FYI: Jason Quick on BFT

[barfo]

Neither of those moves brought the Blazers a title, and the latter move didn't even lead to a Finals appearance. We haven't won a playoff series since that loss in Game 7..

Bet you won't be able to say that this time next year.

barfo

 

[BGrantFan]

Bet you won't be able to say that this time next year.

barfo

I hope not. Pritchard built a great roster rather quickly, with 4 starters via the draft (Roy, Aldridge, Oden, Batum), and with a healthy Roy and Oden we beat Phoenix this year. Lots of pressure on the next GM, isn't there?

 

[Mediocre Man]

Neither of those moves brought the Blazers a title, and the latter move didn't even lead to a Finals appearance. We haven't won a playoff series since that loss in Game 7..

You're right, but those moves made us serious contenders I think that right now we are also rans.

 

[BGrantFan]

You're right, but those moves made us serious contenders I think that right now we are also rans.

Before Prichard, we weren't even in the race.

 

[RR7]

Lots of pressure on the next GM, isn't there?

Not really, he inherits a fairly well put together roster, with no SUPER glaring holes in it.

 

[BGrantFan]

Not really, he inherits a fairly well put together roster, with no SUPER glaring holes in it.

If the team regresses, it falls on the new GM, Bert Kolde, and whoever Bert wants hired.

 

[Ed O]

COFFEE IS FOR CLOSERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Damn, son. Just watched that movie Wednesday night as part of my Movie Experiment. Nice timing.

Ed O.

 

[OddEnormous]

- First name that was tossed around was Randy Pfund, who put together Miami's championship team.

So now all we need is Dwayne Wade.

 

[oldmangrouch]

A rumor? Larry Miller made it a point to call Quick and correct him that they aren't looking for a young guy, but an experienced trader and negotiator ... that changes things.

Have you noticed something about Miller? He is very quick to refute what somebody else has said - but he never says anything of substance himself. "We didn't do it for this reason" - but never "this is why we did do it."

Is it some kind of personality quirk.....or is he just playing semantic games with us lowly peons?

 

[UKRAINEFAN]

Quick:
- Larry Miller is going to make the call and going to start the search on Monday. They want a young up-and-coming executive and are looking at No. 2's around the league.
David Griffin of the Phoenix Suns, senior VP of the Suns, is one of the names tossed around.

First thing I thought of when I saw that: If a guy like Pritchard was in charge of this search, would he be waiting until Monday???!!!

 

[barfo]

First thing I thought of when I saw that: If a guy like Pritchard was in charge of this search, would he be waiting until Monday???!!!

Exactly. I'm beginning to be somewhat concerned we'll be without a GM for the meat of the free-agent period. Not that we need to sign a bunch of free agents, since we have 15 guys on the roster, but maybe we could be making some trades.

barfo

 

[UKRAINEFAN]

With all this questioning of Pritchard's negotiating ability I think it might be helpful to look back at the last four years and see who actually got traded around the league and substantially helped their new team. Of course, Gasol, but we already had Aldridge I think and also there is the thing that Memphis didn't seem to want to let anyone know how little he could be had for. The only other substantial acquisition I can think of is Chauncy Billups. That is a guy we could have used. But looking back it appears that Dumars really thought that Iverson was going to help them, maybe he just wasn't interested in what we had. I guess what I am saying is that over KP's years there was not much talent changing hands.

Same with free agents. What big successful free agent signings happened in the last four years? Maybe I'm just blanking out here, but I'm having trouble thinking of any. We took a shot at Rashard Lewis, but I don't think anyone is unhappy we didn't try to match that bloated offer by Orlando.

 

[THE HCP]

Damn, son. Just watched that movie Wednesday night as part of my Movie Experiment. Nice timing.

Ed O.

Another example of my LeBron type dominance of this joint!!!!!

 

[BBert]

If the team regresses, it falls on the new GM, Bert Kolde, and whoever Bert wants hired.

I want Presti or Buford. Money is no object.

 

[Pinwheel1]

Yup, just heard that myself which flips the script on all of this speculation that KP was axed for personal reasons and not job performance. It calls into question how KP handled any number of things: Hedo, Milsap, Roy and Aldridge's extensions and an apparent inability or unwillingness to close a deal.

It makes me think of this:

[video=youtube;y-AXTx4PcKI]

I really don't see how that changes anything. You don't tell a guy you don't want him sitting by you because he can't negotiate. There is no way this was not personal.

 

[BrianFromWA]

So now all we need is Dwayne Wade.

Shaq's available.

 

[BoomChakaLaka]

So Rod Thorn is leaving NJ, hmmm. I see two possibilities for KP; the Clippers or maybe NJ?

And I'm now wondering if Thorn would be any kind of fit in Portland?

 

[BoomChakaLaka]

If Shaquille would consider player-coach, replacing Lucas...this might be interesting if he'd accept a reasonable salary.

 

[Natebishop3]

Yup, just heard that myself which flips the script on all of this speculation that KP was axed for personal reasons and not job performance. It calls into question how KP handled any number of things: Hedo, Milsap, Roy and Aldridge's extensions and an apparent inability or unwillingness to close a deal.

It makes me think of this:

[video=youtube;y-AXTx4PcKI]

Glenngarry Glen Ross is an awesome play, and the movie was good. That speech by Baldwin was actually added later by David Mamet specifically for Baldwin. Mamet is amazing. He wrote Red Belt, which was a great movie too. He also wrote The Unit, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

 

[Nikolokolus]

I really don't see how that changes anything. You don't tell a guy you don't want him sitting by you because he can't negotiate. There is no way this was not personal.

