How is it that Quick doesn't know that Rudy was traded to the Mavs? Isn't that, like, his job or something?
Complete article from the Oregonian - Happy Anniversary, Trail Blazers, you've done what no other NBA team has done in the past year, or perhaps ever: Gone one year without a general manager. Of course, this anniversary is nothing to celebrate, so there will be no balloons, no flowers, no candlelight dinners. Just more questions, like, "Why is it taking so long?" One year after Rich Cho was fired 10 months into his tenure as Blazers GM, the franchise plods along in its search for a replacement. Last summer we heard of candidates like Dennis Lindsey. Troy Weaver. And Neil Olshey. Now we are hearing names like Jeff Bower and David Morway. Bower is a basketball guy through and through. At the NBA level, he has been a scout, an assistant coach, a head coach, and a general manager who has executed coaching searches and trades for the New Orleans Hornets. Morway, who has toiled in the shadow of Larry Bird and Donnie Walsh for the past decade in Indiana, is more of a business guy -- smart, shrewd and well versed in mediating between the basketball people and the suits. I have no idea if either candidate is the right man for the job, or whether the best fit is one of the "two or three" candidates that team president Larry Miller said he has interviewed recently in preparation to put in front of owner Paul Allen. What I do know is a year without a general manager is too long. The franchise needs a voice. A vision. Right now, they are being led by two men -- Miller and Chad Buchanan -- who are being asked to do more than they were hired to do, and more than they are probably qualified to do. As a result, in the year since Cho has been fired, the Blazers have taken a giant step back. One year ago, the roster was promising and experienced, one that gave eventual NBA champion Dallas perhaps its toughest postseason series. Today, it could be argued that LaMarcus Aldridge is the only bona fide starter under contract, considering the team could lose Nicolas Batum in free agency, and Wesley Matthews is probably best suited as a reserve. Some of the fall can be attributed to bad luck. And some of the blame can be directed at Buchanan, the 39-year-old interim general manager who previously had been happy sitting in arenas around the country eyeing the next Elliot Williams as the team's director of college scouting. Buchanan has whiffed on some decisions since taking over for Cho. His biggest mistakes were trading Andre Miller and Rudy Fernandez for Raymond Felton, and drafting Nolan Smith instead of Kenneth Faried. And he strayed from the Blazers' team-oriented culture by signing Jamal Crawford. Those decisions have probably cost Buchanan a shot at the real job. He admits he is shaken by his miscalculations in assembling this year's disaster, even though many of the decisions were made under the duress of a hurried end to the lockout and the deterioration of Brandon Roy and Greg Oden. He is a leader in the making, but not quite ready to run a team, both from a professional and personal standpoint. He still relishes being a daddy, and talked Tuesday of his son being at the age where he follows him to the door when he leaves for work, and how it tugs at his heartstrings to see him stay at the door until his car is out of sight. Say what you want about his decisions, but Buchanan executed his long-term plan to give the Blazers flexibility this summer. All his moves were short-term: Felton was on an expiring contract. Crawford was leaning toward leaving after one year. Kurt Thomas (two years) and Craig Smith (one year) were momentary plug-ins. He still thought the Blazers could make the playoffs, but once it became clear otherwise, Buchanan cleaned house and created more cap space through trades of Gerald Wallace and Marcus Camby. Now, the Blazers could have two lottery picks in a draft loaded with talent. They will have $15 million to $20 million to spend on free agents. All of this while offering the next GM the unique opportunity to pick his coach and playing style. I used to think the Blazers needed a charismatic, energetic, gunslinger like Kevin Pritchard. But then I was reminded that two of the most respected men in the business -- San Antonio's R.C. Buford and Oklahoma City's Sam Presti -- got their teams in the Western Conference Finals not because they were the life of the party, but rather because they were the smartest people at the party. There are some smart minds already here. Mike Born, the team's director of NBA scouting, was part of the Blazers' staff that continually questioned why John Nash wanted to trade down in the 2005 draft to pick Martell Webster instead of drafting Chris Paul. And although no one will go on the record, not one person has ever disputed my information that Born was the loudest voice in the 2007 draft room trumpeting the upside of Kevin Durant. The trick is finding the right GM who can develop a long-term plan, then listen to his people like Born, process the information and make the right decision. Allen calls it the "golden gut." But really, how long does this take? The Blazers are nearing double figures in candidates who have interviewed. And no matter what some national writers will argue, this is an attractive job. Miller on Tuesday said the GM search is "making progress" and he is "pretty confident we are going to find somebody in the near future." He said he has done two or three interviews recently and is ready to present Allen with more candidates soon. In the meantime, it's more rumors, more candidates, and one big anniversary nobody wants to celebrate. -- Jason Quick; follow him on Twitter http://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/i...tml?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
Continued... Make sure you click the link for all of Buchanan's moves he made as GM and their grades.
With no one truly accountable in this franchise, I don't know who to credit or blame for anything ... Allen I guess, because ultimately it's his toy, he writes the checks, and he's created the murky organizational structure. As for Buchanan, I don't love most of the college prospects they've drafted while he's been director of college scouting, so he's probably at least partially responsible for some of these draft whiffs the past couple of years, but who knows?
I'd be interested to hear where Mike Born stood during last years draft -- Did he really have Nolan Smith as a first round pick?
Or they're dropping these little positive bits about him now(KP wanted Paul. Born wanted Paul and Durant!) to throw out there when they eventually do promote him this summer.
Yeah, WTF aren't we listening to this Born guy if he continually shows he's right. Maybe the problem isn't our scouts, is that Allen keeps hiring idiot GMs.
From interviews he says the GM needs to have what he calls the golden gut, to pick the right guy that scouts and management want. Sounds to me like he gives the GM a good voice. Sounds to me also like if Born has been screaming for certain studs he should be that biggest voice
