Playoff Pains In Portland

As the clock mercifully counted down to 00.00 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, Rip City was finally permitted to come up for air. We all knew going into the playoffs that this particular Trail Blazers team was about as green as the Pacific Northwest itself. That being said, nobody wanted to believe that playoff games like this would be inevitable for this young, inexperienced squad. Breaking news: it is.

Now before you decide to stop reading because you think this just another smear column of the Blazers, please, read on. What this team did during the regular season was remarkable, and nobody can or will ever take that away from them. But this is not the regular season anymore. These are the playoffs … and they’re nothing alike. The calls aren’t the same, the physicality isn’t the same, and the pace, among other things, is just not the same. This year, the Blazers are simply out of their element.

But with that, there’s both some good news and some bad news (I’ll assume good news first). The good news is that the Blazers are used to adapting. They understand that in order to survive, they need to adjust and evolve. This had been one of their greatest strengths this season. The bad news is that when they were forced to adapt before, it was over a span of 82 games. The Blazers had the time to employ the “trial by fire” method. They don’t have the luxury of time anymore. They are now in the heat of the playoffs, and it’s do or die.

Once again, the Blazers must do what others say can’t be done. Luckily, that’s been the theme of their entire ‘15-’16 season. This is nothing we’re not used to seeing. And to be quite honest, this role is more familiar than any other to these guys. There are going to be moments where we slap our palms to our foreheads. There are going to be moments where it gets a little messy. There are even going to be moments where you start to question whether or not they can even do it. But again, I’ll remind you: there were all things you were already doing during the season. Look where we are.

So now is the part where I’m supposed to conclude the column with a finite answer and summation of my point. But to tell you the truth, I have no idea if the Blazers are going to figure this out or not. However, survival instincts won’t allow them the choice. They don’t have a choice but to change, to evolve, to grow. It may be painful to watch at times, but for that reason alone, if anyone can do it, the Portland Trail Blazers can.