Players might not necessarily look forward to training camp, but they’re generally excited once it gets underway. The conditioning can be tough, even with players in the modern NBA generally staying in good-if-not-great shape year round, and participating in two-a-days doesn’t leave much time to do more than rest before returning to practice, but the renewed optimism that comes with the start of a new season usually makes those annoyances much easier to bear.
And this year, with an entirely new coaching staff led by first-year head coach Chauncey Billups, eight new players -- some already under contract, others playing for one -- and most of the COVID protocols that were in place last year rendered unnecessary by the entire team being vaccinated, the excitement at the Trail Blazers’ first day of camp seemed palpable.