Andrew Schlecht and Alex Speers discussed the winners and losers of the 2025-26 NBA schedule on The Athletic NBA Daily podcast. They picked the Portland Trail Blazers as one of the losers, noting their demanding schedule to start the season.
“Coming off their strong second-half finish last season, pre-season hopes for the Portland Trail Blazers will quickly be dashed due to a brutal opening schedule,” Speers said.
Here is Portland’s schedule to start the regular season:
- Wednesday, October 22: vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
- Friday, October 24: vs. Golden State Warriors
- Sunday, October 26: at Los Angeles Clippers
- Monday, October 27: at Los Angeles Lakers
- Wednesday, October 29: at Utah Jazz
- Friday, October 31: vs. Denver Nuggets
- Monday, November 3: vs. Los Angeles Lakers
- Wednesday, November 5: vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
Blazers’ schedule could quickly make Holiday trade look like a mistake
The Blazers hope to build on their strong finish from last season, but this opening schedule is a harsh reminder of how far they still need to go to contend in the loaded Western Conference.
Six of those teams Portland plays finished as top seven seeds in the West last season. To make matters worse, they play West teams in 11 of their first 13 games. The Eastern Conference teams in that slate aren’t much easier, either, as they have to play the always competitive Miami Heat (November 8) and the improved Orlando Magic (November 10), both on the road.
Portland had a similarly brutal West-heavy schedule to start last season, resulting in just 11 wins by New Year’s and quickly falling behind in the standings. It wouldn’t be surprising if history repeats itself in 2025-26.
If Portland gets off to another slow start, it will be hard to justify the win-now trade for Jrue Holiday. The immediate regret won’t necessarily come from Holiday’s play. Despite his age, he may even outperform his 11.1 points and 3.9 assists from last season in Boston due to an increased offensive role in Portland. Rather, the regret will stem from how Holiday fits into the big picture of the Blazers’ rebuild.
He will still provide valuable mentorship for Portland’s young core, particularly the backcourt of Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe. But at the same time, he’s also taking away minutes — and potentially even a starting role — from the players he was brought in to help develop.
The Blazers were wise to trade Anfernee Simons, especially after seeing how that situation is playing out in Boston with the Celtics struggling to find a trade partner for him. But in many ways, Portland swapped one backcourt logjam for another — one with no end in sight as Holiday has three years remaining on his massive deal.
Holiday is a more impactful player than Simons thanks to his two-way skillset. However, he’s not the needle-mover Portland needs to successfully navigate the Western Conference gauntlet. They’ll immediately find that out this season.
Key Takeaways: Portland Trail Blazers’ Challenging Start
The Portland Trail blazers face an uphill battle to begin their 2025-26 NBA season. A demanding opening schedule, as highlighted by analysts, could significantly impact their early-season performance and potentially complicate the evaluation of recent roster moves, particularly the Jrue Holiday trade. This article will examine the key games, the potential impact, and the overall implications for Portland’s season.
| Game | Date | Opponent | location | Context/Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | October 22, 2025 | Minnesota Timberwolves | Portland | Season opener; tough test against a playoff contender. |
| 2 | October 24, 2025 | Golden State warriors | Portland | Another challenging home game against a perennial contender. |
| 3 | October 26,2025 | Los Angeles Clippers | Los Angeles | Road game; facing a team expected to contend in the West. |
| 4 | October 27,2025 | Los Angeles Lakers | Los Angeles | Back-to-back road game against a rival. |
| 5 | October 29, 2025 | Utah Jazz | Utah | road game against a team aiming to improve. |
| 6 | October 31,2025 | Denver Nuggets | Portland | home against reigning champions,Denver Nuggets. |
| 7 | November 3, 2025 | Los Angeles Lakers | Portland | Home game against another rival. |
| 8 | November 5, 2025 | Oklahoma city Thunder | Portland | Another tough matchup against a rising contender. |
| 9 | November 8, 2025 | Miami Heat | Miami | Road game; first Eastern Conference test. |
| 10 | November 10, 2025 | Orlando Magic | Orlando | Road game; second Eastern Conference test. |
The Portland Trail Blazers face a brutal early-season schedule, potentially jeopardizing their playoff aspirations. This difficult start,including games against Western Conference powerhouses and Eastern conference contenders,could critically impact evaluations of key moves like the Jrue Holiday acquisition,which has to immediately mesh with Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe. This adds pressure for Portland’s young core to perform and avoid another slow start like last season.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the biggest challenge facing the Blazers at the start of the season?
The most important challenge is their demanding early-season schedule [[1]]. Facing many top teams in the Western Conference, as well as competitive Eastern Conference teams, will be a major hurdle for the team to overcome.
How does the schedule impact the Jrue Holiday trade?
A slow start, exacerbated by the tough schedule, could make the Jrue Holiday trade appear less beneficial in the short term [[1]]. It places immediate pressure on Holiday to integrate into the team and on the team to perform.
what are the key matchups to watch?
Key matchups include games against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles clippers, Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers, and also the Miami Heat and Orcado Magic, providing tests of the blazers’ progress and their capability to compete against top-tier teams.
How did the Blazers perform with a similar schedule last season?
Last season, Portland struggled with a similar West-heavy start, compiling only 11 wins by the New Year. This history looms as a potential factor in the 2025-26 season. A complete reflection of what the season may hold [[2]].
What are the potential long-term implications of a rough start?
A difficult start could challenge the team’s morale and the effectiveness of roster decisions, especially the Holiday trade. It puts additional pressure on younger players, such as Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe, to accelerate their development, showing a complete view [[3]].
the Portland Trail Blazers face a pivotal start to the 2025-26 season, with their early schedule posing a significant challenge. Whether the team can navigate this demanding stretch will be crucial in determining their season’s direction and the immediate success of their roster construction.
Worth a look
