Mejia Praises Pritchard

by shenanigans on Oct 13, 2007 10:29 PM PDT

Here's a story!

http://cbs.sportsline.com/nba/story/10406427

"Kevin Pritchard should be the league's top executive this season, even though the odds are now probably good that he won't be. Top draft pick Greg Oden won't play this season, and, because Danny Ainge secured his job by landing Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, he'll probably get the award for reviving the Celtics. That being said, the job Pritchard has done attempting to turn the Portland Trail Blazers around has been remarkable."

Mejia goes on to explain what all of us already know. What was really bad, now is really good.

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ouch

Can i say OUCH again?

Early season schedule: Portland opens the season on the road with games at Dallas, San Antonio and Memphis before finally opening the season at home on national television against Miami. Oden's absence will be felt heavily in that one, because everyone, including himself, wanted to see how he measured up with Shaquille O'Neal.

I had predicted early wins, but I'm not sure we'll be ABLE to win early against some of those teams! Miami we should win.

Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard.

by ratbastird on Oct 14, 2007 8:42 AM PDT reply actions

I'll be happy...

...if we take one on the rd. and win at Home 8^)

"Keep Up the Pace"

by BlueBooYay on Oct 14, 2007 2:46 PM PDT up reply actions

You know...

I think it might be possible.

I'm VERY impressed with this team, and we don't even have Roy out there yet!

If these guys continue to play and improve... wow... just wow.

We might take the early games against the good teams too. Heck, I think we could even take some of the LATE games against good teams... we'll see.

Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard.

by ratbastird on Oct 14, 2007 7:23 PM PDT up reply actions

Did I miss something?

I was real sure our home opener was against New Orleans.

by broggerboy19 on Oct 15, 2007 10:51 AM PDT up reply actions

Hell, I must have missed something as well.

I thought our season opener was against San Antonio.

by timg56 on Oct 16, 2007 1:32 PM PDT up reply actions

#7

The real test for Pritch is whether he would've been a candidate for the award if the Blazers had received the #7 pick in the lottery instead of #1. Also, if he wasn't able to SPAM (spend Paul Allen's money). I think he would be a candidate based on the 2006 draft and trading Z-Bo. After all, how many GMs would love to trade their version of Zach, but don't have the guts or can't find takers?

by Engineering Problem on Oct 14, 2007 12:08 PM PDT reply actions

Also...

We had a LaMarcus waiting in the wings to completely take over and play better than Z-Bo. I'd also say most teams don't got that sort of player waiting to step up if they trade their overpaid star...

It does take guts to trade talent for less talent, and to know it's the right thing to do and not care what dumb media peoples say.

We're lucky to have Aldridge, and the rest o' da dumb country will see how obvious a trade it was pretty soon.

As a side note, I liked this sportswriter that was linked to... I have never read him before, but I went ahead and poked about his other season team predictions and he seems actually decent, which is so strange in a sportswriter!

Mortimer

by Mortimer on Oct 14, 2007 6:18 PM PDT up reply actions

I read the article

but didn't read any of his other stuff, I'll check it out.

You're right about the Zbo thing. I suppose it does take some guts to tell your boss you want to get rid of your "best" player and toss away 15 million to boot.

We DID have aldridge though. I predicted it would help us not hurt us, and i stand by that statement. 29/8 and fluid play helps me with my conviction.

Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard.

by ratbastird on Oct 14, 2007 7:25 PM PDT up reply actions

Team Predictions

I read a few more of his team predictions, and while I don't agree with everything and he is a little low on the win total for a few teams, he seems reasonable and realistic for a sports writer. Not that I agree with everything (Philly for only 21 wins?), but he doesn't come out of left field to annoy people like other sports writers.

At least, with my initial exposure to him via this series of team predictions.

If ya got time, check out his Philly 76ers article, cause he seemed to anger a lot of 76er fans with his 21 win prediction. I was surprised with how many responses it got, not being a major media outlet and how I haven't seen all that much online support for Philly (as opposed to the armies of Blazer fans online). So while I might say this writer seems levelheaded and just fine, Philly fans are foaming at the mouth and calling for his head.

I might be annoyed if I was a Philly fan as well, but I like to think I can look past exactly what they are saying and take into account how they approach their writing. Then again, if I was a Philly fan maybe I woulda' stopped reading after getting mad and not checked his other stuff...

I feel fine if a sportswriter says stuff I don't agree with, and only get annoyed when they come about their thoughts through illogical reasoning, being stubbornly wrong, or with the goal of provoking a fanbase.

What this has to do with anything, I dunno. Sports journalism is a strange beast.

Mortimer

by Mortimer on Oct 15, 2007 4:53 PM PDT up reply actions

KP should be...

His work started last year when he dazzled in the draft. It's been continuing and KP DOES deserve that award. Not for one thing, like snagging stars in one season, but for all the little and big things he's done that's turned the culture and franchise around.

We have injuries and bad luck after our good luck? No problem. We have guys who'll step up.

It's soooo good to be a blazer fan right now, and that's due to KP and Nate.

East coast bias though.

Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard.

by ratbastird on Oct 14, 2007 7:28 PM PDT up reply actions