Can Blazers Still Make Late Playoff Push Following All-Star Break?

Portland has had quite the recent run.

Feb 12, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward Jabari Walker (34) grabs a loose ball against Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) as forward Toumani Camara (33) defends in the second quarter at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images / Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

The Portland Trail Blazers have enjoyed quite the recent run.

Following a rough start to its 2024-25 season, Portland turned things around mid-way through January. Across the past month, the Trail Blazers have gone 10-5.

Portland seems to have taken full advantage of its youth and size in the frontcourt at last.

Forward Toumani Camara has emerged as one of the best frontcourt defenders in the Western Conference, and could earn serious consideration for All-Defensive Team inclusion this spring when the NBA announces its end-of-year awards.

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While starting every game for Portland that he's played, the 6-foot-8 pro, 24, is averaging a career-best 10.1 points on .444/.356/.747 shooting splits, 5.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.6 blocks a night. Beyond the counting stats, he has grown into a ferocious defender, capable of containing opponents along the perimeter and at the rim.

Toumani Camara. 1 of 1. pic.twitter.com/nFDH4Unozi

— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) February 13, 2025

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Rookie center Donovan Clingan, too, has emerged as a borderline-elite rim protector. Starting five Deandre Ayton is the more well-rounded player, and the fact that he's out for a month could prove to be a fatal impediment to the Trail Blazers' playoff chances in the crowded West. Still, it's fun to see Clingan, likely Portland's starting center of the future, get some extended run.

Show ‘em who you are, DC 👊 pic.twitter.com/4mOQWfwy4B

— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) February 13, 2025

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New acquisition Deni Avdija has also rounded into fine former as a two-way contributor. Guards Shaedon Sharpe and Scoot Henderson have shown plenty of flashes of promise, while starting point guard Anfernee Simons has rounded into form of late. Jerami Grant remains a steadying veteran presence.

So can this team really make a postseason push? Or is this recent success more the exception than the rule?

At 23-32 on the year, the No. 13-seeded Trail Blazers are currently five games behind the Nos. 9 and 10 seeds, the 28-27 Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings.

With the Warriors trending upward thanks to the arrival of six-time All-Star swingman Jimmy Butler, they look like they'll be tough to count. Although the Sacramento Kings no longer have a traditional starting-caliber point guard rostered, they have plenty of solid offense-first depth still, behind former multi-time All-Stars Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan and now Zach LaVine — plus microwave scoring guard Malik Monk.

The very injured Dallas Mavericks, currently the No. 9 seed at 30-26, could slip out of the play-in hunt depending on the health of big men Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively II, Daniel Gafford and Dwight Powell. But even if Portland somehow caught the Mavericks, the team would also need to leapfrog the 26-28 Phoenix Suns and 23-29 San Antonio Spurs to even make the play-in tournament.

The best two players on both Phoenix (Kevin Durant and Devin Booker)and San Antonio (Victor Wembanyama and ex-Kings point guard De'Aaron Fox) are better than anyone on Portland, and both clubs boast intriguing depth despite sporting sub-.500 records.

It's perhaps unrealistic to expect the Trail Blazers to make much inroads towards the postseason, especially with Ayton out during a critical stretch.

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