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

I think I might've had an unforeseen interaction between the Ritalin, double mocha and the eight ball of crank. It didn't seem that FUCK bad at SHIT the time, but PISS-SUCKER it did seem to leave me out of COCK sorts in retrospect. I'm feeling much better now, though. BARFO **** Thanks for humoring me. HCP FUCKER

 

I'm only willing to venture 18-0. The final outcome would be the same, though.

 

Not mention, KP had to swing a deal with Houston to nab him. Apparently, word got out that SA was gonna take him (next) with their pick. KP would have none of that!

 

Because he's incompetent at negotiating salaries, and anyone could have drafted 1 star (Roy) and 2 good players (Aldridge, Batum) in 4 years of mostly early picks and Allen's money greasing trades.

P.S. Dime Magazine's articles are usually just as bad as this one.

 

Not knowing the inside scoop (none of us do) it's hard for me to say yes or no to keeping KP.

But jlprk, if "anyone" could have done what KP did, why haven't they? Why haven't the Clippers, Warriors, Raptors, et all drafted "one" star and "two" good players? Why haven't they had back to back 50 win seasons, even with a ridiculous amount of injuries, if "any" GM could do that?

If the difference maker is Paul Allen's money, well, then, it doesn't matter who the GM is, right? So any Portland GM should be able to draft stars and talent? Well, why didn't they?

 

I think that was the last vestiges of the team's tearing down/image overhaul. I'd bet he was told to get rid of Zach at all costs -- and he may even have agreed. At that point Zach had date raped, raced, punched, strip clubbed, drugged and gunned himself out of town -- at least as far as the press and most of the public was concerned. He was viewed as a public menace.

 

Yes leadership does matter. And part of being a good leader is spreading around at least some of the glory to the other people that were involved. In this aspect KP was a poor leader.

Also, why is the burden of proof on me to show that KP WAS NOT mostly responsible? I don't get that at all. I already concede he was heavily involved and that draft likely doesn't turn out as well without his involvement. I am only questioning the concept that KP was mostly responsible. I think that is a reasonable question, and without some support - I reject it.

Again, I will request a link to a quoted interview from a reputable news site from a high level Blazer that was involved in the 2006 draft that claims that KP was mostly responsible for the Blazers targeting and obtaining Roy and Aldridge.

It seems you haven't read my posts in the Presti thread. I have previously covered Batum.

Batum I am excited about. Be aware he has yet to prove much in the NBA in terms of having a high level impact. He could still yet have a blah career. But, I am excited.

Bayless - not so much. I think he is a decent prospect, but he is still a solid jump shot away from being a 6th man combo guard on a good team. It is no guarantee that he develops the solid jumper.

Anyway, I am not unhappy with the Blazer drafting after the 2006 draft. I think it has been solid. But, the team has plenty of misses as well: 2007: Josh McRoberts, Taureen Green and Nichols over Marc Gasol and Ramon Sessions; 2008: Bayless over Robin Lopez (and kept Jack as well). 2009: Victor Claver over Dejaun Blair. And, we had a miss in 2006: Joel Freeland over Paul Millsap.

What team (outside of the chronically very worst run) would have ended up with ALL whiffs from their lottery picks? Your fantasy that we end up with 3 guys who were on 3 different teams strikes me as odd. The same scouts that agreed with KP that we should target Aldridge and Roy are still in the war room. Even if we don't make tons of trades, we could have have just selected Roy with the 4th pick. The implausible - all negative result fantasy can only happen when a GM like Nash overrides everyone else to select Telfair over Jefferson and Webster over Chris Paul.

How long does KP get to hang his hat on one draft - when he was assistant GM?

When do we start assessing his record as GM? As you note he has made as many (if not more) misses as hits.

Try this exercise: Asses the record of KP AFTER the 2006 draft. Now argue that he is a high level GM based on that record.

 

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.

 

And realistically, how long could this list possibly be? 5 names tops? If that? And those names are guys that probably have no reason to leave their current team.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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".

 

Fuck that, KP doesn't need a trampoline.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.