Here I am, out of my foxhole.
(My last article was published clear back on Dec. 1, 2025. So, maybe this is an annual endeavor now? Who’s to say!)
Why have I resurfaced, you ask?
Simply put, I’m a Belieber.
Sorry, scratch that!
I meant I’m a believer, in this team (and even the owner, at least in his commitment to winning a championship).
As has been well chronicled, since Tom Dundon assumed ownership of the Portland Trail Blazers, the franchise has been getting a whole lot of attention for all the wrong reasons. Where there has been any smoke, many have concluded Tom “El Cheapo” Dundon to be the firestarter.
I’m looking beyond this pale, though, over the river and through the woods, past all this smoke and fire.
Because it’s looking increasingly likely he got something really right, and in the most important part of the Trail Blazers organization, no less, on the court…
The Best Trade Joe Cronin Has Made
Wait, what!?
Why am I giving Dundon credit for something Joe and his Cronies pulled off?
Well, we can thank the “Jail Blazers” for this, a lazy moniker used to describe an era of the franchise spanning the late 1990s to early 2000s. Lazy ’cause only one Blazer from this era ever served time in jail. And one player does not a team or an era make!
This is not to say the actions of the few during this bygone era were excusable. Dumbfounding, highly questionable, to be sure, embarrassing for a proud fanbase, no doubt. But also, I think, a byproduct of the City of Portland’s monoculture, as this era, for some people, simply confirmed previously held biases.
It was more than just a local story, and I’m certain it would’ve gone viral if there was such a thing back then. It was every bit a national story, with ESPN/SportsCenter and Sports Illustrated providing regular updates.
So notorious was the era, in fact, that it was revisited recently by Netflix via its Untold documentary series.
Many people were appalled by what went on, including me. Some, though, were jaded, not the least of whom (at least for the purposes of this column) were Paul Allen and Oregon’s own Bill Oram.
Now, what I’m not going to do is pick on Bill. His initial Oregonian/OregonLive.com article about the Ja Morant trade (Ja Morant is a ghost of Trail Blazers’ past) captured the angst of Blazers fandom with this notorious era exceptionally well. You see, as a seventh-generation native Oregonian, he was a fan long before he ever became a sports writer. The Portland Trail Blazers were his team. And, I think, the passionate fan in him won out when he wrote this column.
I actually can’t recall ever reading a more emotionally charged sports article. When I read it for the first time, I remember being quite struck by the strong emotional overtones. And yet, I can’t begrudge a person who let their emotions get the better of them when my own life is littered with such examples.
And while we can’t say with any certainty how Paul Allen felt about this notorious era (being “the” quintessential behind-the-scenes owner), after he put his full faith and trust in Bob Whitsitt, how could he not have felt burned? Bob, by his own admission, wasn’t a chemistry major in college, and evidently, couldn’t care less for organizational culture. He alone created a very combustible situation that blew up in his face, a chemistry experiment that went all kinds of wrong. And Paul Allen was left to clean up the mess.
Perhaps most reflective of the NBA governor’s feelings was the ownership edict, the love child(?), born as a direct result of this era. Portland, both city and team, would no longer take any chances on players with character concerns or even a hint of them.
So powerful was this edict that it even survived the owner himself, becoming part of Paul Allen’s legacy. And his sister Jody wasn’t about to tarnish it after his passing. She didn’t take any chances on such players for the 8-ish years she was the trustee and caretaker of the Trail Blazers franchise.
While the edict was the shrewdest of moves by Paul Allen at the time, giving Blazer fans and the city of Portland what they wanted most, a team it could be proud of, made up of good dudes who play hard, it became the primary focus. Maybe even the sole focus of the organization?
Winning championships was more of a nice-to-have than what drove the franchise forward. I mean, “we” did win one after all, clear back in 1977 (before, I suspect, most of us were even born. I know I wasn’t). And “we” have clung to this (celebrating it what feels like every year since) nearly as tightly as “our” need for the team to consist of blue-collar players with impeccable character.
Sadly, this need has trumped all else and hasn’t left much room for the human experience. Not only have “we” not won another championship, but we’ve been missing out on one of the best sports arcs there is, the story of redemption.
