The NBA released the 2025-26 schedule for the Portland Trail Blazers last week. On the surface, every team plays 82 games relatively equally, a fresh start for all. Practically speaking that’s not quite true. Teams in the Eastern Conference, for instance, draw a much easier schedule than their Western Conference counterparts by virtue of a weaker roster of teams surrounding them.
Disparity also arises, at least marginally, for teams within their own conferences. Due to an uneven number of teams, the amount
of games against specific division and conference foes varies. Specifically, each team will either play 3 or 4 games against a conference foe. The quality of those opponents can vary.
Before the season even starts, Tankathon’s strength of schedule table indicates that the Blazers have drawn the short end of the stick in the coming season. They face the Oklahoma City Thunder, Denver Nuggets, and Houston Rockets the maximum four times apiece. They draw the weak Utah Jazz four times as well but get the Phoenix Suns only three times.
Put that together and you have the second-toughest schedule in the league, trailing only Utah, and that for the simple reason that the Jazz cannot play themselves.
Add in Portland’s travel schedule–as great as anyone in the league due to geographical position–and you have a tough slate coming up for the Blazers next year.
