Blazers fans feeling bullish ahead of first postseason appearance in 5 years

With just a handful of games remaining, the Portland Trail Blazers are poised to reach the postseason for the first time since 2021.

Built on a talented young core, the team has largely exceeded expectations, with a near .500 record and a level of play that some fans say they haven’t seen from the Blazers in years.

Young players like Deni Avdija and Donovan Clingan have brought success on the court and energized the fan base.

Ahead of their game Thursday against the New Orleans Pelicans, fans outside the Moda Center seemed optimistic about their team’s future.

“It looks like they’re just having fun,” said Dana Beck of Manzanita Beach. “They’re meshing like a team and they’re being competitive. They weren’t competitive for four years.”

It’s a far cry from the Blazers’ inauspicious start to the season. After the first game of the season, the FBI arrested head coach Chauncey Billups on charges of wire fraud and money laundering in connection with an illegal poker ring. Billups, who the league placed on indefinite suspension, pleaded not guilty to all charges and has a trial slated for November.

Assistant head coach Tiago Splitter took over the role on an interim basis. Such a disruption could have easily derailed an entire season. But it’s been a year of resilience for this Portland squad. The team has suffered a series of long-term injuries to many of its best players, but it still managed to win more than 40 games for the first time in five seasons.

And many players appear to have bright futures beyond this year. Avdija was voted to his first All-Star Game and has emerged as a potential face of the franchise.

Fans have taken notice. Dawson Fair of Happy Valley said, while Blazers fans are a loyal bunch, he’s noticed the community seems more engaged around the team this year.

“I think there’s more people talking about it, whether it’s at the workplace or just when we come to a game,” Fair said. “There’s more people just seeming to be excited.”

The Blazers also recently finalized the sale of the team to a new ownership group, led by Texas billionaire Tom Dundon. The group also includes venture capitalist Sheel Tyle and Panda Express co-founder Andrew Cherng, among others.

In his introductory press conference, Dundon outlined his expectation that the previous years of struggling and aiming for high draft picks are over.

“That was fun and that was necessary, but it’s more fun to win,” Dundon said. “Hopefully we’ll start creating more habits that … lead to the kind of winning that I expect.”

There had been concern about the team’s long-term future in Portland. NBA commissioner Adam Silver said last year the 31-year-old Moda Center needed to be replaced. And the franchise has a short-term lease at the facility.

The Oregon Legislature recently approved $365 million in funding to renovate the Moda Center. The team is seeking an additional $235 million from the city of Portland and Multnomah County.

During Thursday’s press conference, Tyle dismissed the idea of the team relocating to a different city. Dundon intimated that he would sign a 20-year lease agreement with the city if there are renovations.

Fan Brandon Meyer of McMinnville said he’s optimistic about the direction of the new ownership, given what he says was a lack of investment in the team in previous years.

“I’m excited for it,” Meyer said. “It’s been something that I think has needed to change for a long time.”

At Thursday’s game, the new ownership group was announced to cheers from the Moda Center crowd. The Blazers ultimately defeated the Pelicans, 118 to 106.