Last night's Blazers' loss, with the Warriors' series victory already a foregone conclusion, was not "devastating." The series was, especially games 2 and 3, after which there was little hope. In game 4, unlike the previous 3, the Blazers played well for almost the whole game, and were just beat by a better team. The other 3 games they contributed greatly to their own downfall.

Yes, it was a great year, a significant improvement, and something to build on, but if Portland does not learn to play defense, rebound and get loose balls for most of the game, instead of only when they're desperate, and sometimes not even then, winning a championship will be impossible no matter what the personnel. Whatever with all the standard blah blah from players, coaches and media, the Blazers, except occasionally (proving they do have the capability), do not look or play like they want it bad enough to go all the way.