Tom Penn "Signed, Sealed and Delivered" to the T Wolves
by Ben Golliver on May 17, 2009 10:34 PM PDT
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PrintJerry Zgoda of the Minny Star Tribune.
From everything I'm hearing, Tom Penn is signed, sealed and delivered (or at least completely agreed to, give me some poetic license for the Stevie Wonder reference). I'm guessing a Tuesday press conference, just hours before the team learns its draft lottery fate.
At some point, discussion must turn to Penn's replacement. With no obvious internal candidates for promotion, I assume the team will look outside the organization for a cap guru.
Given Kevin Pritchard's active record on draft days past, one would suspect (hope) the hire to be made in short order. This isn't a position that can be left unfilled for long.
Link via the stud pups at Canis Hoopus. More once the hiring becomes truly official.
-- Ben (benjamin.golliver@gmail.com)
PS another belated thanks to Stop-n-Pop for fanshotting this for our pleasure. One of these years I'll get around to checking the fanshots before posting.
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Oh well. It’s not great from a Blazer perspective, but it’s probably a good career move for Tom.
draft rodrigue beaubois
It's hard to be unhappy for Tom
He’s done great work for us, so I’m sure everyone wishes him well. (in relative terms of course, since he’s staying in the division)
It’s so hard to predict his success though. Being an assistant GM and capologist is different from being The Man (or 50% The Man, with Hoiberg).
Then again, KP was the assistant GM under Nash before taking over.
I guess this is how
the Spurs feel when everyone poaches their front office; bittersweet in that you know you have made it, but it has cost you valuable personnel.
Life is exhausting when you are this stupid.
I'd wish Tom luck, but he's with a division rival now...
… so I’ll just say congrats on the job and congrats to Minnesota for the hire.
should we be concerned about the timing of Penns hiring? it seems to me Penn knows which direction the Blazers are going with their picks or has some idea of the Blazers draft plan. this is a threatening hire given where we are in the draft process.
by proaxis on May 17, 2009 11:13 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
You can't stop KP
you can only try to hide.
"Damn the Blazers. Damn them to hell. They are working the rest of the league like a speed bag." - Bill Simmons 6/26/08
by SpyderRyder on May 17, 2009 11:17 PM PDT up reply actions
that’s a concern.
a bigger concern in my eyes is getting someone that is a master of nailing the final details of complex draft day trades… that was penn’s role. hopefully someone will fill that in short order.
by Ben Golliver on May 17, 2009 11:21 PM PDT up reply actions
the Blazers were making draft day trades before Penn was hired
I’m not too concerned about this, though it will be interesting to see if this changes the Blazers’ draft day strategy.
until the position is filled, it’s a concern.
the writing has been on the wall with penn leaving so the wheels are probably already in motion to find a replacement. once there’s a replacement, my worry will subside. until then, i think it’s a less-than-desirable place to be entering the draft without a cap guru.
by Ben Golliver on May 18, 2009 9:17 AM PDT up reply actions
GM hires often happen after the season and before the draft
That’s just how it is in the NBA. Otherwise, teams couldn’t fully change direction after a season, heading into the draft.
It’s also very possible there’s a gentleman’s agreement (or NDA?) not to use a team’s own planned strategies against them if you jump teams. But that’s a question for someone who knows more about that world than I.
That's what I've been thinking all along...
I hope KP has a plan!
I don't normally do this, but I felt compelled to tell you something. You have an absolutely breath-taking... heiney. I mean, that thing's good. I wanna be friends with it
by Maximus Blaze on May 17, 2009 11:37 PM PDT up reply actions
i would think it would be
pennpwning
"Howard, he know me" Rudy
by phillyduck23 on May 17, 2009 11:56 PM PDT up reply actions
Right before we need to resign all of our guys
…crap….
Congratulations Wolves….you beat us at something finally.
I’d guess that Tom probably has a bigger hand in trades and figuring out how to make them work than actually resigning players… I’m worried about the draft.
draft rodrigue beaubois
by Cablinasian on May 17, 2009 11:41 PM PDT up reply actions
Draft day trades?
I’m pretty sure KP is the talent evaluator when it comes to draft picks.
by Sabonis4Ever on May 17, 2009 11:44 PM PDT up reply actions
yes, but Penn figures out how to make the deal fit under the CBA.
draft rodrigue beaubois
by Cablinasian on May 17, 2009 11:48 PM PDT up reply actions
Yeah it's all about the trades.
Finding ways to get draft exceptions, exploiting the system, etc. That seems to be Tom’s specialties.
I have no doubt KP is prepped to deal with staff changes. So I wonder if Tom’s replacement is already on staff, or at least they have someone in mind. KP had to be planning for this, even before Minn asked to interview him.
Which brings up a key point in my mind
I wish Tom mostly best wishes (you know – I hope Minnesota gets to 2nd place in the division every year, etc.) and hope he enjoys the new opportunity. But how much of the player analysis can he physically take with him?
I don’t mean stealing a computer or anything. I mean – how much has he been privy to what details go into the player evaluation program? How much is he aware of what stats are weighted in what ways? And so on….
If the Blazers currently have any advantage in this area over the Timberwolves, I would hate to see the advantage lost in years to come…..
by Storyteller on May 18, 2009 10:03 AM PDT up reply actions
I've been wondering this ever since the news hit that Penn was a candidate
What, exactly, is considered “owned” by the team?
Wasn't Penn responsible for altering the Z-bo trade.
Which meant we kept Martell and sent Jones and Dickau instead. Which also begot us James Jones for one year and enable the buying of a certain Rudy character. We will miss Penn but I think his role will be best suited to rebuilding teams and not teams that need minor tweaking if any such as ours..
It's bittersweet.
I know Tom Penn is a guy that helped out a lot, so I’m happy he’s getting rewarded for his good work. On the other hand, I hate to lose him.
Good luck Mr. Penn.
I miss Martell. Come back soon!
Storyteller
The man is a salary cap genius!
I miss Martell. Come back soon!
by mannyfresh1 on May 18, 2009 12:11 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
good call
if kp gets on here he would have to put him on his list
"Howard, he know me" Rudy
by phillyduck23 on May 18, 2009 12:14 AM PDT up reply actions
Anyone see this as the only way the T Wolves get back at us for the B Roy trade?
Bring back Franz Bread Cards!
No.
I see it as the Wolves hiring a good GM prospect, and giving him a promotion from assistant to The Man. Happens all the time. Nothing but congratulations should be in order for Mr. Penn.
I have not yet begun to defile myself.
by EngineerScotty on May 18, 2009 8:46 AM PDT up reply actions
I'm not a fan of the timing
but otherwise you’ve got to respect him for advancing his career.
"Respect everyone, fear no one." -TP
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY
VERY HAPPY, VERY HAPPY INDEED!!!
I am no longer able to participate in this discussion due to a moderators request...
by TrentEdwardsHoF2018
by Screen Name on May 18, 2009 11:50 AM PDT up reply actions
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