Portland Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts has said that his team will be motivated by their playoff elimination at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs last season.
The Blazers made it past the first round, but then met an almost unstoppable Spurs side, which went on to claim the championship with an emphatic final victory over the Miami Heat.
"Our entire team enjoyed having a taste of success, not only in the regular season but in the playoffs and winning in the first round," said Stotts, according to the NBA's official website.
"The fact that San Antonio not only beat us, but how they beat us and how they won the championship I think gave us the motivation to know that there's a lot for us still to achieve and what we have to do to achieve it."
The next NBA season is due to get underway on October 28.
