The Portland Trail Blazers are taking the 50th Year Anniversary celebration a step too far by playing like the 1970-71 team, which finished last in the division with 29 wins and 53 losses. Through the first month of the season, the Blazers are 7-12 and two games out of the eighth seed in the West.
Losing and criticism have a linear relationship. The primary critiques of Portland have been the stagnant offense and inability to rebound or defend the perimeter. Major and minor injuries to rotation players have exacerbated those issues, but the struggles are more complicated than that.