Enter Ja Morant and Tom Dundon, the latter taking a chance on the former, rooted in Dundon’s expressed desire to win at the highest level, which is something I can really get behind.
And, in a twist of irony, Ja and Tom have something in common: sweeping generalizations have been made about both, making them great case studies.
First up, Morant (The Best Trade Joe Cronin Has Made)…
On the court, despite the team’s overabundance of guards, primarily lead Gs, I was an early supporter/proponent. Here are the four thoughts I shared on my socials in July:
(1) Too many guards, you say? Since Scoot’s rookie season (23-24), here are the average games played for the Blazers’ top five guards:
- Scoot: 52.7
- Jrue: 61.3
- Dame: 43.7
- Ja: 26.3
- Shaedon: 51.3
Which averages out to 47 games played/season. So no, the Blazers can’t have too many Gs!
[And this average will drop even further with Shaedon Sharpe expected to miss most, if not all, of this season.]
(2) The shortest wingspan among this guard contingent is 6’7″ (Holiday & Morant), so whatever they lack in height, they make up for with length, especially Sharpe (6’11.5″).
This length will enable the Blazers to deploy more three-guard lineups. And they happened to just hire a coach in Micah Nori who is “elite with lineup combinations.” (Chris Finch)
(3) With three guards on the [court], the team will be able to check two important boxes: 1) play with pace, and 2) reduce turnovers by having more playmakers on the floor. Both of which were noted by [Micah] as areas needing improvement. So, check & check.
(4) I mean, what is there not to like about this trade?
Relative to the cost (the untradeable Jerami Grant & Kris Murray), Joe Cronin hit this one out of the stadium.
Considering Ja Morant’s immense talent & short-term contract (just two years remaining), I see zero downside.
Say what, zero downside? You’re crazy!
What about Ja’s well-documented off-court issues?
Well, “we” might have been a bit too hasty to rush to judgment, but I’ll let Bill Oram and Jason Quick tell this part of the story:
As laid out rather beautifully in his follow-up article (I questioned Ja Morant. To my surprise, he answered), the student (Ja) became the teacher (Bill). The subject: invaluable life lessons.
In a direct X (formerly Twitter) message to Oram, Morant had this to say:
“Great morning, Bill, I hope all is well.
“I’m the type to judge someone based on who they are once I meet them. I’ve never met you, so I don’t know what type of guy you are, but even after that article, I still won’t judge you … because I don’t think that’s who you really are.
“I think, respectfully, you should do the same.”
In response, Bill Oram apologized: “It was a mistake to characterize your past the way I did, I’m sorry.”
Ja ended the correspondence with “Head up, It’s all good. Look forward to meeting you soon.”
Prior to this, Bill “was deeply ashamed. [He] Felt broken.” And here’s Ja Morant extending him a hand up. In my experience, it’s much easier to extend someone grace before they offend your sensibilities. After they’ve assailed your character, not so much. There is real beauty in this!
But this is just the beginning. The mic will now be passed to J-Quick of The Athletic…
The Ja Morant experience with the Trail Blazers has everyone smiling so far
“The early returns?
“Attitude-wise, he has been a dream: upbeat, smiling, joking, engaging….
[And not just when the cameras are on.]
“When Nori met Morant for lunch in South Carolina in June, he said he asked Morant for the best version of himself. With a curious eye, Nori has observed the 27-year-old during his acclimation to Portland and the Blazers. He wanted to see if Morant met his unofficial bar for authenticity.
“‘How do you treat people who can do nothing for you?’ Nori said. ‘And what I mean by that is … of course Ja’s going to be cool with me. He’s going to be good to Joe (Cronin). But when you watch him from afar and you see him talking to the night security guy, talking to (practice facility manager), to all the chefs … he integrates himself, he is a people person. A guy who speaks first, says hello first.'”
Very beautiful indeed, as are most redemption stories!
For a brief moment, let’s turn our attention back to Tom Dundon, then we’ll make our way back onto the court.
Will Dundon’s proof of concept in the NHL translate to the NBA? I, for one, can’t wait to find out.
But more importantly, given so few of “us” have met him, let alone know him, maybe, just maybe, we can take a page out of Ja Morant’s playbook and not rush to judgment. Let’s at least give him a chance, shall we?
