I know it's because of the end of Summer seeming condensed run at numerous "State of The Team" analysis and season projections coming from nearly any and all entities charged with following and reporting on The NBA. Coupled with watching an excellent HBO documentary on the rivalry, friendship and careers of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird.

Watching old clips of the now historic and iconic showdowns between The Lakers and Celtics and their near domination of the NBA at that time got me to thinking. Thinking bigger picture than just how good will the Blazers be this season? Or where are they headed from here.

I've been a Blazer fan, from childhood until today. My childhood fandom was born with the winning of the Blazers ONLY NBA Championship in 77. I've followed the team and supported the team ever since that moment.

但看着魔法与鸟,两届e Lakers and The Celtics playing huge games and series both within their conferences and against each other, it got me to thinking .

Are The Blazers a good franchise?

I'm not complaining. I've enjoyed the ride. I'm still on it. But in my nearly life long fandom, the Blazers have IMO only really had 3 cycles of legitimate NBA championship quality teams.

#1 of course being the NBA Champion Walton led team. That was the best in the NBA in 77 and the following season until Walton's injury.

#2, Being the early 90's Blazers of Drexler, Porter, Kersey, Buck and Duckworth. While never winning the NBA Championship, I do feel those teams were of Championship quality. Timing and circumstance sometimes play against you.

#3. 2000 incarnation of Pippen, Stoudemire, Smith, Rasheed and Sabonis. That was a team dominating enough to be a Championship team, in many, many other years, or with a little luck.

BUT....

Now as we debate where THIS Blazer team is headed, and debate the mediocrity of this Summer, and speculate about the direction or ceiling for a Damian Lillard incarnation of the Blazers, and what should be done, or left alone? My question is...is this a good franchise?

Is 3 cycles of Championship Quality basketball in nearly 50 years of operation good enough? I've always felt the Blazer were an above average franchise...a good franchise. But as we debate the current state of the team, and debate it's direction and capability for reaching either greatness or being "mired in mediocrity" do we face the fact that outside of those 3 incarnations, The Blazers as a franchise really should be noted for most often being mediocre? If the benchmarks are repeated cyclical success, or nearly inevitable cycles of success, then the Blazers can't be included with names like The Celtics, The Rockets, The Spurs, The Bulls, and (cough, cough, gag ) The Lakers. Detroit basketball would point to their multiple Championship winning team as well.

Yes some franchises have never won a Championship. even a conference or divisional title. And yes, ONLY one team per season wins the Championship. BUT..does one legitimate Championship in 48 years allow yourself to call yourself a good franchise?

我们应该什么时候说我们一样much about where we have been? And the Blazers have their biggest plaque hanging in the Hall of Mediocrity...in fact, you could call The Portland Trail Blazers the Champions of repeated mediocrity.

Have we become way too comfortable with this?

Is being most often respectably good...good enough? Is that all we have come to expect?

Again my fandom was born as a child, who watched The Blazers win their 1st NBA World Championship. In the years after that? As a kid, I thought winning a Championship would be something repeated. That cycles might come and go, but Championship viability would return, far more often than it actually has.

As I grew up, part of the lesson was it isn't easy. That those Championship runs, those quality teams, were far and few between.

And that's all OK..that's the truth for most franchises.

But in 48 years and counting......do I call this franchise a good franchise at best? A mediocre franchise? As a Blazer fan, I just can't elevate the franchise to the level of many other franchises, in the same time frame.

Greatness seems to evade this franchise, while mediocrity runs to it's embrace.