--Outside shooting has plagued the Blazers in recent years, but the team vastly improved its three-point mark this season, to .378 from .346, the year before. That is partly due to the arrival of forward James Jones, who shot .446 from behind the arc and for a time led the NBA in three-point percentage. The Blazers' field-goal percentage (.449) stayed similar to 2006-07.

--On the way out the door for the summer, many Blazers ruminated on how enjoyable the season was and how close they felt to their teammates.

Indeed, the happy, fun locker rooms were a huge departure from the past for the team. "I was playing with an unbelievable group of guys," guard Jarrett Jack said. "That is something I haven't had since college. Whenever we had a tough time or a bump in the road, we rallied around each other and picked ourselves up."

QUOTE TO NOTE
"It's just a classy group of guys. They've been professionals all year long. We wanted to send a message to the fans this year that we've gotten better and the next step is to make the playoffs." -- Blazers coach Nate McMillan.

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