Simmons with some quality blasts at the Blazers

[Mediocre Man]

On the GM search

Bill Simmons pops some shots at the Blazers over GM search: "The Portland organization was pretty screwed up these last five years... Normally when a GM job is open, people jump at it. In this case, people are afraid to even talk with them because the feeling is owner Paul Allen has lost his marbles a little bit. Larry Miller and these people running the team haven't really run the team that well."

On Greg Oden

Bill Simmons on Blazers' handling of Greg Oden: "He was out on an island basically with that team. He gets hurt as a rookie, now he's in Portland, he's rehabbing... He didn't have that veteran influence. His cousin comes... turns his house into a party house. Now he's drinking all the time... 'Let's say this was the San Antonio Spurs.' A really good organization that looks out for its players. I just can't believe they would have allowed some of these things to happen."

I'd love to disagree with him, but I really can't on either account

 

[BLAZINGGIANTS]

The question I have regarding leaving Oden out high-and-dry.......

Didn't we hire someone who was supposed to help players transition to the league and learn basic responsibilities? I thought that was the fall-out from all the chaos that happened with guys like Z-Bo, Qyntel, etc....

You'd think they'd do everything possible to look after the #1 pick, a guy that many said was a "once-in-a-generation" center??

 

[Mediocre Man]

We had hired Darnell Valentine, I think, but he was let go for some reason

 

[BLAZER PROPHET]

That is interesting about Oden. And I suppose it's a debatable topic. But overall, I agree with Simmons.

 

[BLAZINGGIANTS]

We had hired Darnell Valentine, I think, but he was let go for some reason

Wasn't Kersey in that role at one point?

I thought they were considering Duck for that role, too. But he was more of a community ambassador in the end.

 

[santeesioux]

Whenever i see the name Bill Simmons, i think of this song

[video=youtube;5dI6mPDCqEo]

 

[SlyPokerDog]

I'm sorry but the more I think about it Oden's problems fall more on Mike Conley Sr than it does the Blazers.

Oden selected a family friend to be his manager. A guy with only his son as his other client. "Don't worry Mrs Oden, I'll personally look after you son. I helped raise the boy. You don't want some big agent who is just in it for the money. I care! I'll take good care of him!"

And what about Oden's mother? Her other son got arrested twice for DUIs and finally kicked out of college. She didn't think to maybe check in on Greg? To stay with him for a while? Batum's mom lived with Nic for at least one season. You don't see Batum whinnying about how bad the city of Portland is.

There are no promises in the draft. A team selects a player and agrees to pay them based on where they were picked. Agents and college coaches are the ones who make promises to look after a kid. NBA teams just agree to pay them.

Lily white Portland probably saved Zbo's life. If he had been drafted by a NY or LA based team his thug life crap probably would have gotten him killed.

 

[BLAZINGGIANTS]

I'm sorry but the more I think about it Oden's problems fall more on Mike Conley Sr than it does the Blazers.

Oden selected a family friend to be his manager. A guy with only his son as his other client. "Don't worry Mrs Oden, I'll personally look after you son. I helped raise the boy. You don't want some big agent who is just in it for the money. I care! I'll take good care of him!"

And what about Oden's mother? Her other son got arrested twice for DUIs and finally kicked out of college. She didn't think to maybe check in on Greg? To stay with him for a while? Batum's mom lived with Nic for at least one season. You don't see Batum whinnying about how bad the city of Portland is.

There are no promises in the draft. A team selects a player and agrees to pay them based on where they were picked. Agents and college coaches are the ones who make promises to look after a kid. NBA teams just agree to pay them.

Lily white Portland probably saved Zbo's life. If he had been drafted by a NY or LA based team his thug life crap probably would have gotten him killed.

Hoops Family 4 Life!

 

[Rhal]

I can disagree on both accounts. wev interviewed a ton of candiates and we have ex gms coming out clammering for the job. a gm position no matter how horrible is always going to have ton of candiates and ours is far from horrible as much as people want to act like it is. not ideal but far from horrible.
as for Oden it's a little harder but people like to take swings at the blazers because apparently in two years we went from a model organization to a laughing stock and everyone wants to jump on the bashing bandwagon.
The team had to have known about the parties and attempted to bring him into line. there was a lot of rumblings about Oden being in trouble with the coaching staff his second year here. They couldnt force Oden to stop anything he did without a media firestorm which would make everything worse. An introvert who's depressed being the talk of ESPN and every sports news writer for weeks would have killed any trust he had for this organization and would probably have ended with him demanding a trade.
instead of putting the blame solely on the blazers how about holding Oden a little accountable for his own actions.

