So, I suppose there’s just one more thing to do. Winning the entire thing (crap). Jake Taylor in the Major Leagues
Alright, the Portland Trail Blazers will not win the entire (unprintable) event. However, they are allowed to attempt to win games. In February, March, and April, yes. May, too?
For the time being, let’s stay with February, which is more than welcome in Rip City following three years of atrocious second-half tanking.
Even if you would have rather that the Blazers really made some moves like I did, the advantage of the trade deadline being over is that we can be absolutely certain that this is the club.
Shaedon Sharpe, Scoot Henderson, and Donovan Clingan are still there, along with Deandre Ayton, Jerami Grant, Anfernee Simons, and Robert Williams III. Inquiries concerning potential and necessary roster changes for long-term success will now have to wait until the summer.
What more can the Blazers do in the interim besides win games and attempt to qualify for the play-in, however unlikely that may be?
You see, the Blazers have entered a sort of purgatory for rebuilding. They are now too excellent to lose, and following their victory on Thursday, they are now much closer to the middle third of the NBA than the bottom three.
They are four games out of eighth place and only two games out of tenth place in the Western Conference.
Should we have a direct discussion about their making the play-in?
It feels risky to believe that the club that has won 10 of its past 11 games and six straight is more like who it really is than the one that has only won 13 of its first 41 games.
So on Thursday, I asked Joe Cronin that question. Is it reasonable to expect this young club to make it to the postseason?
“I believe it would be unjust to deny them it,” Cronin stated. Let’s see what you can do, guys.
That pleased me.
Even though I’m concerned that the Blazers might regret not trying to win this lottery, I also understand the intangible, incalculable value that players like Henderson, Sharpe, Clingan, Tumani Camara, and Deni Avdija can derive from winning and attempting to qualify for the postseason.
The Blazers should also aim to remain within the top 10 of the Western Conference for as long as possible, given their declining lottery odds.
Why not?
To be clear, as the season progresses, I seriously doubt that the Blazers will be able to maintain this. I don’t think Henderson will be as reliable as he has been since three, that Ayton won’t regress to some of his less acceptable habits, or that the Blazers will maintain their position as the league’s top defense going into Thursday’s game.
However, that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t attempt.
The Blazers were one of just four teams who failed to make a move before the trade deadline, so it’s worth taking a moment to think about that.
I was concerned that Cronin would use the Blazers’ recent winning streak as an excuse for his inability to close a deal. That is not what he did.
He stated I had to think about not upsetting anyone, but for me, the larger picture is far more significant. The manner we’ve been playing lately didn’t really influence these choices, and I want to create a consistent winner.
In actuality, Cronin could not afford to sweeten offers that would have gotten the Blazers to part with the highest-paid players who are unlikely to be part of his team’s future, nor did the Blazers have the financial flexibility to help organize agreements as a third team.
I’m shocked that the Blazers couldn’t find a new home for Williams, who would have fit on several contending teams and continues to compete for time with Clingan, even if they couldn’t persuade another team to take Ayton, Grant, or Simons. That could have been an instance of Cronin charging too much for a player who doesn’t make sense on the team.
The Blazers were essentially at a standstill when it seemed like the league as a whole was moving.
Although it wasn’t a good situation to be in, it also shouldn’t be interpreted as the end of the world.
I would contend that, from a lottery perspective, the harm has already been done. And it is worthwhile to invest in a basketball team that is on the rise as a result of that.
even though no one anticipated it.
Every night, the Blazers put on a strong show. Their defense, spearheaded by the dependable Camara, has been amazing and inspiring.
If it’s not through the lottery, the route to discovering a central star undoubtedly becomes less straight. When the time comes for Cronin to truly execute an all-in transaction, it makes his job harder and reduces his margin of error.
The Blazers have nothing to do except enjoy the wild ride they are currently on for the time being.
With Thursday’s victory over Sacramento, the Blazers now have 23 victories, more than Victor Wembanyama’s 22-26 San Antonio Spurs. They might find it challenging to overtake Golden State, who added Jimmy Butler, or the Spurs, who added De Aaron Fox. In addition, Portland is looking up at Sacramento, Dallas, and Phoenix.
Even if they manage to pass three of them in the end to qualify for the play-in round, it doesn’t really matter.
The Blazers have three games remaining before the All-Star break, so they still have a shot.
And I doubt Blazers supporters would trade that for anything after some of the most trying years in the team’s history.
–Bill Oramis, The Oregonian/OregonLive’s sports columnist.
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