single biggest need for the Blazers.

[RR7]

The team's biggest need is a single vision in the front office, and not a bunch of Yes Men paralyzed into inaction in fear of the whims of the petulant manchild who is their boss. People say how lucky we all are to have Paul Allen as the owner, yet the team hasn't been to an NBA Finals in 20 years, in large part due to Allen's erractic and uneven management group.

You both want a single vision in the front office, and people who aren't just agreeing with the vision that matters the most, that of the owner. Seems like a contradiction. I think Allen agrees with you that he also wants a single vision. His.

 

[Mediocre Man]

Sorta like the Toronto Raptors version of Bayless?

 

[RR7]

I'll say talent. I think we need to continue to add talent wherever and however we can, be it free agency, the draft, or through trades. Continue to improve from 1-15 on the roster. Sometimes that can be big changes, sometimes incremental ones like replacing someone like say babbit with Faried(dunno if he is better, just an example). Ok, so we improved our 13th man. etc. You want to worry about fit, chemistry, etc., but we need MORE talent on this team. Upgrade the backup PG spot. Upgrade the starting spot. Upgrade Rudy, but look to upgrade Matthews, hell. Upgrade Batum at backup SF. Update Wallace if possible. Find a backup PF. Find a starting one that could push LMA to C. Find an upgrade to Camby. Find him a backup.
No, they're not all going to happen, most are unlikely, and I know it is easier said than done. But more than just oh, we're a backup PG and backup PF away, I think we just need more talent, and we can sort it out later. Add talent, then if possible, consolidate that talent for more talent.

 

[magnifier661]

I find it funny that people are knocking this franchise because of the owner. Honestly, I think Allen is one of the greatest owners in sports. He is whilling to shell out millions of dollars for the franchise; losing money in the process. It maybe a "bone head" type investment; since he isn't really making money; but I believe it's because he truly loves this team and wants to win. So for those that dish out the "Yes Man" GM hate; you are entitled to your opinion. I choose to sip the kool aid and enjoy having, in my opinion, one of the best owners in sports.

 

[B-Roy]

I find it funny that people are knocking this franchise because of the owner. Honestly, I think Allen is one of the greatest owners in sports. He is whilling to shell out millions of dollars for the franchise; losing money in the process. It maybe a "bone head" type investment; since he isn't really making money; but I believe it's because he truly loves this team and wants to win. So for those that dish out the "Yes Man" GM hate; you are entitled to your opinion. I choose to sip the kool aid and enjoy having, in my opinion, one of the best owners in sports.

What's the point of randomly shelling out money if you don't get anywhere? Smart decision making is just as important as having "the bling bling" and Paul Allen has consistently shown poor decision making skills.

 

[The_Lillard_King]

What's the point of randomly shelling out money if you don't get anywhere? Smart decision making is just as important as having "the bling bling" and Paul Allen has consistently shown poor decision making skills.

Smart decisions are not just as important as the bling bling. If you don't have the money you can't execute the good decision making.

Who get the credit for the Wallace deal where no other owner wanted his contract? Cho or whoever walks away from deal because they were asking too much (Batum) and deal gets done anyways because no other team wanted Wallace's contract. Only reason Blazers got Wallace was because of PA's money. Or was that considered a poor decision making skills . . . business wise it probably is poor decision making skills, but that is what I love about PA, it's not a business to him, it's a passion.

 

[B-Roy]

Smart decisions are not just as important as the bling bling. If you don't have the money you can't execute the good decision making.

Who get the credit for the Wallace deal where no other owner wanted his contract? Cho or whoever walks away from deal because they were asking too much (Batum) and deal gets done anyways because no other team wanted Wallace's contract. Only reason Blazers got Wallace was because of PA's money. Or was that considered a poor decision making skills . . . business wise it probably is poor decision making skills, but that is what I love about PA, it's not a business to him, it's a passion.

When I compared decision making to money, I didn't actually mean having no money to spend, just not throwing money at everything to see if it works. Decision making goes beyond just basketball decisions, it includes how to properly run an organization without having controversy or people switching jobs every year. I appreciate Paul's passion, his money, and his willingness to spend. I just wish he would stop interfering with his own organization and let the people do the jobs they were hired to do.

