Given the injury issues this year and the domino effect they created, I'm extremely proud of the season and the playoff performance. I don't bleed Blazer red by any means, but I don't see how a 50-win season and the chance to get to a Game 7 against an opponent like the Suns can be construed as a failure when you lose the second most player games to injury in the entire league...especialy when your star is playing on a knee that was surgically repaired 10 days earlier and missed half the playoff series.

I'm quite pleased with the coaching, the front office, and the way the roster shapes up for next year. Hopefully the Vulcans will refrain from meddling/overreacting and the team can stay healthy and deliver a nice season next year.

The Blazers actually played worse before the injuries. Nate's got a great excuse, but he doesn't seem capable of bringing the best out of his ample player talent. The blowout losses to Phoenix were embarrassing, and would have been so even if the Blazers had won 60 games in the regular season.

Jack..."Mr mayor"

In the old days...players played for the love of the game and peanuts.

Oden...ISN'T

I missed a team bus once in high school for an away game..totally my fault, I was held out for one game, my team got nailed at middle guard, where I PLAYED.

I begged to play, when I was hurt, I carried the water tank and med gear, I didn't want to go home.

WARRIOR MINDSET, few have it, one for sure doesn't, and I DON'T care he isn't old enough to drink yet.

Here's my concern:

This is the best this team can do. I feel this team is always going to be injured. And Nate, while a good guy and good at getting the players to act appropriately, is just not the best X's and O's coach.

The Blazers, as currently assembled, have peaked. This team at its best can make the playoffs, and not much more.

That said, I do like this team. And I love rooting for them. And I think most of Portland does as well. Last months "Marcus Camby" chant was downright inspirational.

I tend to agree with Bill McDonald's take: The Blazers are here to get us through the long rainy months. And now that spring is here, I can find something else to occupy my time.

So I say kudos, Blazers. You made me proud to be a Blazer fan again. And you kept me very entertained for nine months of winter.

Thanks. Let's do it again next year.

So who's he going to replace Pritchard with? These GMs live off of 1 or 2 crucial trades, so if Prithcard can make something happen this summer, maybe he'll make it.

The Blazers do have ongoing problems mainly in the post. Aldridge is always going to be soft, Oden will be brittle (at 22?), Pryzbilla taking off almost 2 seasons after 30 and Cmaby is at the end of his career.

Plus we really don't have any trade bait (Rudy's value is about 10% of what it was at the start of the season.)

I don't envy Pritchard (or his replacement.) Finding someone to get us past LAL (or maybe even OKC now) is going to be tough.

get us past LAL (or maybe even OKC now)

Or PHX, apparently.

Now that the Blazers have been sent to the golf course for the summer, there's one other semi-local team we can support that's still in the playoffs...

Let's go Canucks!

Rich - been growing my Canucks playoff beard :D

Hey, now that the Blazers are done with, maybe all of you can go watch some great Timbers action. 2 - 1 win last night and it was as exciting as it gets.

Give Phoenix some credit. They played a darned good series with a veteran team that was firing on all cylinders on defense and hitting a very high percentage on their field goals. Their bench was outstanding. Just when we would get them figured out, they would drop absolutely insane 3 bombs from any one of 3 or 4 players. Our shooting just plain sucked pretty much all series, and nobody really got their stroke down with the 3 ball. It's not the coaches fault or the GM's fault when players can't or won't make shots. Rudy's show at the end? "Too little too late". At least Martell hustled his butt off when his shot was off.

I think Nate's a good fit for the team and this town...besides who else are we going to find to replace him? BTW two 50 win seasons back to back isn't shabby by NBA standards,especially with all of the injuries, and the Western Conference is tough. If we were in the Eastern Conference and didn't make the second round then I would see it. Last night wasn't a blow out. Again, consider the competition. I bet it's the Lakers and the Suns in the Western Conference finals if the Suns play as well as they did in the first round.

