BLAZERS LAST YEAR: 59-23
THIS YEAR (PROJECTED): 52-30
By Dr. Jack Ramsay
Special to ESPN.com
The Portland Trail Blazers are the NBA's most disappointing team this season because so many so-called experts expected them to be the championship team. Now they are the sixth seed in the Western Conference and are struggling, mired in constant turmoil.
They acquired Rod Strickland, who was suspended for one game after pleading guilty to a drunken driving charge. There has been uncertainty regarding Rasheed Wallace, their best player, with all the technical fouls, leading to a one-game, team-imposed suspension. They have lost Bonzi Wells to a season-ending knee injury. They will miss Wells, an open-court, energetic player who does a lot of things well.
I don't think their big offseason trade really benefitted them. The Blazers would have been better if they kept Brian Grant and Jermaine O'Neal instead of getting Dale Davis and Shawn Kemp. Davis has done his job as effectively as he did in Indiana, but he is not playing as many minutes. And Kemp has had zero impact on the team and is now done for the season after entering drug rehabilitation.
The Blazers have too many players who have established star status at some time in the past. But they are no longer playing at that level. It's a difficult burden for coach Mike Dunleavy to accommodate so many players who feel they deserve playing time. Consequently, the Blazers have had a very inconsistent season. They thought they were strengthening the team, but their moves and problems have weakened it instead.
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HORNETS LAST YEAR: 49-33
THIS YEAR (PROJECTED): 44-38
By Fred Carter
Special to ESPN.com
The Charlotte Hornets have been up and down all year. They haven't consistently played up to their abilities. There were times this season when it looked as if they would put it together. They would win seven in a row but then lose a quick eight out of 10. Last year they were the same way and earned the East's No. 4 seed. Now they aren't close to that.
The Hornets simply don't have the mental toughness to play hard every single night in the NBA. They are a talented team but perhaps they learned too well from one of the biggest underachievers of his day: Derrick Coleman.
They have veterans but no veteran leadership. The players on this team who have been in the league for a while have yet to step up and take responsibility for the state they find themselves in. Elden Campbell isn't a leader and Coleman, of course, has never shown that ability. Their offensive players and their productive people are young guys. The young players need guidance but they can't find it in the current crop of veterans in Charlotte. Considering the Hornets led the Central Division for some time, their current plight makes them a big disappointment.
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