Blazers leave two-way players, team reporter home in playoff cost-cutting moves

The Trail Blazers are in the playoffs again. The way they are operating behind the scenes has drawn just as much attention.

According to Bill Oram of OregonLive, Portland reduced its traveling party for its play-in game in Phoenix and first-round series in San Antonio, leaving behind digital reporter Casey Holdahl and team photographer Bruce Ely. The Athletic confirmed the report.

Those are the people responsible for telling the story of a playoff run. In this case, they stayed home.

It is part of a broader picture that has started to come into focus since owner Tom Dundon purchased the franchise.

More details have followed. Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report noted that Portland also left its three two-way players behind for the San Antonio trip, something he said no other playoff team did. Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated reported that staffers were asked to vacate hotel rooms early in Phoenix to avoid late checkout fees.

There is more. Oram added that the Blazers passed on a planned T-shirt giveaway for an upcoming home game and did not send a scout to the Minnesota-Denver series, a potential second-round matchup. Jake Fischer of The Stein Line has also reported that the team explored coaching candidates at a lower salary range than is typical for a playoff-caliber roster.

None of these moves stand alone. Together, they paint a picture of an organization tightening things up during a time when most teams tend to expand.

That does not automatically make it wrong. Every ownership group runs things its own way. Still, it is noticeable, especially with the Blazers back in the postseason for the first time in several years.

At some point, the focus shifts from how you operate to how it impacts the product.