When it comes to isolating during the NBA season restart in Orlando, Florida, the Portland Trail Blazers are well-positioned. On the scale of team temperament, they’re far closer to Marian the Librarian than the guys from Animal House. According to Jason Quick of The Athletic, that makes them well-suited for multiple weeks of solitude on the Disney campus.
Quick offers this assertion:
The Blazers are in large part a no-frills team when it comes to entertainment. During the season nobody is big on the club scene. Nobody gambles. And when it comes down to it, most Blazers would rather spend their free time getting shots up in an open gym.
It’s part of the DNA top executive Neil Olshey looks for in building a roster — players who are at the point of their career where basketball and winning matters more than the weather, the club scene and other nightlife accouterments that are lacking in Portland.
He bolsters the claim by citing Carmelo Anthony’s year-long preparation regimen to return to the NBA, plus the habits of Damian Lillard, Zach Collins, and more.
Trail Blazers Head Coach Terry Stotts seems unconcerned about the issue, or his team’s focus:
The businesslike approach is consistent with how the Blazers have conducted themselves under coach Terry Stotts, who has rarely needed to fine or discipline players during his eight seasons. He called this group “very focused” because of the tone set by Lillard, Anthony, McCollum and Nurkic.
The Blazers jump into formal practices this weekend. Their first game is scheduled for July 31st.