The Night after the Spurs

A follow up to my previous piece: www.blazersedge.com/2012/2/18/2807709/the-night-before-the-hawks

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It was the night of Feb. 4, 1989.

The previous night, the Blazers had been spanked by 11 at the hands of the Lakers in Los Angeles. The game wasn’t really that close, with the Blazers having been blown out early, trailing by 22 at the half.

The Blazers had returned home to Portland, to play the second night of a back to back, dismantling an undermanned San Antonio Spurs team 137-100.

Between the games, Blazers head coach Mike Schuler had benched the former Denver Nuggets product Kiki Vanderweghe.

Oregonian writer David Kahn, was feeding the fire about a rift between the two.

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Fast forward to today: the night of Feb. 21, 2012.

The previous night, the Blazers had been spanked by 11 at the hands of the Lakers in Los Angeles. The game wasn’t really that close, with the Blazers having been blown out early, trailing by 22 at the half.

The Blazers had returned home to Portland, to play the second night of a back to back, dismantling an undermanned San Antonio Spurs lineup 137-97.

Between the games, Blazers head coach Nate McMillian had benched the former Denver Nuggets product Raymond Felton.

Oregonian writer Jason Quick, was feeding the fire about a rift between the two.

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Back to 1989.

Within weeks, following the 1989 allstar break, Blazers head coach Mike Schuler would be fired and Kiki Vanderweghe traded.

At years end, the Blazers would part ways with Sam Bowie.

Paul Allen would replace Schuler with assistant Rick Adelman.

Rick Adelman’s first game as head coach of the Portland Trailblazers came Feb. 18, 1989, against the Bernie Bickerstaff coached Seattle Supersonics. In that game, a feisty Nate McMillian led the Supersonics to a win, contributing 19 assists.

Nate McMillian had recorded 2 triple-doubles in the previous 3 games. Needless to say he was having a pretty good week.

I wonder if he imagined that 23 years later he would be sitting in Schuler's spot?

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From a Sports Illustrated article from January 1989:

In May, when the action invariably gets slower and more cautious, call Portland the Fail Blazers. Portland has lost in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs for three straight years… "They need some kind of breakthrough to really get over the hump," says Laker coach Pat Riley. "Until they get it, there's really a squeeze on them."

What ‘kind of breakthrough to really get us over the hump’ will be required in 2012?

Will Paul Allen follow his 1989 steps, and fire Nate?

Will Paul Allen follow his 1989 steps, and trade Felton?

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David Kahn is now GM of the Minnesota Timberwolves, with Rick Adelman as his head coach.

Do you think Jason Quick imagines himself as a modern day David Kahn?

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Following the 1989 season, Rick Adelman led the Blazers to the Western Conference Finals 3 consecutive years, with the Blazers losing in the NBA Finals twice.

By winning the Western Conference in 1990, the Blazers broke up a 12 year run of dominance, in which only the Lakers, Rockets, and Supersonics had been crowned Western Conference champs.

With the Western Conference powers slowly fading(the aging Lakers/Spurs/Mavs having been the Western Conference champs 13 consecutive years), do you think the Blazers could take up the spot as Western Conference elites?

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In accepting the inevitable, one finds peace.

Go Blazers!

Cheers.