constitutes a crucial period. They have no real chance of making the playoffs, but the ten games until the February 6 trade deadline will be crucial in determining which direction the squad will go.
Here are arguably the ten most important games on the Blazers’ schedule (all times are Pacific time):
|
Date |
Opponent |
Time |
|---|---|---|
|
18 January |
against Houston |
7pm |
|
19 January |
against Chicago |
6pm |
|
21 January |
in Miami |
16:30 |
|
23 January |
in Orlando |
4 p.m. |
|
24 January |
in Charlotte |
4 p.m. |
|
26 January |
against Oklahoma City |
3 p.m |
|
28 January |
against Milwaukee |
7pm |
|
30 January |
against Orlando |
7pm |
|
February 1 |
against Phoenix |
7pm |
|
February 3 |
against Phoenix |
7pm |
It’s a grueling ten games. The only two games the Trail Blazers could be favored in are against the Chicago Bulls and Charlotte Hornets; all of the other eight games are against teams with playoff quality. How the Blazers fare between now and the trade deadline is especially important given their mixed bag roster this season. They have four centers who can get playing time and established starters they should trade for younger players. It’s a question of when, not if, they make their next trade after the Malcolm Brogdon deal.
Several key players, including Jerami Grant, Anfernee Simons, Robert Williams III and Matisse Thybulle, could move at the deadline if they have not already been traded. Teams will be looking to sign key players to help them overcome the hurdle of a potential playoff push.
The Blazers have a lot of questions about their roster. Can Anfernee Simons play effectively alongside Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe? Is Donovan Clingan playing well enough that they can safely move on from Williams and potentially Deandre Ayton? What other areas of their roster need improvement? These ten games could help answer those questions and influence the team’s long-term trajectory.
The good news about a regrouping team is that they don’t need immediate answers, but the trade deadline may force them to do so. It’s the Blazers’ last chance to sort out their chaotic roster and decide who they consider to be the centerpiece of their rebuild before the offseason.
