The Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Memphis Grizzlies in a play-in to sneak into the playoffs in August, but at least one major network’s projections do not see them qualifying for the tournament this upcoming season. Star players are taking note of that.
ESPN released its projected final standings on Tuesday for the 2020-21 NBA season, and the Blazers were not listed as one of the top eight teams in the Western Conference. CJ McCollum shared the chart on Twitter and tagged teammate Damian Lillard.
Just wanted to make sure you seen this @Dame_Lillard https://t.co/YShHdjcp7F
— CJ McCollum (@CJMcCollum) December 1, 2020
While Portland finished with a losing record of 35-39 and nearly missed the playoffs, they closed out the regular season by winning seven of nine games. The Blazers had to face the Los Angeles Lakers, the eventual NBA champions, after defeating Memphis in a play-in series. They lost the L.A. series 4-1, but it’s hard to hold that against them.
Lillard went on a tear to close out the regular season in Orlando, scoring over 40 points in four of Portland’s final five games. He demanded some respect on his name after one monster performance, so ESPN’s slight should motivate him heading into this season.
The Blazers may not be viewed as a title contender, but they’re one of those teams you don’t want to play in the postseason. McCollum and Lillard are both capable of taking games over and making life difficult on even the toughest opponents. Portland fans can only hope they keep ESPN’s projections at the forefront of their minds.
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