As the Philadelphia 76ers took a 3-1 lead on Saturday with a road win in Miami, the Portland Trail Blazers’ season came to a disappointing end. New Orleans upset the Blazers in a series sweep, and now Portland is left questioning their future.
Portland GM Neil Olshey has repeatedly made it clear that the Blazers were going to build around the career arc of Damian Lillard after the departure of LaMarcus Aldridge in 2015. Three years later, their current roster couldn’t squeeze out one playoff win against the sixth-seeded Pelicans, who were missing All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins.