After finishing as the three seed in the Western Conference each of the past two seasons, the Portland Trail Blazers are now watching this season’s playoff picture develop from the postseason bubble.
However, it can be argued that the Blazers have as much talent as anyone in the West when healthy, and they are still in position to remain competitive for a playoff spot well into April, even if it is just the eight seed.
In a recent column, Sports Illustrated’s Rohan Nadkarni made the argument as to why the Blazers could be the second-most fun eighth seed in the Western Conference.