The Long, Hot Winter: A Year in the Life of the Portland Trail Blazers

The coach of the Portland Trail Blazers describes the 1990-1991 season, from training camp to the playoffs, sharing his impressions of players and his approach to coaching

In 1990, his first year as coach of the Portland, Ore., basketball franchise, Adelman took the Trail Blazers to the NBA finals; this book, written with Oregonian sportswriter Jaynes, covers the following season. It quickly becomes clear why Adelman is such a brilliant coach. He is democratic, even soliciting opinions from his players about a prospective trade; studying his men carefully to see not what they do wrong but what they do right, he utilizes each player in the role for which he is best suited, with the best shooters shooting, the good rebounders rebounding, and so on. The team had a highly successful 1991 season, with the top record in the league, but was defeated by the L.A. Lakers in the third round of the playoffs. The book is an excellent recap.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Coach Adelman of basketball's talent-rich Portland Blazers, aided by a reporter for the Portland Oregonian, offers a diverting but relatively dry game-by-game diary of his team's 1990-91 season. As defending Western Conference champs, Portland was favored to win it all last year. But while emphasizing defense and a ``free-form offense'' and passing game that allowed them to rack up 63 wins, the most in the league, the Blazers faltered in the playoffs, losing to the L.A. Lakers in the conference finals. ``We just collapsed,'' Adelman says. As he recounts the season from October training through June playoffs, including capsule accounts of almost every game, he sings consistent praises of his team, elaborating his philosophy that a coach should realistically concentrate on what a player can do. While generally avoiding controversy, Adelman does criticize NBA officiating, particularly that of Jake O'Donnell: ``For whatever reason,'' Adelman says, ``we seem to have a problem with him.'' The coach addresses contract negotiations and player squabbles, such as Yugoslavian Drazen Petrovic's trade demand (eventually granted), in the same evenhanded, lukewarm manner, though he gives his late-season media feud with former Blazer star Bill Walton a lengthy, petulant rehash. Given their terrific regular season, which climaxed in a 16-game winning streak, the Blazers' playoff performance can only be termed disappointing, but Adelman stoutly looks to next year: ``We can win with the twelve players we have on our team right now,'' he says. While not without some interest to all basketball fans, this paean to the Portland team will play best in the Northwest. (Eight pages of b&w photographs--not seen.) -- Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Adelman, the second-year head coach of the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers, chronicles his team's 1990-91 season. From the first day of training camp in October to the playoffs in May, he provides a firsthand account of life in the locker room, on the court, and in the practice sessions of a professional basketball team. Adelman proves he is up to the challenge of managing and motivating his team through the longest season in professional sports, but the Blazers fall just short of reaching the NBA finals. This book will appeal to serious basketball fans. An optional purchase for large collections.
- Jeffrey Nicholas, V.A. Medical Ctr. Lib. Svc., Castle Point, N.Y.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.