Deni Avdija Doesn't Care Where Blazers Are in Standings

The Portland Trail Blazers are inching closer to the end of the season, where they will find out where they sit in the Western Conference play-in standings.

Blazers All-Star forward Deni Avdija knows the standings are important, but he isn't paying attention to where the team is in the Western Conference hierarchy.

“I know it’s important to finish ninth or eighth or seventh,” Avdija said via Blazer's Edge reporter Conor Bergin. “But at the end of the day, I believe in us. Even if we’re 10th, and we gotta play two games and win two games, I believe in us.

"Obviously, you want to have an easier path, but I don’t look at my phone and be like …‘Oh, are we gonna play seven or eight?’ It doesn’t matter. I believe in the team. I believe in us. And whatever challenges we’re gonna have ahead, we’re gonna beat ‘em.”

Blazers Fighting For Playoff Positioning

Portland Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant shoots the ball against Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges. | Jaime Valdez-Imagn Images

The Blazers will almost certainly need to clinch a playoff spot by winning the Play-In Tournament, which may require one or two games depending on where they end in the standings.

Here's a look at how it all works:

No. 7 Seed

The team in possession of the No. 7 seed will have two chances at home to win a game and move on to the playoffs. If they win the first game, they clinch the No. 7 seed and will face the No. 2 seed in the first round of the playoffs. If they win the second game, they grab the No. 8 seed and will face the No. 1 seed in the first round of the playoffs.

No. 8 Seed

The No. 8 seed will start out on the road against the No. 7 seed and can leapfrog them in the playoff picture with a win. A loss would mean they head back home, where they will have a chance to clinch the final playoff spot in front of their own fans.

No. 9 Seed

The No. 9 seed will host an elimination game against the No. 10 seed. If they lose, that will end their season. A win would give them a chance to play No. 7 or 8 for a chance to snag the final spot in the postseason.

No. 10 Seed

The No. 10 seed has to win both Play-In Tournament games on the road to get in the playoffs. Only the 2024-25 Miami Heat have advanced to the playoffs after being the No. 10 seed.