Come opening night in October, the Portland Trail Blazers will likely field a very similar team to the one that was unceremoniously bounced from the first round of the NBA Playoffs this past spring. While they re-signed Norman Powell to a five-year deal, the additions of Cody Zeller, Ben McLemore and Tony Snell to minimum deals have many feeling uninspired about the team’s chances to compete for a title, despite mounting pressure from franchise star Damian Lillard.
Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz is among the doubters, placing the team 14th in his post-free agency power rankings, in between the Charlotte Hornets (15) and Chicago Bulls (13).