Another week, another prediction for the 2016-17 Portland Trail Blazers.
After projecting the Blazers to finish next season in fourth place in the Western Conference with a record of 46-36 last month, ESPN's real plus-minus (RPM) now projects 44.5 wins for Portland in 2016-17 for the seventh-best record in the West.
Writes Kevin Pelton:
"After reaching the second round of the playoffs and adding Festus Ezeli and Evan Turner this offseason, the Blazers hope to take the next step in their development. RPM sees them as about the same team as 2015-16, when they won 44 games but finished fifth in a weaker West.