Sent from my LS670 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Mediocre Man]

I can disagree on both accounts. wev interviewed a ton of candiates and we have ex gms coming out clammering for the job. a gm position no matter how horrible is always going to have ton of candiates and ours is far from horrible as much as people want to act like it is. not ideal but far from horrible.
as for Oden it's a little harder but people like to take swings at the blazers because apparently in two years we went from a model organization to a laughing stock and everyone wants to jump on the bashing bandwagon.
The team had to have known about the parties and attempted to bring him into line. there was a lot of rumblings about Oden being in trouble with the coaching staff his second year here. They couldnt force Oden to stop anything he did without a media firestorm which would make everything worse. An introvert who's depressed being the talk of ESPN and every sports news writer for weeks would have killed any trust he had for this organization and would probably have ended with him demanding a trade.
instead of putting the blame solely on the blazers how about holding Oden a little accountable for his own actions.

Sent from my LS670 using Tapatalk 2

Who are all these ex GM's "clammering" for the GM job?


As for Oden, fact is you don't hear this shit with good organizations

 

[BLAZINGGIANTS]

Who are all these ex GM's "clammering" for the GM job?


As for Oden, fact is you don't hear this shit with good organizations

Of course, it's not every day that someone with Oden's potential becomes the world's biggest bust.

 

[speeds]

Agree with santeesioux, I don't think there is anybody BS likes riling-up more than Blazers fans.

 

[Mediocre Man]

Agree with santeesioux, I don't think there is anybody BS likes riling-up more than Blazers fans.

I agree. It doesn't make it untrue though

 

[Hype #9]

BS keeps on talking:

The three teams that make the most sense are Oklahoma City, San Antonio and Boston. He wants to go to a team that has a really good organization, a team that has veterans or real character guys that will look out for him, a great coach, which Doc [Rivers] and [Gregg] Popovich would really be able to help him. He wants to be in a situation where the team is good anyways. Where it's like a luxury if it works out with him. Think of him on San Antonio, that team is going to win 60 games regardless if they sign him or not. Now he's with Duncan and Popovich, they're just like, 'Greg, we don't care if you play this year. Embrace our culture, work out with us. Be on a real team for once.' I think that would work.

http://www.blazersedge.com/2012/5/1...ons-mark-titus-talk-greg-oden-story-shout-out

 

[crandc]

What a load of shit.

Oh yeah, the Blazers just didn't want Oden to be part of the team.

 

[HailBlazers]

Quality... riiiight.

 

[BlazerBeav]

The guy's an uninformed jackass. Enough said.

 

[Mediocre Man]

The guy's an uninformed jackass. Enough said.

What about his comments are incorrect?

 

[HailBlazers]

How bout the implication that the Blazers don't look out for there players?

Even if he's right, he's such a douche about it. Reminds me of someone on this forum...

 

[Mediocre Man]

How bout the implication that the Blazers don't look out for there players?

Even if he's right, he's such a douche about it. Reminds me of someone on this forum...

Ya, I hate that guy too

 

[HailBlazers]

No its not you MM, close second though

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

It's hard to defend a lot of this stuff and with the whole Oden interview and now Simmons the Blazers look like a second-rate franchise.

Factor in that it's been 12 months since Rich Cho was fired. That is just embarrassing.

 

[Mediocre Man]

No its not you MM, close second though

It can't be me, I love myself

 

[The_Lillard_King]

Get the Oden shot whenever you get a chance. "Look how the Blazers screwed up the Oden situation. Other teams would of never allowed this to happen" what a load of crap.

GO would have been a bust where ever he ended up. He would have had the same personality and become a sad victim to his body and situation no matter where he went.

As if being a bust or players going astray hasn't happened to other good organizations. Dallas is a pretty good organization, "how could they let Odom go off the deep end like that. I'm not saying it's their fault, only that you didn't see Odom doing that at a quality organization like the Lakers"

Eddie Curry, Arenas, Meta, Amare . . . every player that ends up being a headtrip in the NBA . . . are you going to blame the organization and say you don't see that happen in San Anotnio?

