Supporters of the Portland Trail Blazers will be on pins and needles this fall when the 2021-22 regular season tips off, largely thanks to last spring’s premature playoff exit. But if there’s one season the Blazers can typically count on, even if only partially, it’s been the summer. Call it a backhanded compliment if you wish, but GM Neil Olshey has built a perennial Summer League powerhouse, employing a team with two championship game appearances, one championship, and a league MVP since 2012-13.
Given the lack of translation, that’s a depressing form of success if one’s ever seen it.