TUALATIN — When the doors to the Portland Trail Blazers’ practice facility opened Tuesday afternoon, reporters were greeted with a curious thing:

Silence.

There was no booming music, no echoing whistles, no squeaking shoes, no bouncing basketballs.

There was not the usual array of bustling post-practice activity, which typically includes individual shooting, small-group film review and occasional two-on-two competition.

Instead, there was just an empty, soundless gym.

And while it was a surprise, it was also rather fitting, symbolizing one of the most pressing issues troubling this young and developing team.

“One of the biggest things (for us) is being able to speak to each other on the court,” Blazers forward Toumani Camara said. “It’s very quiet out there at times and … even th

See Full Page