The best explanation I've heard is that it was death by a thousand cuts -- both personal and professional missteps or actions that finally turned PA on him. Is that the absolute definitive truth? Maybe, maybe not? But ultimately I think business decisions are personal decisions for Paul (for better or worse)

 

[Minstrel]

The only other substantial acquisition I can think of is Chauncy Billups. That is a guy we could have used. But looking back it appears that Dumars really thought that Iverson was going to help them, maybe he just wasn't interested in what we had.

When Denver got Billups, a guy who I think could have really put Portland over the top, I immediately began wondering if Portland could have done that deal instead. I came to the conclusion that Portland was probably not a team that could have matched what Dumars wanted: a big name veteran with a large expiring contract. It had to be a big name veteran, because Dumars was clearly trying to clear the decks without signaling surrender to Pistons fans. He wouldn't have been interested in a Raef LaFrentz type of non-entity because he would have been immediately flayed for trading Billups for "nothing." The player he got back had to plausibly fit a "win now" narrative. Portland had no famous veteran with a big expiring deal.

A shame...it would have been poetic justice to steal Billups from Detroit to potentially put Portland over the top after Detroit got Rasheed Wallace (granted, via Atlanta) to put them over the top.

 

[VanillaGorilla]

- First name that was tossed around was Randy Pfund, who put together Miami's championship team.

Wasn't that Pat Riley...?

Before the beginning of the 2003–04 season, he did step down as Heat coach, to fully dedicate his attention to his duties as general manager. Longtime assistant Stan Van Gundy and rookie Dwyane Wade, whom Riley drafted 5th overall, led the Heat back into the playoffs with a 42–40 record after starting 0–7. Riley concentrated on improving the team even further before the 2004–2005 season. One of his biggest moves as full-time general manager was to trade Caron Butler, Brian Grant, Lamar Odom and a first-round draft pick to the Lakers for superstar Shaquille O'Neal. Head coach Van Gundy led the Heat to the Eastern Conference finals during the 2005 playoffs, although they lost to the Detroit Pistons after being up 3–2 in the series.

 

[alex42083]

Wasn't that Pat Riley...?

Hmm.. well Quick said it, so take it fwiw.

But according to his bio on the Heat website, he did help put that deal together with Riley.

Pfund’s negotiating skills and insight of the NBA and its players have been called upon for the past 10 seasons to secure some of the best and brightest players in the NBA. Together with Riley, Pfund has orchestrated several blockbuster trades and key free agent signings, the results of which have landed the HEAT NBA All-Stars Shaquille O’Neal, Eddie Jones, Antoine Walker, Gary Payton, Tim Hardaway and Alonzo Mourning, as well as Jason Williams, Lamar Odom and Brian Grant. With the drafting of Dwyane Wade, Caron Butler, Dorell Wright and Wayne Simien, in addition to the veteran acquisitions,

http://www.nba.com/heat/contact/directory_pfund.html

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

Meh... Jones, Walker, Payton, Hardaway, Morning were all past their primes when he acquired them.

 

[Drttimmy]

Not a good attitude with Claver I see.

Agreed. What a terrible anecdote. If you were 20-21 however old he is, dont you jump on that offer? At that age, you certainly dont care about being weary or being inconvenienced with street clothes. That's if its being accurately portrayed. Hmm...that pick is beginning to resemble a waste, especially when coupled with all his previous comments about being "less" than committed or eager to come over here.

Its almost like they conceded last year's draft. Figured they had too many guys competing for spots, and didnt want to add to it. KP is a guy who says he picks a guy he wants, and does whatever he can to move to get him. How did he miss so badly on Collison...or Lawson for that matter?

 

[Drttimmy]

I was told that BRoy and Nic went at it big time from day one and Nic didn't back down. That is why Brandon gave him so much praise after that first training camp 2 years ago.

We need more personal testimonies like this from you man!!! You're not betraying or over-stepping your privledges at all with this kind of information.

 

[maxiep]

I really don't see how that changes anything. You don't tell a guy you don't want him sitting by you because he can't negotiate. There is no way this was not personal.

Exactly. John Nash, Steve Patterson and Mo Cheeks were treated better than this, and they actually hurt this franchise. Even Tom Penn was treated better. It's probably my memory more than anything, but I can't recall someone in the front office being treated this badly in the NBA. This process ranks up there with what Al Davis tried to do with Lane Kiffin.

 

[maxiep]

Glenngarry Glen Ross is an awesome play, and the movie was good. That speech by Baldwin was actually added later by David Mamet specifically for Baldwin. Mamet is amazing. He wrote Red Belt, which was a great movie too. He also wrote The Unit, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Let's not forget "The Spanish Prisoner" and "Heist". He really writes interesting and unique dialogue.

 

[ABM]

Exactly. John Nash, Steve Patterson and Mo Cheeks were treated better than this, and they actually hurt this franchise. Even Tom Penn was treated better. It's probably my memory more than anything, but I can't recall someone in the front office being treated this badly in the NBA. This process ranks up there with what Al Davis tried to do with Lane Kiffin.

"This process was more public and took longer than any of us would have liked, but that was indicative of how critical a decision this was for the franchise,"

~Paul Allen

Not really sure what that meant.

 

[maxiep]

Not really sure what that meant.

What it meant was that he decided he didn't like Pritchard any more, but loved what he brought to the draft. He wanted to use him for what he wanted and throw the rest away like last week's fish.