The 2022-23 NBA season has been another difficult one for the Portland Trail Blazers. Despite making multiple moves in the offseason to rebuild the roster around Damian Lillard, the results on the court have remained the same.
Portland is currently 31-40 on the season with their playoff aspirations dissipating. They are 3.5 games behind the Los Angeles Lakers for 10th place, which is also the last in the NBA Play-In Tournament. The Utah Jazz and New Orleans Pelicans are both ahead of the Trail Blazers as well.
A big reason for the team’s struggles is once again their inability to play defense. The Trail Blazers have a defensive rating of 118.1 this season, which ranks 27th in the NBA and is actually a step back from their disastrous 2021-22 campaign.