I do believe he’s chiefly responsible for Morant’s acquisition. So, there’s that. Still not convinced? There’s also this, an article by James Mirtle, a senior NHL writer for The Athletic:
How a controversial new NBA owner funded an NHL powerhouse to the Stanley Cup [Championship]
Read it, or don’t. But should you choose this adventure, you will be at risk of seeing Tom Dundon in a different light. Dare I say, even as a person, albeit a very driven one.
And now, back to the court…
I actually loved everything about the offseason basketball-wise.
The Best Bit of Offseason Business…
Signing the Time Lord, Robert Williams III (RWIII), to a three-year, $44 million extension. His abilities and impact are unquestioned. Name me a better backup center than RWIII? His availability, on the other hand, may forever be in question.
Thankfully, the devil is in the details. Only this season is fully guaranteed ($14 million). The 2027-28 season only has a $5 million guarantee, unless Time Lord plays 50 games this season. If he plays in 50 games in 2027-28 (year two of the extension), the third year of the deal also becomes fully guaranteed. Otherwise, 2028-29 is non-guaranteed.
While I’m still quite high on Yang Hansen (see Portland Trail Blazers trade down, then draft Yang Hansen with the 16th pick in the 2025 NBA draft), I am not ready for the Yang Hansen experience in the event of a Donovan Clingan injury. So, fingers crossed, Robert Williams III will be the backup center bridge till Yang is ready for primetime.
If not…
Did Someone Ask for Shooting(?)… Check, Check, & Check
Mic check countdown (in Dame D.O.L.L.A.’s honor)…
- However unlikely Damian Lillard returning to All-Star form might be, now that he’s 36 years old and coming back from a torn Achilles tendon (having missed all of last season, except for an All-Star contest cameo), he’s going to create a whole lot of space for his teammates. I would strongly advise against leaving the NBA’s reigning Three-Point Contest Champion open.
- Portland further insulated itself from the Yang Hansen experience by signing a shot-blocking stretch-5 in Branden Carlson (BC), formerly of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
- Here’s a quick rundown on BC: Over his brief two-year career, he’s shot 35% from three and averaged 0.6 blocks in only 10 minutes a game. Where he hit pay dirt, and how he likely earned his one-year, fully guaranteed $2.5 million contract with the Trail Blazers, was in his limited run (four games) as a starter last year. He popped for 16.3 points on 48% shooting, including three 3PM on a 3P% of 41.4%, 6.5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1.8 blocks, & 0.8 steals. That’ll do in a pinch!
Speaking of getting pinched, the Blazers are not about to get caught with their pants down, so they doubled down on floor-spacing bigs by claiming Micah Potter off waivers from the Indiana Pacers.
He too [picked and]popped in limited action (seven games) as a starter last year. To the tune of 14 points on 50% shooting, including 2.4 3PM on a 3P% of 39.5%, 9.3 rebounds, 2 assists, 0.7 steals, but only 0.3 blocks.
But who is Micah Potter, really? Asked and answered by Pacers coach Rick Carlisle:
“Solid is the word. Micah, that’s what he is. He’s solid. He’s a no-frills player. He doesn’t try to be fancy out there. He plays the game, he works to play to his strengths. I like that he’s a stretch big that can legitimately play some four. That’s a very good thing.”
So where, oh where, do all these maneuverings leave us?
Well, I’ve led you to water, but won’t make you drink.
As for me, I’m drinking the Kool-Aid!
In the early going of last season (25-26), I thought the Play-In Tournament would be within their grasp. Mission accomplished! Going into this season, I’m setting my sights even higher.
Where others see problems (too many Gs, too many Cs), I see solutions.
Not only have the Portland Trail Blazers improved their depth, they’ve raised their talent floor considerably. Taken together, we should expect Portland to improve on its win total from last year (42). And don’t be surprised if the Blazers finish in the top six of the Western Conference.
The bar will surely be raised; it’s just a matter of how high! So, you may want to get on the bandwagon now, while there’s still plenty of room.
P.S. The Portland Trail Blazers are currently on an 82-win pace after starting 3-0 for the first time since 2022-23.
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