Brian Berger: Interesting Inside Info about KP

I was actually there for Game 7 of the 2000 WCF and I say the Blazers won. Oddly, I haven't heard many dispute my claim since I made it. Maybe some things aren't really worth people's time or dignity to argue. Isn't it even odder that no one refuted the reports at the time that KP was in charge of the draft and orchestrated it?

Sorry, this is becoming more and more ridiculous. "If you remove 2006, the rest of his track record (if you remove every trade I consider 'easy') doesn't suggest he can make trades." Yes, if you remove everything that doesn't fit your theory, your theory is hard to dispute. You got me.

Me stating my opinion hardly suggests that I consider it locked-in-stone fact. Perhaps you should pay more attention, since I said this (and you quoted and responded to it directly, so you didn't miss it): "Did Pritchard mastermind the 2006 draft? I certainly don't know for sure."

Does "I don't know for sure" mean "There is no chance that he didn't make thie moves?" I leave it as an exercise for the reader!

Kobe Bryant disagrees that Pau Gasol won two rings by himself. I'll take Roy and Aldridge over Gasol. And, again, nothing in Kupchak's record really suggests that he can make moves like getting Gasol. Other than, you know, getting Gasol.

Let me clarify once again: I don't care if you find reason to doubt Pritchard did those deals. I just think your reasoning in support of Patterson's claims are lacking in logic. Trades like the 2006 one (both in terms of quality and complexity) don't come along often...the fact that Pritchard didn't do another that was exactly as elaborate in four seasons indicates nothing, because one wouldn't (reasonably) expect more trades like that in such a short period of time. The fact that he's been extremely active since then and done good, even if not great, work is perfectly in line with the reports of him having done those deals.

 

KP made slick moves for Bayless and Batum, mainly Batum. He had to trade to get those players.

2006 was just different in that it was a prefect storm. Not only did the Blazers target the right guys, the teams around them didn't, and those teams were willing to deal.

What is forgotten is KP(or whoever) swooped in and stole Roy away from Houston. Houston wanted Roy and had a deal with Minn to send Foye to Minn for Roy. What did the Blazers do? Draft Foye, thus taking Houston out of the picture. If they don't draft Foye they don't get Roy, fact.

These are the type of slick moves that didn't exist until we started hearing more of Pritchard's name. He did a similar thing with Batum and was able to get him and leave SA in the dust. Pacer fans are probably still upset over missing out on Bayless.

Fleecing teams became the norm under Pritchard. Say it again: Steve Blake and Travis Outlaw for Marcus Camby.

You keep talking about KP's track record and if it shows he's capable of pulling off the 2006 draft. Considering the draft is unarguably his strongest area, and that he's had good drafts pretty much every year, I would have to say yes. KP acquired a ton of young talent over a short period of time and is why this team is still set up to win for a long time.

 

Why did this reassessment of Pritchard wait till he was gone? I was saying similar things (on ESPN) for his entire tenure, and all I got was hate and people getting me banned. Pritchard is just an average GM who grabs all the praise he can and doesn't spread it around. Now that everyone agrees with me, let's storm the Bastille and Bring Back Bob !! I swear on the grave of BobWhitsittsGhost, I'm tired of waiting !!

 

I had heard Berger but never really had a take on him. But I trust you HCP, at least regarding this topic. So, I will disregard his claims to inside info.

 

LMAO @ the bullshit people actually believe.

 

From today's program, I didn't hear Berger saying that. He said the 2006 draft was led by Patterson, not Pritchard as the Oregonian has hinted. Berger didn't say which individuals in the room came up with the Roy and Aldridge choices. He only said who was for Morrison.

He didn't tell us the process. I would like to hear a more complex history as to how the choice is made among dissenting voices, especially when one is Paul Allen. It's more than a democracy in the war room, it's a technocracy. The Oregonian says that Allen is so bad because he was for Morrison. We don't hear how he must not have pushed very hard, because obviously, he lost and we didn't take Morrison.

 

Weird. When I quote your post there aren't two separate quotes, only one. So there's no unquote mark in the middle, and I messed up this post. Double post.

 

Just to clarify for those who didn't listen to the tape, Berger didn't really say that what Patterson said is gospel. 2 or 3 times in the hour, he said, Patterson said such and such. Berger says he knows others in the organization and gets his info from more than one person.

 

I did listen to the podcast. I do not however have the time or want to read every post in this thread. I do have a couple of questions.

1. Is there a consensus whos dick Berger is sucking?

I ask because he acted as though the info he was spewing is the gospel and he has known this info
a long time and doing all of us a favor by letting us in on the secret. Is he now sucking Steve
Pattersons dick, Paul Allens, the squirly little team presidents or some Vulcans phalic?

2. If Berger really did know all of these "facts" that he espoused in his "fact or fiction" diatribe, why did
he not make light of them years ago?

I ask because I have listened to him interview KP at least twice and he never asked KP about the
2006 draft, scouting Batum or any trades he allegedly did not actually construct. Again, whos dick
was Berger sucking at that time? KP's to get an interview? Paul Allens? Berger claims to know KP
did not conduct the 2006 draft yet the Blazers company line up until recently was that KP
did infact conduct the 2006 draft. Again, was Berger sitting on info we all would have liked to
know or did he in fact not know shit?

3. Given all of this new 2006 draft info, are we really supposed to believe that Kevin McHale and
Danny Ainge were willing dupes in this charade as well?

I ask because McHale and Ainge were KP's hardest "Pritch slaps." Why have they played along in
the old Portland company line that KP "Prich slapped" them? Those two guys have huge egos. Are
they on Paul Allens payroll as well? We are led to believe they are because they have not come
forward to say that they were in fact "Patterson slapped."

This all seems dubious to me. I am not saying others did not have a hand in KP's success. We do know that Portland has an excellent scouting department. Of course they deserve a lot of credit, but under whos leadership were they scouting these guys?

 

I ask this in all seriousness. Have they come out and said they got Pritch slapped either? It would be great to see something that McHale or Ainge said about KP slapping them. Not as a prove it to me thing, but I woul dreally like to read that because I don't remember reading anything about it.

 

I said the exact same thing, and I know Brian as well. He's a douchebag who I'm hearing got a new client with the initials SP, and he's using his radio show for PR purposes. I wonder how the people at The Game feel about that?

For this inside information, I get flamed, and posters gobble up what Brian is spewing as if it has any value at all other than PR spin.