The Portland Trail Blazers are 15-22, four games back in the loss column from the eighth-seeded Utah Jazz. The record isn't great, obviously, but they're still one of the league's most pleasant surprises—an extremely young, inexperienced club that's fighting for a playoff spot.
But are they good or just lucky to be in a conference that's surprisingly top heavy? Here's a closer look from SB Nation's Blazer's Edge:
To answer your questions in order, then: No, the Blazers aren't a good team...at least not yet. I'm happy with their play so far. They're about in the range I expected. My predictions and hopes haven't changed since summer. That process will take multiple seasons of growth, not multiple months. Also remember that however you qualify a matter--and let's face it, people will always find reasons to make the home team's performance look better than it is--what you're qualifying (40% win rate) is closer to reality than the qualifiers used to sell it.
The Blazers have the league's 12th best offense but their defense is deplorable. Their backcourt is dynamic, arguably second to only the Golden State Warriors in terms of the offensive punch they provide.
But Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum are both minus defenders, and they don't have too many other outside shooters on the roster. It'd still be a major surprise if they leapt past the Jazz and made the playoffs, but the future looks brighter than it did a couple months ago.
