Blazersedge: Can you expand on the idea that you raised in the press conference that names don't win games, team wins games? NO: What do you think it means? Blazersedge: I have a good sense for what I think you mean by that, but I would like to hear you elaborate. NO: Teams win games. Putting together the right roster construction, guys that complement each other, guys that know their role, guys that bring a skillset that the coaches can take advantage of, that they can maximize their talent and making sure there's a cohesion. Just putting together a bunch of names, doesn't necessarily translate to wins. You're going to do this as a whole, as a group, with guys that buy into your culture, that buy into your style of play, that are willing to sacrifice for the team. There's times that that's more valuable than just getting somebody that has more name awareness. Blazersedge: You said back in April during the exit interview to ask you after the draft, free agency and trades whether you guys would be a playoff team. Will you compete for a playoff spot? NO: I mean, look, the goal of every team is to make the playoffs. One through 30, everybody is hoping right now that the moves they made make them a playoff team. Whether that's an expectation or not, we'll know more as we see how good our young guys are, we haven't even gotten Allen [Crabbe] or CJ [McCollum] to Summer League yet. We want to see how quickly Thomas [Robinson] is going to get caught up, what his skills are, how they are going to be utilized. I know one thing: We're a lot closer than we were 13 days ago. Blazersedge: LaMarcus Aldridge said earlier this summer that he was excited to see what you would do in free agency. Has he expressed excitement to you in reaction to what you did in free agency? NO: I think LaMarcus is pleased. Clearly, he and Robin Lopez are represented by the same agent. They've been in contact, he was a part of the process during this. LaMarcus's key was to get a big body next to him so that he's not always thrown to the wolves during crunch time, playing the five or being guarded by fives. It was a concern for us as well. We don't want him getting beaten up and worn down at the end of every year because he's a power forward that we forced to play the five because we didn't have anybody watching his weakside and on the other block. Bringing in somebody like Robin who knows his role, he will score with opportunity, but he's not a guy who is going to demand touches. We have enough firepower with our other four guys in the starting lineup, it's not going to affect them offensively but it's clearly going to make them all better defenders. Blazersedge: How do you respond to reports that LaMarcus Aldridge "wants out" and has he expressed unhappiness to you? NO: Whatever LaMarcus's business with me, isn't the business of the media. If LaMarcus wants to talk about it with you guys, or has something to say, I'm sure he will. But LaMarcus and I keep our business private. Blazersedge: Has he expressed a commitment to you in terms of going forward into next year? NO: LaMarcus and I keep our business private. Transcript: Blazers GM Neil Olshey Talks New Acquisitions, Playoffs, LaMarcus Aldridge
For a "national" writer, Golliver hasn't broke any news, whatsoever, for any team this summer. Now he's going shock jock, since he doesn't have any sources, and SI will soon see him as a fraud.
Really? I thought he asked good questions and when Olshey tried to deflect\ignore the question he sent it right back to him and got an answer.... Seriously, is that what some of you expect reporters to do? Kiss Olshey's ass and tell him how great he is and don't ask him ANYTHING of relevance? That is ridiculous..... BTW, no one has mentioned that Olshey didn't come out strong, as he usually does, stating that LA WANTS to be here? No direct comment on what LA thinks.... You don't think that if LA had told Olshey that he had no issues and WANTED to be here that Olshey, being sort of the smug prick he is, wouldn't have thrown that right back into Golliver's face? Of course he would have....Come on now...He didn't emphatically deride\dispute that question b\c he can't. I don't like reporters being a*holes, and certainly sometimes a guy like Jason Quick or Canzano can be a dick...but I definitely don't like guys who, like some fans here are all "Sunshine & Rainbows"....Mike Rice, Wheeler, Mike Barrett....specifically reporters...Uh Chris Haynes anyone?...either.... Those questions that Golliver asked deserved to be asked...and he didn't ask them in a dick way like someone like Quick would either... One of the many reasons I miss having Steve Snapper Jones on the TV broadcast, b\c he was one of the few (only?) guys who would call it like he saw it....If a guy was playing like shit or a player\coach was making dumb mistakes, he would call it...and he was right 9 times out of 10... I don't necessarily want to see LA go, but I also not going to turn a blind eye to what is going on either....It's fine to be a fan, pathetic\annoying to be a homer....
Oh please, Ben was treating that interview as if it was the spanish inquisition. This is a sports team. We're not trying to find out if Monica Lewinski slobbed on Neil's knob. As someone who has been there, and interviewed the GM or President of the team, you don't have to be a dick in the interview. You catch more flies with honey, and having the guy hate you will get you nothing. I think you're still bitter that Neil Ol'slapped your ego with the Lillard pick.
Even the readers on BE are getting tired of his and Dave's schtick. You always see people calling them out in the comments and them going green, which means a lot of people up-voted it. Kind of surprising considering these douchebags used to be seen as gods on there, i wonder if we'll get more people here soon?
I actually agree with a lot (not all) of what Blaze wrote above. I think he took it a little far but if he would have toned it down a little then he would be close to right on imo (and I a pretty big homer).
OK--somebody who had a problem with this interview help me out. Which of these questions was unreasonable, out of line, or reflected an agenda? They all seem reasonable to me. Can you expand on the idea that you raised in the press conference that names don't win games, team wins games? I have a good sense for what I think you mean by that, but I would like to hear you elaborate. You said back in April during the exit interview to ask you after the draft, free agency and trades whether you guys would be a playoff team. Will you compete for a playoff spot? LaMarcus Aldridge said earlier this summer that he was excited to see what you would do in free agency. Has he expressed excitement to you in reaction to what you did in free agency? How do you respond to reports that LaMarcus Aldridge "wants out" and has he expressed unhappiness to you? Has he expressed a commitment to you in terms of going forward into next year?
None where out of line, if you ask me; but.... If you've been paying attention as of late; Ben has been pimping all trades being "meh" and Aldridge doesn't want to say; citing other hacks that were out of line. Also, he was quick to post the negative articles, but took his damn time posting the positive ones. I know bad press gets more hits, so I understand the "sell out" couldn't help himself. I think he and canzano "circle jerk" each other to quicks vajajay.
You couldn't be more wrong. Even if your name was jlprk. Ben's a good guy, a great blogger, and a smart writer.
I think the underlying tension between NO and Golliver is apparent from the start of the interview. Obviously, the BE crowd have been instrumental in pushing the idea that Aldridge wants out, he should be traded now, and that the moves NO and the Blazers have made this summer haven't been "needle-movers". NO, for his part, took a little shot at these notions in his press conference by playing up the fact that, contrary to what the local press have been pushing, the important thing was to make moves to improve the team rather than go after big name players. It's pretty apparent that both have their noses a little out of joint and there's no love lost between them. In other words, everything is as usual between the Blazers and the media in P-Town.
All of those things can be true and yet a guy can act like a complete tool at any given time. Ben gives me the vibe that he's starting to take himself a bit too seriously. He's not to Dave's level yet, but they both seem to think that they have a lot better handle on what should be done with the Blazers than NO and company. I find that pretty hilarious.
I agree....There was nothing wrong with his questions and trying to re-direct a question back to Olshey that Olshey was trying to deflect is what a good reporter does....Same with asking about Aldridge, there has been a lot of chatter\speculation about LA's motives...Why would you not ask the general manager about them? and I did find it interesting that Olshey pretty much deflected from answering that directly....especially since he normally likes to give smarmy direct answers back...
I read the interview and I could detect nothing that was out of line. He's asking questions like a reporter, not a fan.
