Another season, another playoff exit for the Portland Trail Blazers. That’s now seven straight under Damian Lillard and Terry Stotts, which is a positive and/or negative result depending on your expectations.
Regardless, the partnership of Lillard and CJ McCollum falls under the media knife year after year. Can a pair of undersized guards with shortcomings on the defensive end lead a team to the championship while point forwards and wings reign king? If so, in a small market with the two absorbing a significant chunk of the payroll, can the front office surround them with the appropriate players to create a title-contending squad?