Blazers suspend general manager search

[SlyPokerDog]

With the NBA lockout heading to the courtroom and the 2011-12 season seemingly one step away from Armageddon, the Trail Blazers have decided to suspend their search for a new general manager, an NBA source familiar with the team's plans told The Oregonian.

The Blazers already had slowed their search in recent weeks, as the NBA and its players dug into intense negotiations designed to salvage the season. And when the players shot down the NBA's most recent offer Monday and elected to dissolve their union, the Blazers decided it was most appropriate to halt their search, in part to protect jobs.

After all, the salary of a new GM -- possibly millions of dollars a year -- would be equal to the costs of countless other jobs in the organization.

"To go out and spend a bunch of money on a high-paying GM job doesn't make sense right now," the source said. "With what has happened the last week or so, it made a lot of sense to put the search on pause."

The Blazers plan to resume their search when and if a new collective bargaining agreement is signed and the lockout ends. But what about the flurry of free agent and personnel moves the team would have to make after any sudden agreement?

The Blazers have said before they have in place a team led by interim GM Chad Buchanan that can handle the team's needs whenever a new CBA is completed.

A Blazers spokesperson confirmed Wednesday the team had suspended its GM search, but refused to offer further details.

In early October, the Blazers decided to hit the reboot button on their search -- which then had lasted longer than four months -- and informed all of the previous candidates they were no longer in the running for the job. The Blazers said at the time they were focusing on new candidates with extensive GM experience.

That prompted speculation about the candidates the Blazers were considering, and multiple published reports suggested they were focusing on Dallas Mavericks' Donnie Nelson and Utah Jazz' Kevin O'Connor. However, a Blazers team source called the reports false and said the team had not reached out to Nelson, O'Connor or either organization.

The Blazers fired GM Rich Cho in a surprise move on May 23 after he held the job for less than a year. Cho's dismissal occurred 10 months after the team fired popular GM Kevin Pritchard.

http://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/index.ssf/2011/11/trail_blazers_suspend_general.html

 

[PapaG]

Hi. Remember me?

 

[maxiep]

Kevin Bacon said it best.

[video=youtube;2jqQsDklQEM]

 

[julius]

hopefully the team does whats right and hires back any of the employees they had to let go, including the people who worked TV, and/or concessions.

I wonder how many people could be hired back (or at least given some money to assist in living expenses) with the money they'd pay a GM

 

[HailBlazers]

Stupid Players, Tricks are for Kids

 

[jlprk]

Those who want the players to surrender to hardline owners like Paul Allen will no doubt cheer Allen's effort to save money on a GM.

Oops.

 

[Draco]

hopefully the team does whats right and hires back any of the employees they had to let go, including the people who worked TV, and/or concessions.

I wonder how many people could be hired back (or at least given some money to assist in living expenses) with the money they'd pay a GM

Oh give me a break. Those former employees can go get off their ass and get a job like everybody else. I hope to god Paul Allen doesn't consider what you suggest. I'd be glad to see him continue to support the numerous legit charities he wants that provide for people who have extenuating hardships. Not giving out a bunch of freebies to able bodied skilled workers.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Oh give me a break. Those former employees can go get off their ass and get a job like everybody else. I hope to god Paul Allen doesn't consider what you suggest. I'd be glad to see him continue to support the numerous legit charities he wants that provide for people who have extenuating hardships. Not giving out a bunch of freebies to able bodied skilled workers.

That's a little harsh dude. There are a couple of members of this forum who have been financially hit pretty damn hard by this lockout.

 

[julius]

Oh give me a break. Those former employees can go get off their ass and get a job like everybody else. I hope to god Paul Allen doesn't consider what you suggest. I'd be glad to see him continue to support the numerous legit charities he wants that provide for people who have extenuating hardships. Not giving out a bunch of freebies to able bodied skilled workers.

I understand what you're saying, but you don't think that HCP, or any of the other people, are trying to get a job? Or that some of the people who run the concession stands aren't trying to get a job?

Maybe I'm missing sarcasm, but it's comments like this that bug me. As if HCP (etc) are just sitting begging for hand out or "charity".

Have you ever heard of good PR? He (Paul Allen) would get a lot of positive PR if he was to simply give some money to the employees that because of the business he is part of has decided to stop the season, that they're out of a job.

if he was to take the money he would've otherwise spent on the GM, and helped pay a few of the employees some money during the cancellation of the season, it would probably make the people who work for the team far more grateful for working for the team, and be better employees.

And it's not like they're getting fired, they're losing their jobs because of something they don't have any say about. It's not like they've been fired, or are on strike themselves. They're out of a job (temporarily hopefully) because of no fault of their own. HCP didn't decide to say "fuck it, I'm gonna sit on my ever widening can and post on sportstwo constantly instead of trying to get a job".

Also, other teams are doing this. It wouldn't be crazy for the Blazers to do it.

get off their asses..jeesh. Maybe if they weren't dirty hippies too!

 

[Natebishop3]

I understand what you're saying, but you don't think that HCP, or any of the other people, are trying to get a job? Or that some of the people who run the concession stands aren't trying to get a job?

Maybe I'm missing sarcasm, but it's comments like this that bug me. As if HCP (etc) are just sitting begging for hand out or "charity".

