Question: How much impact does Oden Situation have....

by Krang on Oct 9, 2011 2:14 PM PDT

Not much here, just a simple question born out of the continued struggles The Blazers seem to be having with their GM search.

The question being: How much impact does the Oden situation have on The Blazers GM search? Personally? I'm speculating quite a bit. Any candidate looking at the long term situation in Portland and the short term reality is immediately faced with all the uncertainty of the Greg Oden situation. Separate from what you'd like to see happen, or what you think the best outcome for The Blazers would be....is the situation itself. If the next GM ends up being the GM who's tenure is almost immediately marked by the decision or ability/inability to sign Greg Oden to a long term contract....is that a good thing? And conversely, if you become Blazer GM and Oden leaves under your tenure, and becomes a dominating center elsewhere? How much are you blamed for an inability to convince him to stay?

Or as fans do we give the next GM a total pass on whatever happens? Realizing that much of the groundwork for where we are today with Oden was not the result of whomever takes the reigns now?

I have to believe it has some impact. Any GM worth his/her salt, knows that it's a situation coming up quickly that could have a major impact on the Blazer future....regardless of how it plays out. I think it's tough enough to find great managerial talent, but probably harder given immediate realities facing The Blazers. You're starting your tenure as next Blazer GM with some pretty significant decisions to be made, and some with extreme limitations as to what you may be able to do....

Am I blowing this out of proportion?

Poll

Does the Greg Oden situation affect The Blazers GM search?

Yes

24 votes

No

25 votes

It's probably an issue they take in account but wouldn't be a determining factor in a final decision to take the job.

62 votes

The idea of being the GM at the helm charged with divining the answer and attempting an approach is so frightening it's like adopting a nightmare...

10 votes

121 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

can some tell me what we need a GM for, Specially right now.

by Daddygr33nJeans on Oct 9, 2011 9:24 PM PDT reply actions

yeah what do need a GM for.

by aPleasureToBurn on Oct 10, 2011 1:48 PM PDT up reply actions

You're right: it's huge

And very complicated. Any GM entering the situation has to decide if they’re “pot-committed” to Oden or if they’re going to cut bait and move on. Either will have dire consequences for the franchise if wrong (and their career).

They’ll come in having some sort of predisposition. They’ll get the real data—whatever that looks like—and be expected to adjust their disposition accordingly. Is the data any good? is it sanitized? Is it enough to adjust instinct?

In the end, it’s a pure gamble. Rather than reluctance to work with Portland, I would imagine that many potential GMs simply do not want the onus of that decision—particularly when it will work itself out within 6-8 months (presuming there’s a season).

A good analogy might be a Sim City one: you come in and take over someone else’s city who’ve invested massive amounts of taxes into building railroads or Arcologies or something. Do you let them try and prosper or raze them immediately and try something else?

Guessing right: big win. Guessing wrong: awful. Waiting until better information comes and you don’t have to guess anymore: priceless.

Buck Williams for the hall of fame

by Phizbin on Oct 10, 2011 9:37 AM PDT reply actions

Of course it does. Together with the question whether to waive Roy if there is an amnesty clause (lux tax or completely off the cap)

Add the need to sign a good player (probably a C/PF) in a drastically shortened free agency period and getting up to speed with the new CBA to get an idea what a realistic new salary structure for a team would look like, and the next GM would have 1-2 franchise-altering decisions to make on the first few weeks on the job. And I’d hope Larry Miller or PA ask any prospective candidates what they’d do on at least the Oden and Roy fronts in addition to any other general plans on roster building. Not an enviable position to be in as a new GM, but it comes with the territory.

by Norsktroll on Oct 10, 2011 12:20 PM PDT reply actions

If PA already knows what he wants to do with Roy and Oden why bother with a GM

by Oden Mad, Oden Smash! on Oct 10, 2011 3:48 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions

i doubt it

Obviously, it isn’t a perfect situation to walk in to. I’m sure the new hire would love to have a healthy Oden, a rested Roy, a new coach….. Oh wait that’s me. Never the less, GMs have to make tough decisions on a regular basis with the understanding that their job is dependent on them making the right choice. Challenges come with the territory. I doubt there are qualified candidates that wouldn’t take the job cuz of Oden or Roy. There are only a handful of these jobs available, so if an opportunity presents itself I think most people would jump on it. Truthfully, I don’t want someone on our staff who is scared to make decisions any.

If anything is keeping qualified candidates away, I would think it is the thought of working for PA rather than Oden’s contract situation. Allen embarrassed Pritchard as the entire basketball community looked on. I’m not sure what happened with Cho but getting fired after one year??? I think most would be hires can handle a contract situation. However, waking up every morning not knowing whether your gonna make it thru another day isn’t an attractive environment and is probably what’s really scaring people away.

by King Mar on Oct 11, 2011 3:11 AM PDT via mobile reply actions

My understanding

is that the candidate has to have the right chemistry with Paul Allen. That’s why Cho was fired and that’s what Miller said they were looking for. Perhaps they need a clone of Larry Miller. I think the Oden situation has already been decided.

by XBlazerfan on Oct 14, 2011 4:06 PM PDT reply actions

Giving Oden The Qualifier...

…has been decided. And the next move is Odens. But how aggressively The Blazers want to react to that move, how aggressively they want to pursue the continued “potential” services of Greg Oden, is still a move yet to be played. And yes, the ultimate choice will be Odens, which is exactly why it’s a potential nightmare for a GM.

And I’m not even mentioning a potential amnesty clause and someone named Brandon Roys contract and team status.

"Mother Nature started this fight, I think it's about time we ended it!"

by Krang on Oct 14, 2011 8:55 PM PDT up reply actions

Yeah, I understood your premise.

I just think the organization has already decided to be as aggressive as possible to keep Oden. They have already invested to much to let him go. That’s why I think it wont have much bearing on the new GM’s decision making. You are right though that his and Roy’s contracts will be important factors for the future of the team. I’d think that Roy’s situation would be the one more in flux but the team has been solidly behind him so far. I felt like Cho wanted to change the team too much for Paul Allen’s taste and may have been the reason he was nixed.

by XBlazerfan on Oct 16, 2011 7:56 PM PDT up reply actions