“Go home, take a paper bag and cut some eyeholes out of it. Put it over your head, get undressed and look at yourself in the mirror. Really evaluate where your strengths and weaknesses are. And be honest.” — Portland Trail Blazers
I’ll admit: this was harsh. Probably a little too harsh for a team and an organization that really hasn’t done much wrong in recent memory (well, aside from spending like a drunken sailor in 2016, but so did 85 percent of the league).
Still, it’s deserved. Since the day LaMarcus Aldridge walked out the door, the Blazers have been living off of the talents of a backcourt duo that’s scored more points than any other in the NBA over the last three regular seasons, including Steph and Klay.
Still, last season’s playoff sweep at the hands of a Pelicans team missing an All-NBA caliber player was jarring, even if New Orleans had discovered a beautifully efficient style of play in Boogie’s absence. It made painfully obvious something that should have been apparent already: Portland not only wasn’t a contender, but they weren’t even a move or two away from becoming one.
Going forward, it’s tempting to suggest that Portland should blow things up, trade one or both of their star guards, and hope that the next time they win the lottery, they don’t pass on a top-ten all-time player (third time’s the charm!) That’s easier said than done, but it’s not impossible. Their cap will get a lot cleaner two seasons from now, which gives them just enough time to honestly assess the young players they have on this roster (sleep on Zach Collins at your own risk).
That, of course, has as good a chance of happening as Paul Allen going bankrupt and having to sell the team.
In other words: someone’s not ready to look in the mirror quite yet.