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What went wrong with these 3 struggling NBA teams

By Shannon Duff

PHILADELPHIA, PA - MARCH 02: Cam Reddish #21, Evan Fournier #13, Julius Randle #30, Immanuel Quickley #5, and Taj Gibson #67 of the New York Knicks in action against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center on March 2, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 76ers defeated the Knicks 123-108. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - MARCH 02: Cam Reddish #21, Evan Fournier #13, Julius Randle #30, Immanuel Quickley #5, and Taj Gibson #67 of the New York Knicks in action against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center on March 2, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 76ers defeated the Knicks 123-108. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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What went wrong with these 3 struggling NBA teams
PORTLAND, OREGON – FEBRUARY 08: Damian Lillard #0 of the Portland Trail Blazers warms up before the game against the Orlando Magic at Moda Center on February 08, 2022 in Portland, Oregon, What went wrong with these 3 struggling NBA teams. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) /

What went wrong with these 3 struggling NBA teams: Portland Trail Blazers

In the 2017-18 season, the Portland Trail Blazers finished 3rd in the Western Conference. Ever since then, they have gradually fallen off.

  • 2018-19: 3rd in the west
  • 2019-20: 8th in the west
  • 2020-21: 6th in the west
  • 2021-22: 11th in the west

So what happened to the Trail Blazers? Sure, they lost CJ McCollum (who got traded to the New Orlean Pelicans this season), but they still had him for last season. Well, a big part of it this year has been the play of Damian Lillard. He was having one of his worst seasons to date before going down with an injury.

While this might show why they are so down in the dumps this season, it doesn’t show why they fell off in the first place. There were other seasons in between that aforementioned 2017-18 season and this year. If the Blazers haven’t been winning, then maybe it’s time for a change.

That being said, they could be just going through a rough time. It happened with the Warriors in 2019. They went against the Toronto Raptors in the finals and lost in six games. Then the very next season, the Warriors finish number 15th in the west. They were too dependent on Stephen Curry, and he got injured.

With the Trail Blazers, they got too dependent on Lillard, and now with McCollum gone, Lillard’s life will just be harder without his partner by his side. When it comes down to it, it might just be time for a change in Portland.