Fear for the future of Portland: in the USA they demand the NBA "not screw this up"

In the USA, discussions continue regarding the actions and conduct of Portland's owner, Tom Dundon, against the backdrop of real fears that the club will eventually be forced to leave the city.

"Portland is a great NBA market, with a fun history in the league," said senior analyst Zach Lowe in the latest episode of his podcast. "The NBA must not screw this up. You cannot let this guy come in, take over the club, move it out of Portland, and leave the region without NBA teams until Seattle returns to the league. Portland is a great market, its fans deserve more than this. They do not deserve this."

The Athletic published a comprehensive article about Dundon, writing among other things: "Across the NBA, the most common reaction was to label Dundon a 'cheapskate.' In many cases, that is probably a justified criticism." However, the author provides a slightly more sober look at the multitude of cuts he implemented in the club during his short time there.

"If an owner believes that player talent is the main factor for wins, why should he invest huge sums in everything else?" they wondered in the USA. "The answer is that he must be convinced that all those investments actually lead to wins. One can have a substantive debate about this, but it is clear that at a certain stage there is diminishing return, even if it concerns training facilities that cost hundreds of millions of dollars. The real questions are: which expenses are truly necessary? Which expenses truly lead to success? These are good questions, and they still do not have an unequivocal answer."

All this does not mean that Dundon is a financial genius who found the formula to streamline the Blazers without harming professional success. The fact that during his era the Carolina Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup this year might strengthen his confidence, but he still has not proven that his method can also work in the NBA.