The Portland Trail Blazers aren't exactly a glamour market in the NBA. As a result, they've had difficulty attracting, let alone retaining, big-name players over the years. That's made life in what has consistently been a stacked Western Conference even more difficult.
However, when looking around the league, there's a blueprint of small-market teams that Portland could follow that have had success. Teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs sit atop the West, for instance.
So why can't Portland follow a similar blueprint? Simply put, it comes down to how well these franchises take care of their players.
Not to say Portland mistreats its players by any means, but they also need to go above and beyond in order to separate themselves from the bigger markets. If there's an even playing field when it comes to treatment, superstars are going to wind up chasing the bigger markets or more ideal locations (although we think Portland remains a very underrated city).
Blazers' star problem could only get worse under Tom Dundon
For instance, one thing getting in the way of the Blazers' leverage in the seemingly inevitable Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes is the fact that he doesn't want to come to Portland. The Blazers could decide to trade for him anyway, risking the possibility of a one-year rental if he decides to decline his player option. But retaining these players will only become more difficult if Portland doesn't invest in them properly.
Dundon may have had success in turning around the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes with a similar cost-cutting approach. I'm not sure it's a good idea to replicate that in the NBA, given the reputation he's already making for himself and, now, the Blazers franchise as a whole. Bill Simmons even referred to Dundon as "El Cheapo!"
Dundon's hands-on approach has led to cutting "unnecessary" expenses. Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report wrote about how Portland was the only playoff team that didn't send its two-way players to its road playoff games (subscription required).
That includes Caleb Love, who played 49 games for the Blazers this season, filled in at key times throughout their injury-riddled season, and even stayed on the Kia Rookie Ladder for a good chunk of the season. If I'm Love, I'm keeping that perceived lack of value, and quite frankly, disrespect, in the back of my mind when it comes time to decide where to play next.
It's not just the two-way players; it's also a lot of little things combined that eventually compound into a much bigger problem. Dundon may think that second-guessing whether Portland needs two mascots, not giving fans T-shirts at home playoff games, or avoiding late checkouts aren't a big deal. But it absolutely is, especially when you're in a market like Portland.
The Los Angeles Lakers or Boston Celtics could get away with these things, as players would want to join them regardless, given their historic franchises and prime locations. Those factors don't apply to Portland.
The good news is, the Blazers are finally back to building a winning culture, ending a four-year playoff drought. But half the teams in the league are playoff-caliber. What separates Portland from the rest?
Right now, the answer is nothing. And if Dundon continues these cost-cutting measures, the gap between the Blazers' lack of star power and the rest of the teams with an advantage elsewhere will only widen.
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