Pritchard & Co. Visit Draft Workouts
Andrew R Tonry | Tuesday, June 15, 2010 at 12:32PM It was an interesting day at the practice facility—not so much for the draft workouts, but because Kevin Pritchard, Dean Demopoulos, Nate McMillan and Nicolas Batum were all in attendance.
Pritchard spent a few minutes addressing his tenuous position in the organization. He said he is aware that the team is conducting a search for another GM, and repeated “may the best man win.”
Coach McMillan was somewhat cagey about what’s going on in the recently reported shuffling of his assistant coaching staff.
Dean Demopoulos, who’s also rumored to be on the chopping block just as soon as his contract expires at the end of the month, said “I’m a Blazer,” realizing that the media sharks were circling. Then he quickly deflected and retreated into the weight room.
Nicolas Batum’s appearance was a pleasant surprise. Batum is in Portland rehabbing his shoulder and working out for two weeks before returning to France to play with the national team.
Reader Comments (5)
How has my beloved Trail Blazers franchise gone totally BAT-SHIT CRAZY? I have never been more ashamed, disappointed, appalled and angry at the front office as I am today. It's easy to be a conspiracy theorist when a franchise seemingly seeks to commit suicide by horribly mistreating a man many believe is the NBA's best general manager, a man who turned the Jail Blazers into title contenders.
STOP THE INSANITY! TRADE VULCAN!
Blazer fans, if you are even one one-hundreth as frustrated as I am at the Blazers front office, please take a moment to tell the team so via its online contact form:
http://www.nba.com/blazers/news/contactus.html
And please sign this petition, "Keep KP!"
http://ptblazers.epetitions.net
Is Portland allowed to tell Batum not to play for the national team, like the Lakers did with Gasol?
While I am appalled at all the seemingly random changes the team is going through, I am not sold on KP. While he orchestrated a few good deals, the Blazers lost out on the Kevin Durant sweepstakes thanks to K.P. If only (a standard Blazers fans lament) Nash hadn't passed on Deron Williams and Chris Paul the year before to select Martel Webster. Also, where is the dominant low post presence? Fortunately Roy and Miller can get to the rack, but no one else seems able to. We need a Chris Bosh or Amare Stoudamire and not a Lamarcus Aldridge who will only shoot jumpers all day.
Hopefully, we can draft Batum before someone else snatches him up.
He looked pretty decent in the draft workouts.