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Source: Stop "Hating" On Pritchard
Written by wendell maxey   
Monday, 22 March 2010 23:46

kp1

Standing in a swarm of media members at the Portland Trail Blazers practice facility on Tuesday afternoon, Kevin Pritchard tried to defuse what’s become an explosive situation.

He looked tired. He looked defeated.

He couldn’t do anything about it.

He spoke quietly from the heart.

“I want the focus off of this and on the team. This team deserves our focus,” said Pritchard, who couldn’t truly say for certain that he’d be around to see “this team” finish what Pritchard helped start.

Over the past three days, we’ve read and heard it all about Pritchard.

Much stemmed from the firing of Tom Penn and vehemently spun by Pritchard and Penn’s agent, Warren LeGarie. Team president, Larry Miller, has quickly drawn the ire of the Blazer faithful which will only increase as Pritchard’s tenure in Portland likely draws to a close.

It appears it’s heading in that direction.

Even still, there are some around the league who are looking to pile on Pritchard at this time.

This goes for some NBA writers. This goes for some team executives. But not everyone is kicking the guy when he is down. In fact, some are straight out disgusted by it.

“Since when did hating on him (Pritchard) become a popular trend around here?” asked one trusted league source.

“All Kevin has done since joining Portland is help re-make them from a laughing stock in the league to a team other front offices emulate. If you don’t care for the way he goes about his business, that’s your problem. That’s not his. That doesn’t make it alright to beat the guy when he’s obviously going through a difficult time.”

While Pritchard gained support, there remains growing concern that his departure from the Blazers simply doesn’t bode well for Portland.

“It would be a massive mistake to let him walk,” the source continued.

“We are talking about setting the franchise back a couple years here. Really. Plenty of teams around the league will be paying close attention to see what happens this summer in Portland with their front office. He won’t be out of a job long. So why not retain him?

“It’s all just odd. I feel bad for Kevin. He’s becoming a target when he shouldn’t be. Now we’ve heard from him. We’ve heard from (Larry) Miller. But wouldn’t a kind word from Paul Allen go a long way.”

That it would.

But no one is holding their breath for that to happen. Apparently both ownership and parts of management are willing to deal with the alternative.

“Portland is so close. I can’t believe they are really going to let it all slip away like this.”

It looks that way.

photo: oregonlive

 

Comments (12)Add Comment
...
written by krizzikinz, March 23, 2010
This whole thing is just pathetic. I agree with the "source". Pritchard rebuilt this team from the Jail-Blazers to a team we fans can be proud of again. I will lose a lot of faith in this organization if this ends poorly. I support KP.
right with you
written by wmaxeyjr, March 23, 2010
thanks for reading and writing....i really appreciate it.

and i know many are right there with you.

i've heard from a few fans lately who share your distain for this whole situation and we are so early in what looks like a long drawn of process of will kevin or won't kevin be back.

i said earlier today that i don't believe kp will be back for the blazers this summer. and i didn't hear anything this afternoon from kevin or larry to make me believe otherwise.

i'm not sure that anyone did.
...
written by Blazer_Dawg, March 23, 2010
Wendell great article as always. It's just ridiculous that this topic is even a topic. How stupid are the Vulcans and Paul Allen if they let KP go? They only remade our franchise from yellow hummers and weed in tin-foil, to playoffs and allstars. What a joke. If anyone should be on the hotseat for their job, it should be Larry Miller. All he's done is screwed people that cannot get Comcast. KEEP KP; FIRE LARRY MILLER!
...
written by krizzikinz, March 23, 2010
It's frustrating. And I know that I don't know everything going on behind the scenes, and I don't expect to. But I do agree with what's been said that Pritchard's character seems to be under attack, which I feel is completely out of line. He has done so much for this organization, and I don't like seeing him thrown under the bus. It was sad to listen to and see KP talk about what's been going on. You can tell he is taking it personally and I can't blame him for doing so. Thanks for writing the piece. I don't usually comment but frequently read, I couldn't pass this one up for a comment.
Wow.
written by Zach W., March 23, 2010
I feel heartbroken, Wendell. The fans have put in everything, 100 straight sell-outs... it's pretty obvious that we're invested in the current product. To prune KP as we enter the long-awaited window seems to be a cruel blow to both Pritchard and the fanbase. Let's not forget, it wasn't just KP being out in the media that endeared him to fans; he was sold as a product and a face of the organization by Blazers brass.

Classic move from Vulcan. Disgustingly illogical.
miller
written by wmaxeyjr, March 23, 2010
@blazer dawg....thanks always for the line.

but the blame can't be all placed on miller here. can't speak on the comcast deal, but as for this drama with pritchard, miller is simply the front man for ownership and paul allen's vulcan brain trust.

miller isn't writing the script here. he's just reading it.

it's easy to target miller here because he's the one out in front of the cameras and mics, but for me he's just as innocent as kp in all of this - "this" meaning the situation with pritchard.

the real heat source goes much higher.
@krizzikinz
written by wmaxeyjr, March 23, 2010
thanks again for dropping a couple comments my way....always appreciate you guys reading and writing. makes for a deeper debate.

look, no one wants to be dealing with this right now. i don't want to write about it. fans don't want to worry about it. and kp doesn't want to stress about it.

but it's too late in all three cases.

i'm not sure if we'll ever fully know the reasons for the penn firing or where the sudden shaky future of kp in portland originated. but i do know we are all left shaking our heads at the timing and overall distraction of the matter.

everyone wants to get back to basketball. but it's not that easy.
@ zach
written by wmaxeyjr, March 23, 2010
i hear you zach....

just really not sure what more the organization wants to see from pritchard during this upcoming evaluation process.
...
written by sod, March 24, 2010
Wow Wendell. Did you ever think this day would come like this? Never in a million years would I have pegged this to happen right now. You can't help but feel bad for Pritchard in this situation. It just shows us that the Vulcans haven't changed, despite what they said 4 years ago about changing the culture. I'm not trying to say Pritchard is completely innocent here, but wow. The guy has had a few hickups with moves/picks, but there is no way the bad is out-weighing the good with his track record. I just don't get it Wendell. Why now? Take it easy man.
...
written by Sheed, March 24, 2010
Good stuff Wendell, nice to hear a little bit of positivity. I hate that it's all come to this, so much unnecessary drama.
...
written by wmaxeyjr, March 24, 2010
hey sod....always good to hear from you. thanks for getting at me.

the timing is truly a mystery here - i mean no one saw this coming.

apparently there are some concerns within ownership and paul allen's associates that see pritchard as a power threat within the organization and are doing what they can now to limit that "power".

don't know myself what more they want from him. then again, i don't believe it's what kp has done as much as what some higher-ups believe can and will happen if he remains.

how else can you really explain the fear factor involved here?

i can't.
thanks
written by wmaxeyjr, March 24, 2010
really appreciate that sheed....just think everyone needs to look at both sides of the story here and those "players" involved.


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