The Portland Trail Blazers suffered another first-round exit in the 2021 NBA Playoffs after Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets beat them in six games. General Manager Neil Olshey spoke out on the season on Monday and gave some rather odd comments as to why they didn't advance.
Neil Olshey: "This first-round loss was not a product of the roster."
— Sean Highkin (@highkin) June 7, 2021
Does he wanna throw Terry Stotts under the bus some more? I mean, the Blazers did fire him after countless years with the organization, but to say the roster wasn't the problem seems foolish.
While Damian Lillard is a clear superstar, he didn't get much help in the playoffs. Their defense was also brutal all season long and that was a big reason the depleted Nuggets were able to knock them out.
Olshey also addressed Dame's comments about wanting Jason Kidd as the next Blazers head coach. Needless to say, the GM wasn't too pleased with his franchise player here.
Olshey on Dame going public with Jason Kidd endorsement: "It's unfortunate that it went public because it didn't serve some of the guys whose names were made public in the next 48 hours."
— Sean Highkin (@highkin) June 7, 2021
After all, Kidd released a statement that he wasn't interested in the job at this time, anyway. The Blazers still haven't made a decision on their next coach, but Lillard will likely have lots of input as the trade rumors continue to swirl around the six-time All-Star.
Olshey did say Portland will be looking for a more defensive-minded HC, which stands to reason. While they realistically do need another piece to complement Dame, the Blazers must improve defensively to have any hope at actually making a serious run in the coming years.
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