 

[PapaG]

I find it funny that people are knocking this franchise because of the owner. Honestly, I think Allen is one of the greatest owners in sports. He is whilling to shell out millions of dollars for the franchise; losing money in the process. It maybe a "bone head" type investment; since he isn't really making money; but I believe it's because he truly loves this team and wants to win. So for those that dish out the "Yes Man" GM hate; you are entitled to your opinion. I choose to sip the kool aid and enjoy having, in my opinion, one of the best owners in sports.

Ask the creditors he stiffed in Portland after he threw the Rose Garden into bankruptcy. A multi-billionaire who used legal loopholes to protect his assets while trying to destroy local companies by not paying his bills to them.

A real stand-up guy! :MARIS61:

 

[PapaG]

You both want a single vision in the front office, and people who aren't just agreeing with the vision that matters the most, that of the owner. Seems like a contradiction. I think Allen agrees with you that he also wants a single vision. His.

A single vision from somebody who has a clue. Not Paul Allen's single-vision of surrounding himself with ego-stroking sycophants.

 

[RR7]

A single vision from somebody who has a clue. Not Paul Allen's single-vision of surrounding himself with ego-stroking sycophants.

So then two different visions. One from Allen, one from someone else.

 

[Denny Crane]

Why? Barfo would just try to spread out and redistribute our assets to the rest of the teams in the league in the name of "fairness".

I LOLed.

It's his fault.

 

[Minstrel]

So then two different visions. One from Allen, one from someone else.

I think two visions are always important. The owner should be setting the organizational vision and the GM should be setting the basketball vision.

In some sense, it's the difference between, say, a CEO and a CTO in a tech company. The CEO should be setting the overall organizational vision for how the company will do things, processes, etc. The CTO should be setting the technical vision...how the company will innovate in their product, what skills they need to hire/acquire to do it, what they should be researching.

 

[Harry's Raincoat]

Our biggest need? Health.

If this team were healthy, we'd be up 2-1 against MIA right now.

This was my statement also. HEALTH.
Then, our lineup is Oden, Aldridge, Wallace, Matthews and Miller and we're making a deep playoff run. We still need to identify our PGOTF and add a big or two.
Sign Joel back to a minimum contract. Draft a PF/C type with one of our picks. Dangle Batum for the PG.

 

[Mediocre Man]

Then, our lineup is Oden, Aldridge, Wallace, Matthews and Miller and we're making a deep playoff run.

Why? Portland is 53-29 with Oden in the regular season and 2-4 in the playoffs with him. I always find it funny that people say we would dominate with Greg. Why? I'm not saying we wouldn't, and I think we would certainly be a lot better on paper than we are without him., but what has he, the coaching staff or the team shown with him in that says we would dominate in the playoffs?

 

[mook]

Portland needs to upgrade everything but SF and starting PF.

Wherever it can get the most possible talent upgrade between starting/backup PG, SG, C, and backup PF, it should. Particularly if the incoming talent involves better shooting and/or defense.

 

[magnifier661]

Ask the creditors he stiffed in Portland after he threw the Rose Garden into bankruptcy. A multi-billionaire who used legal loopholes to protect his assets while trying to destroy local companies by not paying his bills to them.

A real stand-up guy! :MARIS61:

Link please.

 

[magnifier661]

What's the point of randomly shelling out money if you don't get anywhere? Smart decision making is just as important as having "the bling bling" and Paul Allen has consistently shown poor decision making skills.

Hmmm, well let's see... 4 WCF appearances, 2 finals appearances, 15 straight years in the playoffs, and currently on a 3 year streak; since being an owner. I don't know what you call success, but so far, he's doing better than 20 other teams historically.

 

[maxiep]

I find it funny that people are knocking this franchise because of the owner. Honestly, I think Allen is one of the greatest owners in sports. He is whilling to shell out millions of dollars for the franchise; losing money in the process. It maybe a "bone head" type investment; since he isn't really making money; but I believe it's because he truly loves this team and wants to win. So for those that dish out the "Yes Man" GM hate; you are entitled to your opinion. I choose to sip the kool aid and enjoy having, in my opinion, one of the best owners in sports.

