With pre-season in full swing, all eyes are looking towards the start of the upcoming season. If the Trail Blazers goal is to improve on their finish in last year’s playoffs, earning a top 4 seed in the West and home court in the first round will be imperative. While the new NBA playoff format does not guarantee home court for division winners (now based strictly on W-L record), winning the NW Division certainly must be a team goal. Doing so will put the Blazers in great position to earn a top-4 seed in the West.
The NW Division will prove to be one of the toughest divisions in the NBA.