Two small market teams in the finals...

But, but, hasn't Neil repeatedly told us how hard it is for small markets to build a team?

 

Small market teams are almost impossible to build. Congrats to the 2 teams small market teams that made it through an injury riddled playoffs.

If anyone doesn't realize this obvious truth, they know very little about free agency.

 

Phoenix 1.7 million population — top 5 or 6 in the United States
Greater metro area nearly 4.5 million

 

To me a small market team is a city that doesn't have pro baseball and football franchises as well as an nba team...

 

… and a hub for spring training in MLB.

 

To think we could have drafted........ Chris Paul

 

Shoulda traded for Chris Paul when I told him to.

 

Proof that we had shitty GMs before Olshey.

 

Nielsen TV markets, which what a "market" is for these purposes, has Phoenix barely above Minneapolis, and 1/3 the size of LA or NY. It's definitely not even close to a major market:

Rank Designated Market Area

1 New York 6,824,120 6.377
2 Los Angeles 5,145,350 4.808
3 Chicago 3,256,400 3.043
4 Philadelphia 2,758,330 2.578
5 Dallas-Ft. Worth 2,563,320 2.395
6 San Francisco-Oak-San Jose 2,364,740 2.210
7 Washington, DC (Hagrstwn) 2,351,930 2.198
8 Houston 2,330,180 2.178
9 Boston (Manchester) 2,302,680 2.152
10 Atlanta 2,269,270 2.121
11 Phoenix (Prescott) 1,879,780 1.757
12 Tampa-St. Pete (Sarasota) 1,800,600 1.683
13 Seattle-Tacoma 1,764,680 1.649
14 Detroit 1,737,170 1.623
15 Minneapolis-St. Paul 1,697,370 1.586

 

James Jones has made more great moves in 3 years than Olshey has made average moves in 9 years. Milwaukee swung for the fences, took a big risk, and traded their 3rd best player and two 1sts for a much better player and that helped get them to the finals. Suns did the same by trading for CP3. That kind of high-risk/high-reward thinking just doesn't seem to be in the Portland GM's DNA

 

how many of the past shitty GM's had a decade on the job?

 

Phoenix is definitely not a small market. Although there’s so many transplants down there, the amount of people who are actually Suns fans might qualify as a small market.

 

Phoenix is not a hard city to recruit NBA fee agents to. I remember when it was a top destination. That did not last long though because of the ownership.
But the weather during the season is very desirable.

 

PHX is a mid-market.

But I agree with Stevenson — Neil is full of excuses and dodges accountability by pointing fingers.

 

Milwaukee:

Small market
Hasn't drafted well
Not a major player in free agency.

 

I can't wait until we are good enough to even make it through an injury riddled playoffs. I'll take a championship with an asterisk opposed to what we've been doing.

 

Alright! Enough on how awful Neil is. He's far from perfect ,Yes. But can you name the GM who passed on Charles Barkley to join the team with Clyde, Terry , and Buck? That was a greater Sports sin IMO, because hard to think, that team with Sir Charles doesn't win it all. Charles would end up in Phoenix, with a lesser team around him, and lead them to the Finals against Michael DooDad, and the Bulls. Bucky Buckwalter was the GM. That Blazer Team was built by Stu Inman and Bucky Buckwalter. Reason i posted this , is even Great GM's make really bad mistakes. Stu Inman was a fantastic GM, but drafted Sam Bowie. I still believe, the team in 2019 that Neil built has a great chance to get to the Finals if Nurk doesn't suffer that brutal injury. They had beat the Warriors with KD twice that year. A healthy Nurk might get Portland the Title. Even though the Blazers lost 4 games to 0, many forget the Blazers lead multiple games by double digits, but couldn't finish the deal. For the series, the Blazers had the lead the majority of minutes . What could have been.