Perhaps you and I differ on how we view Norm Powell's contributions to winning basketball. I think it's very likely that we did get proper value (with an emphasis on cap cleaning) back for Norm and RoCo.
Them hiring Chauncey and giving Joe some new responsibilities has always been about executing a 1-3-5 year objective plan (all corporations do and review each years for revisions) knock off the changes and success they are wanting to achieve. With regard to Dame, he has agreed to stay on for time being and expressed confidence in Chauncey and Joe. Sure that can change or maybe it works? but know that factor is built into what they want to accomplish. Dame may decide down the road he wants a change and the blazers may decide to trade him. Its possible at any point for both parties to change course. Joe being the interim GM is also a part of Jody & Berts plan to bring about new change with him or without. This whole deal is not static at all. As they say, nothing is constant but the speed of light. Im actually looking forward to watching this team compete from here on out, without any expectations of playoffs, draft, championship just good old roundball. See, I dont think these guys or the team are having meetings about tanking and shit like that only going out and trying to justify their existence as an NBA player.
All I know is the guys they got play more like what Billups wants. Hart seems like a great fit for his scheme, probably more so than CJ even if CJ is the better player in a vacuum. Keon is another, he has a rather high defensive ceiling. Nas is also a better fit at SF than Powell and Ant is a better playmaker than CJ while showing more defensive potential. I understand the moves Cronin made and why he made them; he valued flexibility over current ability. So it’s really impossible to grade any of his moves until we see what he does with that flexibility this offseason, next deadline, etc. This isn’t all gonna be fixed in one summer and I appreciate that he isn’t selling me some bullshit like it will. It’s funny, people cried about Olsheys lack of transparency, but when they get it from Cronin they cry anyway. Whatever.
I was not one of the people the last few years saying we needed to do something different, ANYTHING different, for the sake of change. Yet here were are, new coach, new GM, and a new direction and some of the same people are upset about the changes.
Cap space, trade exceptions, lottery picks, a lack of bloated contracts, and the most flexibility this roster has seen in 6+ years. Are those things a slam dunk to a contender? Not at all. Did Olshey have us locked on path into 1st/2nd round exits (no playoffs this year)? Yep.
What concerns me is that it sounds like Cronin has sold everyone on a multiple season rebuild, which seems like it ensures that he’ll become the permanent GM. I want him gone, so right now I’m just trying to figure out what the inflection points would be where he could reasonably be fired and replaced with a real GM. Here’s the list in chronological order, I think: 1. After the season ends but before the draft/FA period (seems unlikely). 2. Before the start of next season if we have a disappointing offseason (possible but unfortunately this also seems unlikely). 3. We get off to a horrible start next year (maybe). 4. We suck next year and don’t make the playoffs (probably here it happens, unless he’s sold people on the new draft picks needing time to pan out and the rebuild needing multiple offseasons to succeed). 5. The beginning of the 2023 season if we get off to a bad start. (Almost certainly)
Yeah it all being about Jody and Vulcan is pretty transparent to me unless/until we get an Allstar PF who is a top shelf defender.
We took less in return to let CJ go where he wanted. Ok that’s a garbage GM’s mind set. CJ should be grateful that someone signed him to that albatross to begin with.
Why would I pay someone to listen to my bullshit? You guys have to listen to my bullshit and that doesn’t cost me anything.
