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[Adrian Wojnarowski] Pritchard “agitated”, “panicked” and even “desperate"

Discussion in 'NBA Dish' started by Deuce, Jul 12, 2009.

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  1. Deuce

    Deuce Context & Nuance

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    http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=aw-winnerslosers071109&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

    NBA free agency’s winners and losers
    By Adrian Wojnarowski, Yahoo! Sports Jul 11, 12:56 pm EDT

    As the rejections and criticisms mounted lately, NBA executives and agents described Portland Trail Blazers general manager Kevin Pritchard as “agitated” and “panicked” and even “desperate.” He kept returning to teams with the same proposals, only to be dismissed again and again. All his plans had imploded.

    Pritchard has long liked to talk about never laying up on the golf course and burning through cell batteries and the way that the Blazers had outworked and outsmarted the NBA. Few have been terribly impressed with how Pritchard handled the highs of the job, and now there are doubts about how he’s handling its lows.

    After the first 10 days of free agency, so far Pritchard stands as the summer’s biggest loser.

    Hedo Turkoglu(notes) humiliated him with an 11th-hour dash for Toronto. By then, Trevor Ariza(notes) had already taken the Houston Rockets’ money. Pritchard couldn’t pry Detroit Pistons forward Tayshaun Prince(notes) nor Chicago Bulls guard Kirk Hinrich(notes). The job wasn’t as hard when owner Paul Allen gave him tens of millions to buy up draft picks, but free agency is a far more level playing field. Truth be told, Pritchard has failed.

    All this cap space, all these big plans, and Pritchard offered a $34 million offer sheet for Paul Millsap(notes) to play behind LaMarcus Aldridge(notes). They need a small forward, but he refused to make a bid for the most talented one on the market – the Los Angeles Lakers’ Lamar Odom(notes).

    Odom could’ve been had for the Blazers, but Pritchard has, for now, committed his money to a backup power forward. He could’ve dented the Lakers and met his most pressing need with Odom’s length, athleticism and versatility.

    For every advantage Pritchard had in assembling these Blazers, he’s struggling with the next step: managing it all.

    Pritchard’s greatest gift has been his ability to persuade owner Paul Allen to spend money. Now, Pritchard is struggling to convince Allen to give Brandon Roy(notes) a full five-year max extension. The process has increasingly stunned and angered Roy. Whatever anyone thinks, no one has had more to do with the Blazers’ revival than Roy.

    Beyond that, Pritchard has a problem with one of the most well-regarded coaches in the NBA: Nate McMillan doesn’t want to sign a contract extension. He’s tried to explain his desire for one-year contracts as some kind of self-motivational tool, but no one buys it. It’s clear that McMillan wants to be a free agent in 2011.

    “He knows Portland isn’t the last place he’ll be,” a league source said. “Everyone will want him.”

    Multiple league sources believe there’s a wedge between Pritchard and McMillan, but both general manager and coach have long denied it. Even so, it makes league officials wonder how deeply McMillan believes in his boss’ blueprint that he refuses to commit long-term to it.

    The rapid rise is over in Portland, and now, Kevin Pritchard has to manage his creation. So far, he’s endured the most rugged summer of his executive career. Here’s the rest of the losers and winners in free agency.

    more - http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=aw-winnerslosers071109&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

    ##

    Interesting article on Pritchard. Like Chicago a few years ago, Portland has accumulated a lot of assets and young talent. But just like Chicago their GM seems a bit hesitant on trades. Seems a bit risk adverse here with moves. I get the feeling that Pritchard is so cautious about making a mistake, or getting the perceived "worse end" of a deal, that it is causing him a paralysis of action.

    I was surprised he wasn't able to parlay Raef Lafrenz's expiring. And he still hasn't addressed the PG spot.
     
    #1 Deuce, Jul 12, 2009
  2. mrm32

    mrm32 Member

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    Does this mean we have a chance of landing Roy?
     
    #2 mrm32, Jul 12, 2009
  3. Egghead

    Egghead Member

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    LOL, he probably called Morey 10000x to get Battier
     
    #3 Egghead, Jul 12, 2009
  4. Deuce

    Deuce Context & Nuance

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    No. But I don't think it's very smart the way Pritchard is handling the Roy extension. Doesn't send off a very good message to the team.
     
    #4 Deuce, Jul 12, 2009
  5. worzel gummidge

    worzel gummidge Member

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    Wojnarowski needs to break more news and write less opinion pieces. Everyone is criticized except Yahoo pal Steve Kerr.
     
    #5 worzel gummidge, Jul 12, 2009
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  6. Rocket86

    Rocket86 Member

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    Go Morey try to steal Pryzbilla and Fernandez. Strike while the iron is hot. :D
     
    #6 Rocket86, Jul 12, 2009
  7. FLASH21

    FLASH21 Heart O' Champs

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    Morey's response 10000x, "Give me Roy!" :p
     
    #7 FLASH21, Jul 12, 2009
  8. RocksMillenium

    RocksMillenium Contributing Member

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    Pritchard: "Hey Daryl, how are you doin'? Say, you're not interested in trading Battier are you?"

    Morey: "Not for what you're offering, we can talk later if you have a better offer."

    10 minutes later

    Secretary: "Mr. Morey, it's Mr. Pritchard."

    Morey with a smile on his face

    Morey: "Hey Kevin how can I help you?"

    Pritchard: "Hey Daryl how are you doin'? Say, you're not interested in trading Battier are you?"

