From Underdogs to Contenders: How the 2024-25 Trail Blazers Are Redefining NBA Comebacks
Is it possible for a team that stumbled out of the gate to pull off one of the most jaw-dropping turnarounds we’ve seen in four decades of NBA basketball? The Portland Trail Blazers entered the 2024-25 season limping along at 13-28—pretty much where you’d peg a squad still rebuilding in a merciless Western Conference. Yet, fast forward 18 games, and they’ve snagged 13 wins, slashing the gap to the play-in spot to a somewhat manageable 4.5 games. Now, before you start penciling Portland into the postseason, let’s pause to appreciate just how rare—and frankly, how remarkable—this kind of midseason metamorphosis really is. Are the Blazers rewriting the record books or just a fluke riding a wave of hot shooting and lockdown defense? To find out, I dove into four decades of TRACR rating data, measuring teams’ first- and second-half improvements to see where Portland’s surge truly stacks up. Spoiler alert: It’s not just a comeback story; it might be historic. Ready to see how the Blazers’ renaissance compares with the likes of Boston’s Celtics and Miami’s Heat turnarounds? Hang tight. LEARN MORE
Portland has turned it around since a horrible start to the season. Where does this turnaround rank among the best in the past 40 years?
The first 41 games of the season went exactly how one would expect for a rebuilding Portland Trail Blazers team in a conference full of killers.
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