I was just thinking to myself "When was the last time we won a playoff series?" We've lost our last 5 playoff series to the Lakers, Lakers, Lakers, Mavericks, and Rockets. So what was the last team we beat? Utah in 5 games in the 2nd round of the 2000 NBA playoffs. This is what clinching a playoff series looks like: http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/200005160POR.html Maybe our next playoff series win will be against Utah?
Man, looking at all those box scores... they're all over the place. Sabonis plays strong early. Wells hardly does anything. Then all of the sudden Wells starts dominating. Then Brian Grant randomly has a great game. Then Pippen closes the deal. That team really didn't have defined roles. We just had a bunch of talent and went with whatever was working on that given night.
Wow...has it really been 10 years? I remember watching that game, when Byron Russell was complaining that Blazer fans were shaking the standard to help him miss those free throws at the end-they probably were too!
Some folks think Portland is deep. This is why I have said many times, I don't think this team holds a stick talent wise to the teams from back then. Bonzi Wells was the 3rd guard on many of those teams, and couldn't even crack playing time for a few years. That is how much talent we had then. Most of the players on this years team outside of a few starters, wouldn't even have made the team.
We were deep before GO and Pryz went down and we had Blake and Travis. Miller Roy Batum LA GO Blake Rudy Bayless Webs Howard Pryz But the past is the past I suppose.
10 years gone by, 6 years of "rebuilding", about to fire our 3rd GM, and we're still nowhere near as good as that team. Bob Whitsitt's company does consulting for NBA teams. Maybe give him a call?
