This coming season, the NBA Western Conference will, as always, be competitive for most of its 15 teams. The Portland Trail Blazers enter with some new faces, more defense and versatility and an allegedly rejuvenated star ready to compete. But a number of national pundits have already pigeon-holed the Oregon franchise in the bottom half of the pack.
Perhaps that’s because they don’t rate the moves made by General Manager Joe Cronin in recent months, or, maybe, just maybe, they’re tainted by the outstanding tank job the franchise executed late last season.
And why not?