 

[Nikolokolus]

Certainly Oden bears some of the responsibility for his descent into alcohol abuse and not taking care of himself ... but I find myself asking these two questions and coming up with the same answer:

1. Is this a stable, well run organization? No.
2. Did Oden's handling seem particularly well handled at the time he was going through all of these setbacks? Also No.

I dunno, kind of hard to fault Simmons for pointing this out.

 

[crandc]

The ONLY thing you might say is the Blazers could have cut Oden loose earlier, freeing up money for a player who would produce. I'd be willing to say some organizations might have done so - Dallas got rid of Kardashian's hubby pretty fast. But Simmons is saying the opposite. It's easy to take cheap shots. Does he say what the team should have done different? No, just that other teams would have done it!

Wasn't it Simmons who was so peeved the Blazers got the #1 pick?

 

[BLAZINGGIANTS]

The ONLY thing you might say is the Blazers could have cut Oden loose earlier, freeing up money for a player who would produce. I'd be willing to say some organizations might have done so - Dallas got rid of Kardashian's hubby pretty fast. But Simmons is saying the opposite. It's easy to take cheap shots. Does he say what the team should have done different? No, just that other teams would have done it!

Wasn't it Simmons who was so peeved the Blazers got the #1 pick?

Yes, it was. And it permanently jaded him for life. He quickly got very bitter and evil, and his hatred for the Blazers erupted. Then, because Boston failed to get the #1 or #2, Ainge was quick on his feet, assembled the Big 3 on draft night, and Boston got themselves a ring. Hollinger's bitterness was already growing, and the championship caused the bitterness and evil in his heart go grow exponentially - like a serial killer after his first taste of murder, Hollinger's lust and hatred that evolved from the events surrounding that draft has forced him to constantly attack the Blazers.

 

[WillG]

The fact that Oden even delved so deep into Alcoholism says, to me, that the Blazers weren't paying enough attention.

If they had someone working with Oden fulltime, to help him as he matures as a young man, and to ensure that his nutrition and workout regime was in order; I just can't see them ignoring such problems that have surfaced, if they were taking proper care of him.

This was a number one pick, multi-million dollar investment for the team, who's success rests on his development.
Not to mention a 'once in a generation' centre, and the Blazers allow him to go into party mode for extended periods?

I believe the Blazers failed the team, the fans, but most of all Greg, as an organization in regards to their 'duty of care' for a young man who was trying to find his way.

 

[BLAZINGGIANTS]

The fact that Oden even delved so deep into Alcoholism says, to me, that the Blazers weren't paying enough attention.

If they had someone working with Oden fulltime, to help him as he matures as a young man, and to ensure that his nutrition and workout regime was in order; I just can't see them ignoring such problems that have surfaced, if they were taking proper care of him.

This was a number one pick, multi-million dollar investment for the team, who's success rests on his development.
Not to mention a 'once in a generation' centre, and the Blazers allow him to go into party mode for extended periods?

I believe the Blazers failed the team, the fans, but most of all Greg, as an organization in regards to their 'duty of care' for a young man who was trying to find his way.

Really? You know how many athletes have later admitted their demons, and said nobody around them had a clue? Do you know what it's like living with an addict? Addicts are deceiving by nature, and they become very good at concealing their use of substances. It's even easier for a guy like Oden to get away with it because he was so frequently injured, he didn't have as much exposure (i.e. he wasn't in his normal practice and game routines where he was expected to perform).

 

[Natebishop3]

Could the Blazers have handled things differently with Oden? Sure. I probably would have fired the whole fucking training staff after the first or second year or injuries.

With that said, to say that it was the Blazers or the city that caused Greg to have this downfall is fucking ludicrous. It's amazing that professional athletes have to be babysat these days. Nobody babysat Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, or Charles Barkley. Oden was fucking coddled from day one. By the organization, by his handlers, and even by the city. That guy was given so much time and patience it's just stupid. Even until the end people were saying we should hold onto him because he could be great. Grow up Greg. You weren't a child. Kids go off to college at your age and take care of themselves.

Simmons is just trying to stir the pot, but to blame the Blazers for Greg in that regard is silly.