I'll take Peter Holt over Paul Allen any day of the week.

 

[maxiep]

Why? Portland is 53-29 with Oden in the regular season and 2-4 in the playoffs with him. I always find it funny that people say we would dominate with Greg. Why? I'm not saying we wouldn't, and I think we would certainly be a lot better on paper than we are without him., but what has he, the coaching staff or the team shown with him in that says we would dominate in the playoffs?

Is it your contention that the version of Oden we saw was Oden at 100%?

 

[Nikolokolus]

So then two different visions. One from Allen, one from someone else.

Not quite.

PA wanting people to nod their heads when he speaks is not in fact the same as having a vision about how to build a competitive and successful sports franchise. I think it's become fairly clear that he hasn't the first clue that teams don't in fact, work like start-ups -- wherein you throw a ton of money around and fire people willy nilly until you achieve some kind of profit or product. Owning/running a successful franchise does in fact require true leadership skills and the ability to empower expert employees to go out and do their best, while you mostly stand aside and handle the money side of the business and occasionally sign off on or veto deals when there is a tangible financial impact for your organization.

The bottom line is right now we appear to have an owner who is eager to win and is willing to spend, but largely has no idea of how to go about it and has also mostly surrounded himself with sycophants and boot-lickers which makes his chances of success even more remote.

 

[magnifier661]

Not quite.

PA wanting people to nod their heads when he speaks is not in fact the same as having a vision about how to build a competitive and successful sports franchise. I think it's become fairly clear that he hasn't the first clue that teams don't in fact, work like start-ups -- wherein you throw a ton of money around and fire people willy nilly until you achieve some kind of profit or product. Owning/running a successful franchise does in fact require true leadership skills and the ability to empower expert employees to go out and do their best, while you mostly stand aside and handle the money side of the business and occasionally sign off on or veto deals when there is a tangible financial impact for your organization.

The bottom line is right now we appear to have an owner who is eager to win and is willing to spend, but largely has no idea of how to go about it and has also mostly surrounded himself with sycophants and boot-lickers which makes his chances fo success even more remote.

Tell that to Cuban. He said he's very profitable and micro-manages his organization.

 

[Mediocre Man]

Is it your contention that the version of Oden we saw was Oden at 100%?

Is it yours that he will ever be? I honestly think the Oden we saw was as good as it's going to get going forward.

 

[maxiep]

Is it yours that he will ever be? I honestly think the Oden we saw was as good as it's going to get going forward.

We'll have to agree to disagree.

 

[BlazersBlood]

Young player at any position with the chance to be a star in this league

This, but I'll make it a little more attainable. We need a dynamic scorer that can get their shot any time they want and has the ability to create for his teammates.

I'd also say a franchise center, but those seem to be a curse for the Blazers.

 

[maxiep]

In reality, other than health, what this team needs more than anything else is a new owner. I think Paul Allen has gone off the rails.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Tell that to Cuban. He said he's very profitable and micro-manages his organization.

Well first of all Cuban has become much less hands on over the years but unlike Allen it appears that he posseses the acumen to handle some personnel duties as well as knowing how to run a successful business.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Doesn't that go without saying?

That's never stopped you saying it.

But actually, I agree with your original post: teams win in the playoffs by putting talent on the floor. So, obviously, it has to be talent that can play together. But Dallas has success with Jason Kidd and JJ Barea, both technically PGs, on the floor at the same time. Phil Jackson teams have had enormous success without a stereotypical PG.

Currently my obsession (because (a) he seems to be available, and (b) I watched how effective he was for Team USA last summer) is Iguodala. Swingman doesn't seem to be an area of need, but imagine a lineup with Wallace, Aldridge, Iguodala and two others on the floor together... You could add Brandon Roy for the fourth quarter, because Iggy actually gets ridiculous amounts of assists. And if Oden is healthy, that's a pretty intimidating five. Substitute Dre Miller for Roy and you've got your starters.

(You would need to pick up the odd James Jones type shooters...)