Warkentien Piece

[craigehlo]

The thing to me, though, is that there's no earthly reason why KP's job should be in jeopardy - period. The team has improved by 9, then 13 wins under his watch. This season is a wash due to injuries. That said, the team is still overachieving.

The recent history is a mixed bag for KP.

On the Minus Side:

• Almost gave Hedo an insane contract. Was saved from himself by Toronto.
  
• Didn't get Paul Milsap
  
• The player he drafted over Durant suffered yet another season-ending injury. This while Durant is have an MVP-type season cause Paul Allen to question why there wasn't more medical information on Oden.
  
• Didn't get a quality PG in the draft
  
• Getting nothing for Raef's contract

Plus Side:

• Settled for Andre Miller which worked out nicely
  
• Traded for Camby
  
• Drafted Donte who looks like he might have a solid career off the bench

Plus there's probably lot of inside politics we aren't privy to that are working against KP. In a business that's all about what you've done lately, he's had more failure than success.

 

[Eastoff]

He has a home in Lake Oswego, Ore., another reason the Portland rumors persist, and he also has a place in Las Vegas.

Maxie, is there something you want to tell us about your job? ;]

 

[PtldPlatypus]

FWIW, Chad Ford weighed in on the KP controversy in his chat yesterday:

Shane (Portland)

Please tell me that clown Kevin Pritchard will be gone. What has he actually done since he was promoted? Blew the #1, failed to capitalize on RLEC, made a mess of Roy's contract talks, and now Rudy will be gone. I would much rather have Trader Bob or Warkentien.

Chad Ford (1:28 PM)

This has to be someone from Paul Allen's Vulcan group. No one who knows anything about basketball would say this. If you don't like Pritchard, fine. But he's been one of the best performing GMs in the business the past few years.

 

[maxiep]

Maxie, is there something you want to tell us about your job? ;]

LOL! Yeah, that's a bit creepy. To be fair, I actually live in Denver (E. 7th Ave Historic District) whereas Warkentien I think lives out in the 'burbs. The fact we both have houses in LO, however, I think shows where we'd both prefer to be.

As for being Wark, I think most would agree on this board that I've never shown enough basketball knowledge to even be considered for a job as an NBA ballboy, much less a GM.

 

[maxiep]

FWIW, Chad Ford weighed in on the KP controversy in his chat yesterday:

For those that frequented O-Live, I'll bet my bottom dollar that "Shane (Portland)" in the Ford chat was that loser "Definition8"/"BlazerShane".

I agree more with Ford than Shane, for the record. I don't expect my GM to be perfect, but I do expect him or her to be right the majority of the time. In fact, my biggest beef with KP has been his willingness to overpay for pieces he wants. I don't think he's a tough enough negotiator, but then again the toughest negotiator in the NBA--Rod Thorn--runs the suckiest team in the league. That being said, I think KP>Wark.

The Thuggets are talented, but Chauncey Billups is the cap on that shaken soda can of crazy. If he gets popped off, that chemistry explodes. They have talent, but I think they're too unstable to win a championship. Sometime, they're going to need some poise, and I wouldn't count on them to be the team to stay more composed than their opposition. Ironically, the same thing sunk our championship hopes here when he was Whitsitt's yes man. I think it's a pattern; he doesn't seem to care about chemistry.

 

[The_Lillard_King]

What exactly, then, do they want to control???

They want to show who is in control.

KP's agent seriously bad mouths the Blazer organization . . . in hopes to get an extention for KP? Strange tactic the agent tried and it backfired in his face. Vulcan and Allen said no extention now, we will wait and evaluate at end of season . . . and just to piss off the agent and show who is in control of the situation, we won't even acknowledge that we want to resign KP.

And when that agent comes back in the summer to negotiate for his client, we will treat him like shit and he will still kiss our ass, if he wants us to sign his client.

Now that's control baby!

 

[hasoos]

I think folks are blowing this way out of proportion. I still say this was a shot across the bow so to speak. Vulcan, by firing Penn, was sending a message to KP about something going on in the background. If they wanted him fired, it would have been done already.

 

[BGrantFan]

Portland isn't the only team interested in Warkentien. He is the single most-wanted free agent in the Nuggets' organization right now, and the team should take the necessary steps to keep him.

As he works on others' contracts, Warkentien has no contract of his own beyond this season. He is one of the least-paid professionals in the NBA in his position. But he has been the backbone of what the Nuggets are right now — a team among the league's elite with a shot at winning an NBA title. He is the reigning league executive of the year.

Gee, look at Warkentein use a friendly writer to create a bidding war for himself.

This guy is toxic. I wonder if that's why Denver doesn't want him back?

 

[BGrantFan]

For those that frequented O-Live, I'll bet my bottom dollar that "Shane (Portland)" in the Ford chat was that loser "Definition8"/"BlazerShane".

Ha! I was about to post "which one of you guys posted this?" on ESPN.

 

[EPIC FAIL GILDERHUS]

I want to keep KP, but I wouldn't complain much if he was replaced by Warkentien. He's shown that he can do the job.

Do the job? How many championship teams has he put together? Whitsitt was a similar GM IMO, and look where that led us. Do we really want to be Team Tattoo/Douchebag/Thug NW? I sure don't, and after the Jail Blazer era, I like having upstanding citizens on the team. If Wark becomes GM, he's just going to be like Trader Bob, bringing in a bunch of talented but troubled players, and hoping you get a 2-3 year championship window before it explodes in your face.

 

[HailBlazers]

Chad Ford

"This has to be someone from Paul Allen's Vulcan group. No one who knows anything about basketball would say this. If you don't like Pritchard, fine. But he's been one of the best performing GMs in the business the past few years."



^^^Exactamundo. Futhermore:

I think folks are blowing this way out of proportion. Vulcan, by firing Penn, was sending a message to KP about something going on in the background. If they wanted him fired, it would have been done already.

 

[BlazerWookee]

I guess I don't understand why everyone has concluded that Tom Penn' firing has to be related to KP? Couldn't TP just have stepped on his own dick?