OAKLAND, Calif. -- An up-and-coming Portland Trail Blazers squad that won 44 games and exited in the second round of the playoffs last year finds itself grossly underachieving this season.
Before the season, sportsbooks in Las Vegas had picked Portland to finish fifth in the Western Conference. The Blazers (15-21) sit in 10th as the midseason point approaches.
Coach Terry Stotts' job is not in jeopardy, league sources told ESPN. Damian Lillard, the unquestioned leader of the team, has stressed player accountability. The organization isn't panicking, believing that, when healthy, the Blazers will work their way back into the playoff picture.