Have you ever heard of good PR? He (Paul Allen) would get a lot of positive PR if he was to simply give some money to the employees that because of the business he is part of has decided to stop the season, that they're out of a job.

if he was to take the money he would've otherwise spent on the GM, and helped pay a few of the employees some money during the cancellation of the season, it would probably make the people who work for the team far more grateful for working for the team, and be better employees.

And it's not like they're getting fired, they're losing their jobs because of something they don't have any say about. It's not like they've been fired, or are on strike themselves. They're out of a job (temporarily hopefully) because of no fault of their own. HCP didn't decide to say "fuck it, I'm gonna sit on my ever widening can and post on sportstwo constantly instead of trying to get a job".

Also, other teams are doing this. It wouldn't be crazy for the Blazers to do it.

get off their asses..jeesh. Maybe if they weren't dirty hippies too!

It seems to me that PA is looking at a Anakin to Vader transformation before he ultimately tosses David Stern into a big hole a few years from now.

 

[THE HCP]

I wouldn't expect a handout. I chose the field I'm in as a freelance employee. I am paid ridiculously well for my skills, but the drawback is I'm paid by the day..... without benefits. I'm gone from my family quite a bit, but on average have about 3 months off a year. This situation is out of my hands and I'm scrambling, but I saw this coming.

 

[Draco]

That's a little harsh dude. There are a couple of members of this forum who have been financially hit pretty damn hard by this lockout.

Yes well reading my quote again it was harsh, I wish I had laid out my viewpoint in a less direct mean spirited way.

On a personal individual level it is sad anytime somebody has struggles with their job, and I have empathy for fellow posters as well as any person in the population who is going through their own career tough times.

But I think its wrong to suggest Paul Allen owes anything to anybody who isn't working for him. If he has the means to donate to charities there are many out there that are much more deserving then former employees, who are workers that can get a job from some other employer and contribute to society.

If Allen had spent money on a GM he would be receiving advice and direction from that employee. Since he isn't hiring a GM the team will miss out on that valuable direction. Rich Cho and Kevin Pritchard both provided valuable advice. The franchise is in a worse position without a competent GM, but I can understand that during a lockout the cost of hiring such an employee may be greater than the benefit of having such an employee. The franchise is downsizing its arena staff, TV staff as well as upper management staff (GM) to save scare resources and that sounds like a reasonable way to run a business. The Blazers should be ran as a business, I'd love to see Paul be more of a philanthropist, but that should be separate from his ownership and day to day management of the Blazers.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Yes well reading my quote again it was harsh, I wish I had laid out my viewpoint in a less direct mean spirited way.

On a personal individual level it is sad anytime somebody has struggles with their job, and I have empathy for fellow posters as well as any person in the population who is going through their own career tough times.

But I think its wrong to suggest Paul Allen owes anything to anybody who isn't working for him. If he has the means to donate to charities there are many out there that are much more deserving then former employees, who are workers that can get a job from some other employer and contribute to society.

If Allen had spent money on a GM he would be receiving advice and direction from that employee. Since he isn't hiring a GM the team will miss out on that valuable direction. Rich Cho and Kevin Pritchard both provided valuable advice. The franchise is in a worse position without a competent GM, but I can understand that during a lockout the cost of hiring such an employee may be greater than the benefit of having such an employee. The franchise is downsizing its arena staff, TV staff as well as upper management staff (GM) to save scare resources and that sounds like a reasonable way to run a business. The Blazers should be ran as a business, I'd love to see Paul be more of a philanthropist, but that should be separate from his ownership and day to day management of the Blazers.

Great post and I agree, I wish we had a GM right now. If or when this lockout is over things are going to move very fast. Not having a GM or hiring one right after many teams have made big moves that we could have been part of is stupid.

 

[Nate Dogg]

That's a little harsh dude. There are a couple of members of this forum who have been financially hit pretty damn hard by this lockout.

Yep, with the NBA lockout thats a minimum 6 home games a month that I haven't worked.

 

[THE HCP]

^What are you doing instead man?

 

[Nikolokolus]

At a time like this it's important to remember ...

[video=youtube;e9mf3Bypyk8]

 

[illmatic99]

BUMP

 

[Boob-No-More]

From Henry Abbot's latest True Hoop blog; The winners and losers of a new CBA

"LOSERS: The Portland Trail Blazers

The Blazers carry high salaries with a mediocre team, and we know for certain the GM has not spent the summer executing a new master plan. We know this because there is no GM. But common sense would suggest this team has to win a lot or change a lot, and one of its favorite tools of the past -- outspending rivals -- has grown trickier."

BNM

 

[julius]

I don't knwo if they're losers, esp if they either amnesty Roy or he actually can be a role player.

They aren't necessarily going anywhere, but there are loads of questions.

A core of LaMarcus, Wesley, Nic and Wallace isn't a bad starting point. I don't know enough about Felton, and I don't know if Oden is staying or if he will produce.

Nolan Smith could be a decent player, but the rest of the team isn't worth much (probably).

Their worst contract is Roy, and if they keep him the only way it can be justified is if he's able to produce a solid 20 minutes a night as a backup to Wesley. Otherwise, he's an anchor the size of the Titanic.

 

[BBert]

Does the new deal include a one or two-year window to determine whether/who to amnesty? If so, they can give Brandon a nice tryout to see if he can provide more positives than negatives more than once every five games.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Ah yes, I'd almost forgotten about this ... Good times.

Just remember everybody chill out. Bert and Larry have got this all under control