"Logic...Sometimes Defies The Brain Trust In The Vulcan World.."

[ABM]

From: The Portland Tribune - Eggers

A 'pink elephant' in the Blazers' war room
BY KERRY EGGERS
The Portland Tribune, May 25, 2010

Even with an eccentric billionaire such as Paul Allen as owner, these are the strangest of times for the Trail Blazers.

We’re less than a month away from the NBA draft, and the man running the front office for Portland isn’t sure how much longer he’ll have a job.

...

A week ago, on broadcaster Brian Wheeler’s radio show, Pritchard said the subject of his job situation “seems to be the pink elephant in the room — maybe not the 800-pound gorilla."

Pritchard may be mixing his metaphors — aren’t pink elephants seen in a drunken stupor? — but his message is spot on.

It’s the subject nobody up high in the Blazer organization is talking about, but everybody else is thinking about.

Here’s hoping the pink elephant doesn’t turn out to be a lame duck.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Interesting read, with no real new information ... just more twisting in the wind.

FYI: it's bad form to copy a whole article, for one thing if you like Eggers' writing, you're denying his article the web traffic that generates the ad-revenue that the Portland tribune relies on, and if you want him to keep writing and getting paid you should probably make sure people read the full article at the home link.

 

[ABM]

FYI: it's bad form to copy a whole article, for one thing if you like Eggers' writing, you're denying his article the web traffic that generates the ad-revenue that the Portland tribune relies on, and if you want him to keep writing and getting paid you should probably make sure people read the full article at the home link.

Yeah, I know better.

Thanks.

 

[MARIS61]

Yeah, I know better.

Thanks.

That's okay, you were probably just channeling maxiep.

 

[jlprk]

Here are the parts of the article that meant something to me.

“When the season ends, we will evaluate how best to move the Trail Blazers forward,” the release said...The season ended April 29 with Portland’s Game-6 loss at Phoenix in their first-round playoff series...Maybe no news is good news for Pritchard...

Asked if his agent, Warren LeGarie, is searching for a potential landing spot in the event Pritchard is fired, the Blazers’ GM said, “He’d better not be.”

...for Penn...Pritchard says no candidates have been interviewed...Has Pritchard been given assurances he’ll be able to hire an assistant? “Yeah,” he said. “I mean, I’m going to hire one.” Has he spoken specifically with Allen about it? “I’m going to hire an assistant GM,” Pritchard said. “It’s a spot we need.”

...Would the owner turn over the draft to an executive who won’t be around after it’s over? Probably not. It’s the best reason to think Pritchard will be back.

As I have forecast before, I see a compromise in the offing. Pritchard will continue doing his strengths, and his weaknesses will be turned over to others. He will continue scouting for the draft, and to some degree negotiating trades. Larry Miller will do all salary negotiations and will share trade negotiations, trying to initiate when Pritchard is passive. He will remain the face of the franchise to groupie reporters. I think the business administration side of being a GM was never really given to him. He will keep the title of GM. He will not get a raise. He will remain a Junior GM, even more junior than before.

 

[STOMP]

As I have forecast before, I see a compromise in the offing. Pritchard will continue doing his strengths, and his weaknesses will be turned over to others. He will continue scouting for the draft, and to some degree negotiating trades. Larry Miller will do all salary negotiations and will share trade negotiations, trying to initiate when Pritchard is passive. He will remain the face of the franchise to groupie reporters. I think the business administration side of being a GM was never really given to him. He will keep the title of GM. He will not get a raise. He will remain a Junior GM, even more junior than before.

You really think that KP did all the salary negotiations himself without Larry Miller riding wingman right beside him in those meetings? How do you have so much more insight into the Blazer's negotiating process then me?

If posting on here constitutes being on record, I'm on record saying both Roy and LA made out better then they should have... but then thats been my position on most Blazer negotiations well prior to the current braintrust... never moreso then Damon. I do know this factoid though, KP isn't the face of the franchise. While he's definately a go to guy for quotes for reporters, the face of the franchise is either 1A. Roy or 1B. Greg. Pritchard could wear a Red T-Shirt with ↑KP↑ front and center on the chest and walk unencumbered through any NBA town besides Portland. Greg would be recognized/mobbed anywhere.

STOMP