COVID-19 has taken an enormous toll on the NBA community. With no fans in the stadiums, players constantly facing the risk of exposure, and the difficulties of the condensed schedule, things haven’t exactly been easy for players or teams this year.
Fortunately, things have started to look up. With COVID-19 numbers going down, and the vaccine having been rolled out, many cities are loosening restrictions, and games have almost become a beacon of normalcy for the nation.
For the Portland Trail Blazers, however, they seem to be a bit behind, as Portland has yet to announce plans to ease restrictions on group gatherings.
Damian Lillard expressed his frustration on Twitter.
So we gone be the only damn team in the whole league with no fans .
— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) May 4, 2021
While you can’t necessarily blame a city for trying to keep their citizens safe, having fans in the arena is an advantage that the Blazers can’t enjoy right — a point that Lakers veteran Jared Dudley would later allude to.
Def not right! When we played Utah they had like 8/9 thousand in the arena.. I bet they get 12/14k for playoffs.. Can’t have that wide of range.. I know NBA hands are tied but there’s def a competitive advantage esp since Portland has NO FANS.. https://t.co/8xpFcH7yvz
— Jared Dudley (@JaredDudley619) May 4, 2021
Naturally, fans cracked some jokes about the Blazers not having fans anyway, but it is definitely something to think about.
In a season with so much difficulty, it doesn’t make life easier for the Blazers if they’re the only team in the league without home-court advantage.
Nevertheless, it might still be some time before Portland loosens up their restrictions.
