Chad was their lead talent evaluator in both of the last two drafts. In neither one did they have an official GM... we can only speculate which voice(s) was the most influential. Again, remind me of all the solid players they passed over for those terrible picks you were bitching about STOMP
Yes I get the idea of blasting Chad for doing a terrible job and I suspect if Blazers don't improve by summer, they will internally fire Chad and get a new GM. But personally I see where Blazer management is coming from. I don't think the Blazers even know which direction they are heading right now (roster overhaul or adding to the pieces) and the kind of GM you get depends on which direction you take. I think Allen keeps trying to add to this team (with Chad) until he feels it's hopeless and then brings in a Nash type GM to make the hard cuts and take the heat while the team dumps salary.
I don't care much about Nolan, I have nothing against him, what I have a problem with is that it seemed everyone is high on Nolan just because he's the new guy and everyone was excited about his potential while Armon fell completely out of favour for no appearent reasons (in my eyes, at least). Armon since the beginning of the current season was considered unimportant and I still remember a lot of excitement about him last year when he actualy got to play. I guess I just missed the game/s where he screwed up and became washed up in just his 2nd year in the league. I think he deserved a chance at least as much as Smith who Is newer than Armon but not nessecarily better. I wouldn't release Nolan for Joel but I DEFINITELY would not have released Armon and I've said several times since the beginning of the seasonn that he should at least play sometimes, not even every game, just get a chance. and now he's gone.
2009 NBA Draft 22 - Victor Claver, 5 good point guards were taken before Claver. There's no question they could have moved up if they wanted to, but didn't. Claver may never play in the league. Buchanan is a college scout, but you're telling me he couldn't convince them to try and get one of the points instead of a euro stash? 31 - Jeff Pendergraph, was never a contributor, now bench warmer in Indiana. 33 - Dante Cunningham, not with the team anymore. Who did they pass up? Taj Gibson once with Claver. DeJuan Blair THREE times with all three players. I was pissed during the draft then, still pissed now. Jonas Jerebko, Sam Young, Jodie Meeks and Chase Budinger would all have been better picks. 2010 16 - Luke Babbitt. Seriously? Are you going to try and defend this pick? Sure there's no stars picked after him, but there's plenty of good role players like Vasquez, Bledsoe, Bradley, Crawford, Fields. All good role players we could use instead of a human white flag. 22 - Elliot Williams. May pan out. Good pick? Maybe. 34 - Armon Johnson. They spent 2 million of PAs money to grab this guy. He got cut yesterday for a 32 year old center who can probably barely play anymore. Could have had Landry Fields. 2011 21 - Nolan Smith. Looks terrible. Passed on Faried, Norris Cole, Marshon Brooks, Chandler Parsons etc. Guys who are actual contributors. Look at it how you want, but failing to get one decent role player in three drafts with the amount of resources and picks they had....just unforgivable. Teams like the Spurs are great at finding role players late in the draft. And while, I'm not saying they have to strike gold with every pick, they could at least shoot 1/7 no?
Larry Miller, Nate and the entire broadcasting crew of the Blazers are the BIGGEST KISS ASSSSSSS CLOWNS I've ever seen! Paul Allen has bought his YES MEN and they are producing very well for him!!! I've said it before and it's just as true today, this team will never win a CHAMPIONSHIP till Paul Allen is kicked the hell out of PTOWN!
Are you serious? How about Kenneth Faried last night? Yeah, Nolan Smith sure looks like a better pick then him...uhuh... Need more? Marshon Brooks, Norris Cole come to mind immediately, both have looked good this year so far....Others who have had good moments or are coming on of late: Chandler Parsons, Reggie Jackson, Jordan Hamilton & JaJuan Johnson.... How about 2010? Missing on Eric Bledsoe was just flat out inexcusable IMO, Avery Bradley, Jordan Crawford, Landry Fields 2009 was even worse, we get Claver who may never come over and there were FIVE fricking PG taken right before POR (Jrue Holiday, Ty Lawson, Eric Maynor, Darren Collison & Jeff Teague) and for a team needing a PG to not deal up for one of those guys was just inexcusable... Also passed on Omri Casspi, Roddy Beaubois, Taj Gibson and in the 2nd round, Dejuan Blair, Jonas Jerebko, Marcus Thornton & Chase Budinger come to mind.... That year we got Claver, Cunningham & Pendergraph...all gone from this team or not likely (Claver) coming.... 2010 we traded UP for Babbitt, yeah that is right, we traded up for that stiff and PASSED on Bledsoe & Bradley which was inexcusable... 2011 we let DEN strong arm us to NOT take Faried, in order to get that piece of garbage Felton...well done Buchanan...and then we go for the 4yr guy in Nolan Smith over more athletic PG like Reggie Jackson and Norris Cole (b\u for MIA BTW) another dumb scouting decision, and even then on the board there were some higher rated guys like Jordan Hamilton & JaJuan Johnson still on the board.....ANY of these players would have been better than Nolan Smith.. Chad Buchanan is one of THE WORST scouts I have ever seen...Just look at his fucking record...it is pathetic...He maybe got one right in Elliot Williams...the rest? (Babbit, Armon Johnson, Claver, Cunningham, Pendergraph, Nolan Smith and Diebler) Pathetic....
Armon Johnson fell out of favor because he sucked and is not an NBA caliber talent... POR should have never drafted him in the 1st place, let alone pay $3 million to trade up to get him....
Your rant I replied to was about Portland's bad drafting being due to not having a GM. Of course KP ran both of these drafts and was their GM... remember??? I fully agree that Nolan looks bad. I wasn't expecting much from this last draft and certainly wasn't excited by that pick. To start with, I hate Duke. He didn't have great measurables and looked pretty average in college. PG was one of two positions where Portland had some immediate need at, so I could sort of understand them taking a flyer on a smart kid with a decent J. Unfortunately he seems to have left that J in NC. Norris Cole would have been better, but he's seemed like a scrub every time I've watched him. Faried and Brooks have done well this year, but I doubt they'd have done much contributing in Portland as there are solid vets at the forward spots. I think they'll be decent role players in their careers. I'll get over losing out on a decent bench player. STOMP
what does this have to do with you claiming everyone being very high on Nolan Smith's potential? I doubt I've lent anything but tepid support for NS as a Blazer and I read quite a few upset posters on draft night. Dude isn't better then average at any aspect of the game Armon's main problem is that he can't shoot. If he can ever develop a jumper I'm sure he'll make it back in the league STOMP
My post was about Chad, not having no GM. Wasn't Buchanan the top evaluator for the last two drafts (according to you)? And did he have no say in 2009? His track record blows.
