[Highkin] In the latest of Tom Dundon’s cost-cutting measures, the Blazers are the only playoff team that didn’t send their two-way players (who are ineligible to play in the playoffs) on the road for Games 1 and 2 this weekend.
Source: https://www.rosegardenreport.com/trail-blazers-two-way-players-watching-playoff-run-from-home/
The Trail Blazers had many season-saving wins in an up-and-down year on the way to the first-round matchup against the San Antonio Spurs that begins Sunday night.
Near the top of that list is a Nov. 21 road victory over the Golden State Warriors that snapped a four-game losing skid as injuries started to catch up with the Blazers all at once.
In that game, with the opening-night starting backcourt of Jrue Holiday and Shaedon Sharpe both dealing with calf injuries, it was rookie two-way guard Caleb Love that stepped up. Love played 37 minutes that night, scoring a career-high 26 points and hitting six three-pointers to help the Blazers outlast the Warriors and pick up a much-needed win to right the ship.
It was the first in a string of big performances for Love, who took full advantage of Portland’s bleak injury situation to establish himself as an NBA-caliber player and help keep the team afloat.
The Blazers would not be in the playoffs without Love. Now that they’ve made it, he can’t play because two-ways aren’t eligible for the postseason.
And in a move that could only be attributed to more cost-cutting measures from new owner Tom Dundon, Love and the Blazers’ other two-ways, Chris Youngblood and Jayson Kent, did not travel to San Antonio with the team for Games 1 and 2 and will be watching from home in Portland.
This is well outside of standard practice in the NBA. All seven other road teams on the first weekend this year’s playoffs brought their two-way players to the games even though they can’t play, sources close to those teams confirmed. They may be stuck in street clothes, but they’re still being treated like they’re part of their teams.