A decade ago, the Portland Trail Blazers kickstarted a new era thanks to an Interim General Manager boldly trading veterans out of a miserable situation to take a chance on a couple of lottery picks.
Sound familiar?
Before you start poking holes in the analogy I’m loosely about to make, I want to be clear — the 2012 and 2022 Blazers faced different obstacles from different positions. But they do share some similarities.
One connection between the two pivot points is Damian Lillard. After starring almost instantly as Portland’s prize in 2012 and spending the past seven years as the franchise star, he’ll try to take this team into a new phase with a hopefully “re-tooled” roster.