Just think that on the big draft day when the Blazers selected Oden and Seattle picked Durant. What if it was flipped? Would KP still be the Blazer's GM and would Cho be out searching for a job? Maybe Cho would be off the hook since it was the next best pick and nothing to really harp on him about; but if KP actually selected Durant, not only would it be a bold move, but he would probably get GM of the year for going out on a limb and select Durant. Although knowing our luck, Durant would have gone down with multiple injuries and Oden would have dominated the league. Oh well...
Back to the future. Although, you weren't around when I was posting similar things after KP got canned.
Sorry I wasn't around for that. I was just talking with Sly earlier today about it. I mean realistically if KP picked Durant over Oden, he would have been the GM of year.
I also went so far to say that Presti and Cho would be out of jobs, if the injuries happened as they did. At least Portland showed it was a playoff team without Oden. Losing the #1 pick made those two "geniuses", so to speak. We really haven't seen Cho do anything except make the team older and less dynamic, IMO. It's a big offseason for him, and the lockout won't make it easy.
1 out of 10+ draft picks for KP has panned out. He wasted millions of PA's money on Koponen, Freeland, etc. Prospects that likely will never play in the NBA. The real question is KP or Nash, who did more damage?
The Roy/Aldridge draft wasn't just KP. The old regime had it's fingerprints all over those picks. The drafts where it was just KP is proving to be a disaster. Jason Quick said after his firing that if he had it his way we would have drafted Adam Morrison over Brandon Roy. KP's track record speaks for itself. Greg Oden Rudy Fernandez Josh McRoberts Taurean Green Jerryd Bayless Nicolas Batum Victor Claver Jeff Pendergraph Dante Cunningham Patty Mills Luke Babbitt Armon Johnson Eliot Williams
KP's maneuvering in the 2006 draft is still legendary. He changed the course of the franchise on that day. And before the first person says it, KP did indeed run the 2006 draft and that's a fact that has been proven. This team still has a heartbeat after the injuries to Oden and Roy beause of KP. Aldridge, Batum, Matthews(the Blazers stuck to the plan they already had before KP's firing), all Kevin Pritchard players. It's because of these players the Blazers didn't have to completely blow it up, and why Cho was in position to trade for Gerald Wallace. He wanted to blow it up until KP's guys came through and saved the Blazers from a failure of a season. On top of that even with injuries to Roy and Oden, this team still has a player to build around in Aldridge. Beyond amazing that a team that has lost at one time its two most important players is not only competitive, but still has a chance to contend. Talk about putting talent together. I do find it funny however that Cho is looking for a backup G to provide some scoring off the bench(he's rumored to like Jamal Crawford), yet he traded Bayless for nothing. Just stupid. And before you start, yes, the Blazers used the 1st round pick they got for him in the Gerald Wallace deal, but that was hardly the reason the deal got done. The deal got done because of Joel Przybilla and his expiring contract, with Larry Miller and Jordon being buddies probably helping as well. Cho's been solid, but he has work to do to prove he belongs. If Andre Miller is still the starting PG for the Blazers next season then Cho has failed. Same thing with Camby.
Pritchard wasn't fired for drafting Oden. He was fired for badmouthing his bosses and coach, softball negotiating with Roy, and being too full of himself and believing his own press clippings.
100% true on other reasons, but..... I assume that if the pick was Durant, instead of Oden, KP would still have his job. Management wouldn't be able to fire him, IMO. The botched pick made the fan base and media give Vulcan enough ammo to get er done.
If KP had selected Durant over Oden he would have been hung in effigy. Oden was the right pick at that time. Any GM who would have picked otherwise would be fired and never again see the NBA. It was that much of a no brainer.
Don't get me wrong. I was all for drafting Oden over Durant. Just saying that right now Durant is playing and Oden hasn't. Oden maybe the better choice, but so far, Durant has proven more value to his team.
GM's are responsible for there picks whether they turn out or not. Its why players that have huge upside but injury history sometimes fall so late in the draft (Williams last year). Even though every GM would have selected Oden doesn't make the choice correct after a few years so I can see KP getting fired for that as one of the main reasons.
Bayless essentially turned into Wallace. J-Bay Bay sure is setting the world on fire as the 9th man in Toronto.
Portland could have easily traded their own pick. Is there anybody worth it at 21 to guarantee a pick for, Kojak?
