Rip City Project
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Today we celebrate our Independence Day from frustratingly typical Blazer-y things

Matt George Moore|
PORTLAND, OR - APRIL 22: The Portland Trail Blazers stand on the court before Game Three of the Western Conference Quarterfinals against the Golden State Warriors of the 2017 NBA Playoffs on April 22, 2017 at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Cameron Browne/NBAE via Getty Images)
PORTLAND, OR - APRIL 22: The Portland Trail Blazers stand on the court before Game Three of the Western Conference Quarterfinals against the Golden State Warriors of the 2017 NBA Playoffs on April 22, 2017 at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Cameron Browne/NBAE via Getty Images)

All things considered, it’s pretty good being a Portland Trail Blazers fan. Nevertheless, there are a few things we could use less of in Rip City.

If you’re a longtime Blazers fan, you’ve seen more winning than losing over the years.

Only five teams in NBA history have a higher overall winning percentage than Portland’s 53.5 percent. The franchise is tied for the second-longest postseason-appearances streak in history with 21. And the modern, Damian Lillard-led incarnation of the team had been to the postseason five straight seasons — tied for third-longest current streak in the Association.

In fact, only eight teams have made the playoffs more often than Portland, which has seen postseason action in 34 of its 48 years of existence. And those eight teams have all been in the league longer than Portland.

Blazers Independence Day

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And yet despite all this winning, there are times when being a Portland Trail Blazers fan feels second-rate — like being the proverbial “bridesmaid but never a bride” franchise.

Sure, Portland’s won an NBA title. But that’s ancient history now. The last time the Blazers won a championship was at the end of the 1976-1977 season. That was America’s bicentennial; the United States — and the Blazers – are now 41 years older.

So in honor of our nation’s Independence Day, we here at the RCP hereby declare ourselves freed from the bondage of having to stress out over the following typically Blazer-y things.

1. First-Round Exits

Yes, Portland has made the playoffs more often than not in its nearly 50-year history. But of their 34 playoff appearances, the Trail Blazers have been bounced out in the first round 23 times.

This means that basically two-thirds of all Blazers playoff appearances end in a first-round loss. (This includes, of course, the recent four-game sweep at the hands of the New Orleans Pelicans.)

Therefore, we, the inhabitants and basketball aficionados of Rip City, do hereby state that we will no longer stress out about first-round exits.

You can’t win a title without making the playoffs — and at least Portland typically puts itself in position to compete for a title.

Of course, some people might argue that it’s better to stink for several years running so that a franchise has a chance to pick high in the draft. This brings us to our next topic:

2. Missed Draft Opportunities

LaRue Martin over Julius Erving and Bob McAdoo in 1972.

Wally Walker over Robert Parish in 1976.

Sam Bowie instead of Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley or John Stockton in 1984.

Greg Oden instead of Kevin Durant in 2007.

Pick a year, and it seems like the Blazers front office drafted a lesser player over somebody who went on to have a Hall-of-Fame career.

Even LeBron James is still taking jabs at the Blazers for not drafting Durant.

But for every bad pick, there were some fantastic choices, too: Bill Walton, Clyde Drexler, Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum.

It’s time for Portland to rid itself of the idea that it’s been historically awful at drafting players. Let’s face it: Many teams have missed out on drafting a once-in-a-lifetime baller.

Thus: We in Rip City should declare ourselves free from the draft-pick doldrums and start looking ahead rather than behind.

3. The Winter Blahs

One of the reasons Portland is — and always has been — so enamored of its professional basketball team is that the NBA season runs throughout the cold and rainy season. When the sun is hidden for months on end behind an unbroken veil of misty grayness, a Blazers basketball game is a good way to avoid cabin fever and escape the dreary confines of a long winter’s night.

Portland is a fantastic basketball town; its inhabitants are dedicated, knowledgeable and enthusiastic supporters of the Blazers. And the camaraderie that Rip City feels when its b-ball team is b-ballin’ is one of the great things about living in the Pacific Northwest in general and Oregon in particular.

Next: Is trading for Jimmy Butler worth gamble for Blazers?

They say that in Portland, summer doesn’t really begin until July 5. So with that in mind, Rip City, let’s pledge to turn the page. No longer shall we be shackled by the memories of a good-but-not-great Blazers past. Instead, let’s look forward to a brighter future.

So tell us: What are you declaring independence from, Blazers fans?