The Portland Trail Blazers barely snuck into the playoffs last season, but they did so on a blazing run helped by the arrival of Jusuf Nurkic. This season’s Blazers control their own destiny not just for the playoffs, but for home-court advantage in the loaded Western Conference. Given the turnaround, a handful of NBA.com writers gave their reasons as to why this year’s team is so different.
David Aldridge credits defense:
Portland has gone from awful last season (21st in the league in Defensive Rating at 107.8) to sterling this season (seventh in Defensive Rating, at 104.