It would be understandable if the Portland Trail Blazers were relieved that they made the NBA playoffs. For a while, it looked like they wouldn’t. Even after they got hot, Jusuf Nurkic went down, and it kind of seemed like they might be done, too.
They’re weren’t. They’re in the playoffs, having clinched a spot with the Denver Nuggets’ loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday.
But don’t tell Damian Lillard and friends that they’re playing with found money or operating on borrowed time. They don’t see locking up the Western Conference’s No. 8 seed in that light, per The Oregonian‘s Joe Freeman:
Damian Lillard: "We’re not going into the playoffs saying, ‘Hey we made it, and let’s bow out gracefully and be happy with what we did.'"
— Joe Freeman (@BlazerFreeman) April 11, 2017
Damian Lillard continued: "We’re going (to the playoffs) to take a swing. We’re coming in there to try and shock the world."
— Joe Freeman (@BlazerFreeman) April 11, 2017
Literally every other team in the NBA would agree with the Blazers’ approach. But they probably feel more bullish than most would after winning more games last season, as the league’s foremost feel-good story, and securing a fifth-seeded appearance that resulted in a second-round appearance, courtesy of the Los Angeles Clippers’ injury bugs. And that’s fine. The Blazers should prepare as if they have the ability knock off the first-place Golden State State Warriors. That’s what professional sport franchises do, regardless of the odds or circumstances or opponents.
Fans of the Blazers, though, will want to assume the found-money stance. The Blazers weren’t supposed to be here at one point, but now they are, and they’re probably going to get pummeled by the Warriors. Appreciate the journey to the playoffs first; worry about the result and what it means for the team’s future second.
