Both the Portland Trail Blazers and the Los Angeles Clippers are doing better than expected. If you had told Clippers fans that their team would be well over .500 despite missing Kawhi Leonard to start the year, they would take that. If you have told Blazers fans Portland would be nearly five games ahead of the NBA’s basement dwellers, they might both be surprised and a little disappointed... strictly for lottery odds purposes.
With the season still young, there’s plenty of time for both clubs to nosedive, but despite the injuries we should expect a spirted contest between two teams with very different incentive structures who nonetheless will be playing to win.