Hands up who predicted the Portland Trail Blazers would be chasing the 8 seed with Caleb Swanigan, Wenyen Gabriel and Mario Hezonja running the second unit? No one? Nah, me either.
It’s been a strange year for the Blazers. Zach Collins, Rodney Hood and Jusuf Nurkic have all missed most or all of the season, and now Damian Lillard is stuck on the sidelines, as he continues his recovery from a groin problem. These injuries have been the story of Portland’s season, and the main reason they’ve struggled so much.