David Adelman, the Nuggets’ head coach, grew up in the Portland area. He’s irked by the speculation that the Trail Blazers might be moved to another state, Ryan Clarke of The Oregonian writes.
“This was the best place to grow up,” Adelman said. “I loved it here. Still do. They’ve got to keep the team here. They’ve got to find a way to do that. This is a basketball city. The Northwest deserves two teams. (The team leaving) would be crushing for this community.”
The Trail Blazers are appealing to Oregon state legislators for $600MM in public funding to upgrade the Moda Center with the team in the process of being sold to Tom Dundon.
“I know there’s a lot to that, I know there’s financial things to it,” Adelman said. “That’s not my department. Emotionally, I just know what this place is and what it means to have a professional basketball team here. It’s not just something to go hang out at. It’s something go and be a part of. I hope this team maintains what’s going on here.”
Here’s more on the Trail Blazers:
- In their first game since the All-Star break, the Blazers were embarrassed by the Nuggets. Denver scored at will in a 157-103 thumping of Portland. The 157 points is the most scored in a road game in Nuggets history and the most by any NBA team this season. It was also the highest point total Denver had ever registered in regulation. “One of our worst games of the season,” Blazers acting head coach Tiago Splitter said, per Clarke. “The Nuggets had a sense of urgency to win this game. They lost last night, I think three of their last five games. And coming off the break, we were just not ready.” The Blazers will try to redeem themselves at Phoenix on Sunday. “I think we’ve got to bounce back on this,” Splitter said. “Go to Phoenix, bounce back same way (Denver) did. Lost last night, came here with that sense of urgency to win and do the right things. Effort, defense, talk, communicate, no putting your head down when you make a mistake, not running back, forget your matchup. So, all those little things are important in basketball games, and they were not there tonight.”
- Rookie center Yang Hansen got some advice from Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic, Hansen’s idol, according to Clarke. “He told me don’t get nervous all the time,” Hansen said via a translator. “He’s like, you’re a great player. Just go play.” The 16th pick of last year’s draft has appeared in 35 games but is averaging just 7.5 minutes in those outings.
- Scoot Henderson is no longer under a minutes restriction, Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report tweets. However, in the first game after the break Henderson played 21 minutes, about the same amount in his four prior games. Henderson missed the first 51 games due to a hamstring injury.
If the Nuggets ever get healthy they’re a championship team. As for Portland, GSW, Clippers and Suns, with this year’s big draft, the play in could be a tankoff.
Relocate the Pelicans, not the Blazers!!
Don’t relocate anyone because it shatters fanbases and gives us a valid reason to complain for years
The Pelicans barely have a fanbase
Pels fan base is real but they’ve been trash for years which is why no one is going to games today
In 1988 Paul Allen bought the club for $70M.
Dundon is now buying the team and it is valued at $4B.
And they want Oregonians to give them $600M or they leave!?
Can you see how messed up this is?
This is what $4B looks like:
4,000,000,000
v. 600,000,000
Can you see my point? These people have so much money and do you know where it comes from? The fans. The TV money comes from fans and ticket and merchandise sales comes from fans. This is a private business, and when it’s sold again they aren’t giving the $600M plus interest back to the community. All they’ll give is super high ticket prices and expensive local TV costs. I’m so tired of this racket.
All NBA teams continue to increase in value and when the Blazers are sold again in 20 years they’ll be worth $20B, because that’s how it works. If they can’t extort Portland, they’ll find some other city to exploit. Boise? Vegas?
Like the prez, no shame.
4 billion looks like this: $4,000,000,000
600 million looks like this: $600,000,000
And you obviously are not a native Oregonian. The Blazers are part of the fabric of the town and state. 600 million invested in upgrades to the Moda Center and property around it are long overdue and will bring a much greater return on investment than anything else the state and city want to waste taxpayer money on.
Teams shouldn’t get free rides for arenas. Biggest hustle around. Tax breaks yes. Help with land. The city shouldn’t foot the bill.
“ …will bring a much greater return on investment than anything else the state and city want to waste taxpayer money on.”
There are many analyses of secondary economic benefit and most that are not financed by the sports industry find a negligible effect. But go ahead, give your hard earned tax dollars to a multi billionaire. Great plan.
Adam Silver will not let Portland and it’s history simply be relocated somewhere
Blazers 2026 pick is top 14 protected from Bulls.
Right now the Blazers are 27-30 with 25 gms left. They are sitting at 10th place. 2 1/2 gms in back of 8th place. With Warriors, Suns, Clippers having injury issues. Blazers could move up to 8th seed. Or if they get in play-in game. And become the 8th seed. They will give their pick to Bulls. This is what tanking looks like. I would go for 8th seed.
What will Blazers do ????