On a day that felt like a round of speed dating, Terry Stotts tried to break the ice.
As Portland Trail Blazers media day began with President of Basketball Operations Neil Olshey behind the mic, the head coach hurled out the first question.
“Why didn’t you re-sign LaMarcus?” Stotts asked.
It was a well-timed moment of levity, considering the Blazers and their fans are coming off one of the most painful breakups in franchise history.
Blazers fans had fallen hard for a scrappy upstart group that won on the court and was likeable off it.
But when LaMarcus Aldridge chose not to re-sign with Portland, it set off a cascade of roster moves. When the season begins next month, it’s possible that four of five starters could be playing their first season in a Blazers uniform.
That’s why as players were shuttled from station to station Monday at the Moda Center, it felt like a series of “getting to know you” conversations.
We learned that rookie guard Pat Connaughton can pick up on a double-meaning of a phrase. While talking about the “high turnover rate” of the team’s roster, he clarified that didn’t mean the team will commit a lot of turnovers.
We learned that after playing his first six NBA seasons in Charlotte, Gerald Henderson is learning how to adjust to a new city. He said it took about two months to arrange for his dog to move out west. Beyond that, he’s eager to be a steadying albeit rare veteran presence in the locker room.
We learned that Ed Davis, like many others on Monday, said he’s eager to prove himself. The forward said he wants to do the “dirty things” like protecting the rim and diving for loose balls.
We also learned what we already knew – that Damian Lillard is taking his role as team leader seriously. Last month, he organized a session of workouts in San Diego for this year’s new crop of Blazers to begin gelling.
“We’re probably more ahead of the curve than we could expect to be with the number of new players we have,” Olshey said.
But don’t be surprised if fans are a tad skeptical and guarded as they get to know their new suitors.
Blazers President Chris McGowan admitted hearing plenty of fan frustration over the team’s roster turnover, which also saw the popular Wesley Matthews and Robin Lopez leave town. As a result, the team has increased its fan-outreach efforts.
Portland has one of the youngest rosters in the NBA. There will be growing pains. The product on the floor won’t always be pretty.
But Portland fans love a scrappy underdog. That comes with being a small-market outpost with one team with the nation’s three major sports leagues.
Blazers fans are asking for a team that hustles, grows and wears its heart on its sleeve.
In return, fans should be patient while the team matures. Don’t freak out over an occasional bad night. Don’t long for that supermodel franchise in San Antonio or the hot young thing in Golden State.
“The expectations might be tempered a little bit more than they have been these last couple of years,” Olshey said, right after saying the team’s goal is to make the playoffs. “But we’re not shying away from any expectations. We’re going to compete. And our goal for this roster is to compete at the highest level it is capable of competing at.”
That echoed a familiar platitude Monday. This team promises to work hard. It promises to compete. It promises to get better every day.
It might not be love at first sight between the fanbase and this team. But if the players follow through their promises, there might be a long-term relationship worth investing in.
