How Valuable Is Kevin Pritchard To The Blazers? (Dime Mag)

[Masbee]

Masbee, I agree with most everything you are saying, but I keep coming back to the same point: who will replace him? If they have a can't miss candidate secretly lined up - that's one thing. If they are just taking a blind gamble that they will stumble across somebody better - I can't agree with the move.

I have never campaigned for a new GM. Same reason you state. I may not think KP is a Golden Boy; he may have a mixed record; but he seems to have done more than enough good to warrant staying in place and getting better through experience, unless a clear upgrade is waiting in the wings.

But, since this is Paul Allen's team, he hasn't bothered to listen to my profound and sage advice, and has traveled a path that is leading to KP's departure.

 

[Masbee]

So you are saying, "Yeah, well, throw out the two most productive players we've acquired in the past 5 years, and then tell me how good Pritchard is." If you handicap the evaluation of every GM that way, I doubt you'll come up with more than one or two good GM's in the NBA.

Again - we get one of those guys in '06 regardless. So your statement should be amended "Yeah, well, throw out ONE of the most productive players..."

Again - KP was NOT GM at that time.

Again - Roy and Aldridge was 4 years ago. What has been the record of the last 4 years? Is 4 years not enough time to evaluate? If a player has an MVP season 4 seasons in the past, the next few years is good, but not great and doesn't even get MVP votes any longer, and the other players whisper about his attitude, and he bricked 4 straight free throws to lose game 5 in the 1st round, goes into free agency acting like he deserves everything - all the power and all the money - and shows no interest in improving his game - do you give that player everything they ask, or do you re-evaluate what is going on? Hey, he is an "MVP".

 

[BrianFromWA]

Speaking of which, I'd still like Steve Nash on my team, please. You can keep Iverson.

 

[huevonkiller]

Maybe it's all a con. Maybe TP wasn't really fired and this whole thing is scripted by blazers marketing. This summer KP will be fired and not replaced. And then on opening day Blaze will run out on the court, do a trampoline dunk, and rip off his head, and it will be KP inside. And the team will be so inspired that it will go 82-0 in the regular season, and then lose 4-2 in the first round of the playoffs.

barfo

Fuck that, KP doesn't need a trampoline.

 

[jlprk]

if "anyone" could have done what KP did, why haven't they?...So any Portland GM should be able to draft stars and talent? Well, why didn't they?

Because they did. (...obtain the same number of stars and good players via either draft or trade) (given 4 years, including some high picks, with a noncheap owner) As for winning 50 games, the Coach did that and the GM sat in the stands watching him do it.

 

[jlprk]

Crandc, I'll put it gently to you.

Now, I don't want to overstate this.

If a monkey had been our GM for the last 4 years, with the same Coach and generous owner, starting with tradeable talent like Zach, the monkey would have gotten us more than Pritchard did, and probably have eaten less.

 

[BrianFromWA]

I won't go that far, and I think KP's probably in the top 10 of GMs. I wouldn't fire him without a good reason and/or replacement.

 

[LittleAlex]

Crandc, I'll put it gently to you.

Now, I don't want to overstate this.

If a monkey had been our GM for the last 4 years, with the same Coach and generous owner, starting with tradeable talent like Zach, the monkey would have gotten us more than Pritchard did, and probably have eaten less.

Kingspeed called, he wants his hyperbole back.

 

[crandc]

Crandc, I'll put it gently to you.

Now, I don't want to overstate this.

If a monkey had been our GM for the last 4 years, with the same Coach and generous owner, starting with tradeable talent like Zach, the monkey would have gotten us more than Pritchard did, and probably have eaten less.

And your evidence is ... that you say so on a message board!

The fact is that most NBA teams did NOT win 50 games and most NBA teams with a lot fewer injuries did not even break .500. The coach coaches, the players play, but the GM assembles. I see no reason to not give credit to all three.