    Morey: "I'm not sure, what's the offer?"

    Pritchard: "Well *mumbles in the telephone*."

    Morey: "No thanks, I have other offers on the table".

    5 minutes later Morey's cellphone rings:

    Morey: "Hello!"

    Pritchard: "Hey Daryl it's Kevin, you still interested in trading Battier?"

    Morey: "I don't know Kevin, what's your offer this time?"

    Pritchard: *Mumbles into the phone*.

    Morey: "That's the same god d*mn offer you've given me for the last 2 weeks! Please stop calling me or I'll be forced to call the police!"

    6 minutes later

    Secretary: "Mr. Morey, there's a strange man on the phone, he says his name is Freddy Gonzalez and he has some important information for you."

    Morey: "Ummm, hello, this is Daryl Morey can I help you?"

    Gonzalez: "Yes this is Ke. . .Freddy Gonzalez and I'm a scout in the dominican republic, and I have some interesting information *mumbles into the phone."

    Morey: "Stop calling my f***ing office Pritchard!"
     
    #8 RocksMillenium, Jul 12, 2009
    Last edited: Jul 12, 2009
    1 person likes this.
  9. saitou

    saitou J Only Fan

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    I'm taking this article with a grain of salt. It isn't a secret that Pritch isn't well liked around the league especially after the Daruis Miles affair, so I won't be surprised if Wojnarowski's sources are exaggerating to make Pritch look bad. Agreed on not offering Odom a deal though. If they wanted Hedo, Odom would have make perfect sense. At the least drive up the bidding price for the team that is your biggest obstacle.
     
    #9 saitou, Jul 12, 2009
  10. Honey Bear

    Honey Bear Contributing Member

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    Great call Ronny. Although not giving Roy a max extension is nothing short of mind boggling.
     
    #10 Honey Bear, Jul 12, 2009
  11. pippendagimp

    pippendagimp Member

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    i don't believe a damn word this author ever writes
     
    #11 pippendagimp, Jul 12, 2009
  12. NIKEstrad

    NIKEstrad Contributing Member
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    The Brandon Roy thing is certainly real.

    http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/or...f/2009/07/brandon_roy_to_blazers_ive_don.html
    On watching the negotiations:
    On how he feels about the negotiations:
    That's a guy who deserves and is willing to sign a max extension, that hasn't gotten the offer yet.
     
    #12 NIKEstrad, Jul 12, 2009
  13. Deuce

    Deuce Context & Nuance

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    Actually he breaks a lot of news, particularly on Twitter. He has been quite solid on FA and Draft news over the last few weeks.
     
    #13 Deuce, Jul 12, 2009
  14. mrm32

    mrm32 Member

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    I would love to have Roy on this team where you know management will appreciate him considering we were trying to get him 4 years ago. Sign and trade perhaps? I can only dream.
     
    #14 mrm32, Jul 12, 2009
  15. saitou

    saitou J Only Fan

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    Didn't know about the Roy situation, that is dumb.

    The part I was questioning though was the “agitated and panicked and desperate” part. Reads like a celebrity gossip magazine lol.
     
    #15 saitou, Jul 12, 2009
  16. Deuce

    Deuce Context & Nuance

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    It's an attention grabber for sure. And reading comments from Blazer fans it sounds like Wojo has an axe to grind with Pritchard. But that said, it doesn't take away the basic principals of the article.

    Pritchard has been able to amass some good talent with his draft picks but now's the time he has to 'shape it.' My belief is that is in-actions on trades is more a result of him wanting to always get $1.50 on a dollar in a trade and he isn't willing to take some risks in giving up his precious draft picks to mold his team. It's kind of like how Chicago a few years ago seemed unwilling to move Ben Gorden+Luol Deng for Kobe.
     
    #16 Deuce, Jul 12, 2009
    1 person likes this.
  17. Eddie281Houston

    Eddie281Houston Rookie

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    LMAO!!!
     
    #17 Eddie281Houston, Jul 12, 2009
  18. saitou

    saitou J Only Fan

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    Point taken. Sometimes to get what you want you have to give up more than what you perceive to be fair value, and his apparent unwillingness to give up Bayless for Hinrich would be an example of what you're saying.
     
    #18 saitou, Jul 12, 2009
  19. A_3PO

    A_3PO Member

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    Part of the reasoning with Roy is they also must address Lamarcus Aldridge. The Blazers are going to give Roy his deal kicking and screaming, supposedly making it easier to play harder ball with Aldridge. Roy will be signed before the season and all will be well.

    Regarding this article, I don't know how credible it is. If true, too bad for the Blazers.
     
    #19 A_3PO, Jul 12, 2009
  20. rpr52121

    rpr52121 Sober Fan
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    Call me crazy, but in my opinion Roy has only had 1 year in which he carried his team at a MVP-level or deserving-of-max salary. He was really good his first two years, but not max salary deserving.

    There does not seem to be any reason Roy cannot match or exceed last year, in which case he of course deserves a max salary. However, lots of players show promise, putting in 1-2 yrs of "superstar-level" play, and then fade away for numerous reasons.

    Given:
    1. how afraid Pritchard seems to be to make mistake
    2. how they are likely afraid of him falling off that pace once he gets his max contract (and they just had a team full of players who quit once they were paid)
    3. they are likely worried about future injuries, as they have been pretty cursed with star players getting injured

    I can understand them not offering a max salary right now. I would probably offer 10-11 million right now.
     
    #20 rpr52121, Jul 12, 2009
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