While I see your point (and don't discount it), I bet he values defense more than spacing...but I bet he values Damian being in that spacing (and defense) more than not.
It took me 15 or 20 years, but I finally figured out what players meant when they said that there was "nothing to do" in Portland - they mean at 3 am, the options are few. When they grow up enough to not want to stay up until 4 or 5 am, they find Portland more interesting. Of course, it's still a small market....
that's not what you said... You went so far as to suggest Dame was more responsible for 9 years of Stotts than Olshey was, which is a lot different then waffling back to Olshey bearing the "brunt of the responsibility" . Dame didn't hire Stotts, that was Olshey. Dame didn't give Stotts two contract extensions, that was Olshey as well. If Olshey had the power to hire Stotts and give him 3 different contracts, then he's the one accountable for all 9 years of the Stotts tenure and at no point did I say, or suggest, Dame had no influence. I'm just not going to agree that the power of Dame's influence is greater than that the power of the GM
Case in point. My buddy ran the hottest club in Portland for a couple years: Solo. It was shut down for noise complaints, f'ing "Pearl District."
Nothing good happens after 2. I would even say, after midnight, unless you're getting lucky. The amount of bullies, power drinkers, bad drivers, and criminal element goes up after midnight. The only place i've ever been after 2 that was fun was Vegas. Because you can sit at a machine and plug coins in. In your hotel, so you feel pretty safe.
I mean going out and drinking til 3 am was cool in my early 20’s but that shit gets old real quick. Just gotta find the right players. Family oriented guys who like hooping more than chasing tail at a club til the wee hours.
I think Patrick Patterson might be a good addition at this point. We can give him a little more than the vet min dipping further into the TPMLE... I wouldn't give him all 5M of it but 4M wouldn't hurt... especially if we can get him for a few years with a team option on the third season or give him the entire 5M on a one year deal so he can be easy to use matching salaries in a trade before the deadline. I just think he fills our need for a guy on the bench that can defend in the post and he hits the three.
we surely are done now. so... about that press conference from Olshey???? how does this guy shirk responsibility like this and no one in the media holds him accountable? no matter how much he thinks otherwise, speaking to the fans/media IS PART OF HIS JOB. i wonder how season ticket renewals are going this year.
why do you think we aren't? You're OK not having heard from him at all? He didn't even give media availability after the draft and it's been 3 weeks since. Nearly every other team's Pres/GM have done some sort of press conference with the media, but our guy is hidden. That's not concerning to you? Powell just signed one of the largest contracts in franchise history, and all we got was a pseudo interview with Brooke without Olshey anywhere in sight. This should not be OK.
Uhh...I was just asking a question. Thought maybe you'd heard of some final thing happening and were commenting on that meaning we're done. I kind of am operating under the idea that since he hasn't had a press conference, there's still potential deals out there that he's waiting on. I'd think he's looking for another big and maybe waiting for Millsap to decide what he's going to do.
I don't need the GM to be posing in front of the camera. I need him in the back, on the phone working on a deal.
Highlighting what happened in the draft/free agency, and going over the vision of the franchise is a crucial part of his job. Especially so when the franchise's best player ever made has multiple rounds in the media expressing his concern. Why would season ticket holders renew their tickets when no one knows wtf the team is upto? I'm hoping people are asking these questions of sales reps. I think he's on vacation after SL.
It's possible you're right. We have no idea. In defense of him, there haven't been many deals made this off-season at all. Especially significant ones.
I believe Norman Powell's contract that he just got was the 3rd largest in franchise history from a total $ standpoint. Higher than Roy/Aldridge, etc. That's pretty damn significant to me.
Salaries have also gone up significantly in the last decade. Paying DJJ 9 mil a year would have been absurd during Roy’s prime.
We're talking about new acquisitions. The most significant one was Westbrook. Other than that, for the most part no one of major significance has gone to a new team. Keeping Powell at that price was great, but most of us are hoping to get some better balance with a Simmons or Siakam acquisition.