The Portland Trail Blazers lost a heartbreaking game to the Chicago Bulls last night, falling to a dagger three-pointer after mounting a 20-point comeback in the fourth quarter. It’s possible that pain is just part of being a Blazers fan.

Pain seldom goes unremarked, though. After a promising 4-2 start to the season, the Blazers have gone 2-7 in their last 9 games. That’s going to cause some grumbling and self-examination, including the question in today’s Blazer’s Edge Mailbag.

Dave,

Another tough loss in a winnable game. How much does coaching play into all this? I see players making regular mistakes on defense. Do you think it’s just them maybe because they’re young? Or do you think this team is coached well yet? Curious about your thoughts.

Jon

A few qualifiers to start with: •

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