I lived in Seattle when Nate was coaching the Sonics. I think he took the Sonics to the playoffs twice in his five years there. He had two superstars on his teams there - Rashard Lewis and Ray Allen - and I think you could say he didn't get the most out of his players. I think you've seen what Nate is going to be able to accomplish.

The Blazers were blown out three times in six games. That's pretty miserable. Especially at the hands of guys like Channing Frye and Jason Richardson. P-U!

The Suns shot the lights out because they were wide open far too often. It's called ball movement.

Nate's a good fit for the team and this town

If you think Portland's a first-round-exit-year-after-year kind of town, then yeah, you're right.

The players have tremendous talent, but the team is lacking good playoff coaching. And it's also missing backboard muscle. There are some NBA coaches who would not have let LaMarcus Aldridge declare himself a jump shooter. Unfortunately, Nate is not one of those coaches, and now that player's career potential has become limited.

If I hear Nate mention "scrap" one more time as the key to the game, I'm going to scream.

Dude- either get somebody to design an offense or go away.

If you think Portland's a first-round-exit-year-after-year kind of town, then yeah, you're right.

Portland absolutely is that kind of town.

The Blazers had one chance to change their trajectory with the 2007 draft pick. And the Blazers blew it by drafting Oden.

The next decade will be nothing but first round playoff losses. And honestly, I'm okay with that. I like this team, and I'm realistic about what a small market NBA franchise in the Pacific NW can accomplish.

The Suns were/are a better team than the Blazers sans Roy -- no coaching can change that. A win in this series would have been a huge upset. I enjoyed watching the games on TNT, because the national broadcasters tell it like it is. They were stunned that the Blazers won the first game -- whereas our local bozo Canzano stated flatly that the Blazers "would not lose a home game." Uh huh.

A win in this series would have been a huge upset.

Really? Didn't the Blazers beat them in the regular season?

the Blazers sans Roy

The result would not have been different with a healthy Roy. The Blazers have no real offense to speak of. It's time they developed one. Nate can't or won't do it.

"Timbers action. 2 - 1 win last night and it was as exciting as it gets."

Yep, I'm sure all 5000 people will agree with you. This augurs pretty well for MLS.

"The next decade will be nothing but first round playoff losses. And honestly, I'm okay with that."

Wow, at least you won't get disappointed. So the mgmt should just give up and keep collecting ticket money?

It's not about the wins and losses, it's all about the fan experience.
If it was up to me, I'd give both teams a trophy.

Christian,

I've been growing my playoff beard too, and it's coming in kinda reddish. I'm starting to look like an older, fatter Daniel Sedin. Or is it Henrik?

Wow, at least you won't get disappointed. So the mgmt should just give up and keep collecting ticket money?

Management isn't going to give up. But there are serious limitations to what they can accomplish. Most of the money is tied up in Roy and Aldredge. And the only reason a free agent is going to come to PDX is if the Blazers overpay. I just don't see that happening.

I went through a period where I was severely disappointed with the drafting of Greg Oden. But I've since comes to terms with it. It is what it is. I can't change the decision.

Sports is supposed to be fun. I'm not gonna freak out because the Blazers aren't going to win a championship in the next five years. There was a time, when I thought they had a shot at a title. That time is over. So, I'm just going to enjoy this team for what it is.

That said, by all means, freak out over the poor coaching, the frequent injuries, and the lack of effort. I'm sure it's going to make you a happier person.

"But there are serious limitations to what they can accomplish."

I think the Lakers, Magic and Cavs (plus every other team in the league) face serious limitations to what they can do. But they get past the first round somehow.

I mean why bother doing something (or charging high ticket prices) if you don't want to be the best?

Coach Larry says:

Rudy? Gone. Webster? Gone. Bayless? More minutes. Miller and Camby? Team captains. Aldrich? Box the eff out now and then. Oden and Priz? If you're going to be hurt, at least sit with your team during the playoff games. Roy? Try to look less like the Geico caveman. Rice? GET OUT OF THE BROADCAST BOOTH. You make me want to stick an ice pick in my ears.