Surviving a six-week slaughterhouse

To say the Blazers enter their 2024-25 season with a tough schedule is an understatement. The only matchups against teams that weren’t in playoff contention last season will come against Victor Wembanyama’s San Antonio Spurs, Ja Morant’s Memphis Grizzlies and a rejuvenated Houston Rockets.
Portland fans will get three home games to start the season. Steph Curry’s Golden State Warriors followed by two games against Zion Williamson’s New Orleans Pelicans won’t be easy, but credit to them. Then they’ll hit the highway for dates with the Sacramento Kings and Los Angeles Clippers. November won’t be any easier, with the Oklahoma City Thunder at home and the Phoenix Suns away.
This two-game stretch precedes stops in New Orleans, San Antonio and Minnesota. Given the strength of their opponents and the fact that the Blazers are still in a rebuilding phase, they are likely to struggle early. They have five straight games in the first five weeks. A realistic prediction for their record by the end of November is 6-14.
Blazers have it easier during the holidays

December offers a mix of winnable games and tough matchups, including the season tournament. First up, Luka Doncic’s Dallas Mavericks. Then, depending on the IST draw, home and away games alternate until the December 21 trip to see the Spurs again. The Blazers and Mavericks will play three times in December. Portland will also host the Utah Jazz twice. The 2024 schedule changes after Joel Embiid’s Philadelphia 76ers visit on December 30.
The new year begins with a five-game road trip. The Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks, Detroit Pistons, Pelicans and Mavericks will look to feast on a lottery team that is pretending to do what it can. Fortunately, Portland gets a manageable five-game homestand after racking up the travel miles. The Miami Heat have the longest flight in the NBA. Next up are the Brooklyn Nets, Clippers, Rockets and Chicago Bulls.
Unfortunately, the Blazers next travel to South Beach. They have a day off before traveling to Orlando and then Charlotte for a straight-setter. Next up is what could be Chauncey Billups’ final home game. Portland has a seven-game stretch before a three-game road trip to conclude the pre-All-Star portion of the schedule. All 10 games will be against teams that expect to win NBA playoff games.
The last five games of February are a mixed bag. A split between the Lakers and Charlotte Hornets at home wouldn’t be surprising. Seeing the Jazz, Washington Wizards and Nets on the road will be a war to see who wants to win the least. Cooper Flagg’s tanking will be at its peak as the Blazers enter the final stretch with a record of 15-45.
Finding glimmers of hope after a season of losses
The final stretch of the season will be about building momentum for the future. March will begin with four road games in six days against the Cleveland Cavaliers, 76ers, Boston Celtics and Thunder. Good luck finishing this season without any battle scars. The Blazers will stop in Portland to host the Pistons before traveling to Golden State for another two-game series.
Portland will have to play seven straight home games against the New York Knicks, Toronto Raptors, Wizards, Grizzlies, Denver Nuggets, Celtics and Cavaliers. Six of the next nine games will be away, starting in Sacramento and stopping in Utah. The Blazers will need their passport to travel to Toronto before traveling to New York, Atlanta and Chicago.
Golden State and the Lakers will have their final two games played, with both teams battling for a playoff spot. While the Blazers are unlikely to make the playoffs, they can use this time to evaluate their roster and plan for the offseason. A reasonable prediction for their record in March and April is 8-14, which would bring their final season record to 24-58.