What if the Trail Blazers Played in the East?

Opinions are mixed on the Portland Trail Blazers’ summer of 2025. Some are impressed by their array of moves and the new, improved depth chart that will inevitably follow. Some are more measured, suspecting that the summer shift that brought Damian Lillard, Jrue Holiday, and Yang Hansen to Rip City was more splash than substance. Which is closer to the truth? That’s the subject of today’s Blazer’s Edge Mailbag.

Dave,

I think the Blazers have turned over a new leaf. Or maybe since Dame and Jrue Holiday are veterans an old one. But I think these moves solidify the roster over the next few years and give us the chance we’ve been waiting for.

I’ve seen that you don’t feel the same way. I want to know why it still seems depressing to you and to others even with the changes. Don’t you see any hope that we’ve finally done something right? Why does this depression persist no matter what?

Ron

First of all, I don’t think terming it depression is accurate. Second, not forecasting a huge impact is different than saying they didn’t make the right moves. Yang Hansen may turn out to be the smartest pick of the whole draft. That doesn’t necessarily mean his first couple years are going to turn the team around. Jrue Holiday may bring wisdom, defense, and a great example to Portland’s younger players. That doesn’t mean he’s going to lead them deep into the playoffs or replace said players.

I suspect that, technically, you already know the answers to your question. They’ve been repeated enough here and by national analysts. They’re on several stats and standings pages in black and white. The Blazers won 36 games last year. Not 46, but 36. The players they added are either super young or super old. Lillard isn’t even sure to play this year, or for that matter ever, effectively. It’s perfectly possible to appreciate these additions in the context of the Blazers but also wonder about their ultimate significance in the context of the NBA as a whole.

But…but…BUT…as I was considering this question, one thought occurred to me which might open an interesting discussion. That’s why we’re running with it today.

I think part of the general blanket covering the team is the fact that they play in a Western Conference that’s a gauntlet of awesomeness at this point. No matter what they did or didn’t do, the Blazers were going to have trouble making headway against the slate of teams they’re competing with for playoffs spots. I suspect national analysts take this into account subconsciously, at minimum. Local ones too, once they look up from the table.

That brings up an interesting question: How do you think the Blazers would fare this season if they were playing in the Eastern Conference?

Let’s pretend that the NBA expanded at the spur of the moment, adding teams in Las Vegas and Seattle, which would push one franchise to the East. In a fit of drunken power, just to show that he could, the Commissioner passed over the obvious choice in New Orleans and said, “Portland! We want to see a team rack up the most travel miles in the history of the NBA! Mwahahahahhaaaaa!”

Forgetting the travel and fatigue, in that scenario, who would the Blazers exceed in the bracket? I suspect that if they were playing in the other conference, everyone would regard Portland’s chances as much brighter and their moves as more impactful just because the door to success was open farther.

Let’s give all you readers a chance to chime in here. Do you agree with that assessment? Also, where do you think the team would be projected next season in the East, given their new moves. For reference, here were the standings from last season:

1. Cleveland Cavaliers (64-18)
2. Boston Celtics (61-21)
3. New York Knicks (51-31)
4. Indiana Pacers (50-32)
5. Milwaukee Bucks (48-34)
6. Detroit Pistons (44-38)
7. Orlando Magic (41-41)
8. Atlanta Hawks (40-42)
9. Chicago Bulls (39-43)
10. Miami Heat (37-45)
11. Toronto Raptors (30-52)
12. Brooklyn Nets (26-56)
13. Philadelphia 76ers (24-58)
14. Charlotte Hornets (19-53)
15. Washington Wizards (18-54)

If Portland were facing that slate of opponents, where would they finish next season?
Feel free to answer to help and address Ron’s concerns. And if you have any Mailbag questions of your own, you can send them to [email protected]! We’ll try to answer as many as we can.