Throughout the years, the Portland Trail Blazers haven’t shied away from indulging in the underdog mentality. Whether it’s due to playing in a small market, the pugnacious attitude of Oregonian’s in general or something else all together, the team seems to have thrived at times on being “counted out” or “slept on,” even if it’s debatable whether or not that was actually the case.
But that seems to be shifting a bit as the Trail Blazers embark on their 50th anniversary season. After finishing third in the West in back-to-back seasons and making the Western Conference Finals for the first time in 19 years, there’s sense that perhaps it’s time to leave behind the underdog mentality that they seem to get saddled with and carry themselves like the team that has been one of the best in the NBA over the last three seasons.