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Canzano: Hiring Chad Buchanan is Trail Blazers' one clear solution in divided general manager search

Published: Wednesday, May 30, 2012, 3:45 PM Updated: Wednesday, May 30, 2012, 3:48 PM

Bruce Ely, The OregonianChad Buchanan

Anyone observing the flurry of scrambling and activity that has taken over the search for the Trail Blazers next general manager can draw only one conclusion: The madness needs to stop.

It's become evident in the past 24 hours there's considerable division among the lieutenants who advise Blazers owner Paul Allen. And maybe this happens at other places, but it appears that the fracture may have caused this search to take a step sideways and now the only good move for the Blazers is to promote interim GM Chad Buchanan and call it a year.

Everyone picks a favorite horse in a race, and so it seems the same thing has happened in this Blazers search.

David Morway, the general manager of the Indiana Pacers, is believed by many to be the favored candidate of Blazers president Larry Miller. Meanwhile, if you believe insiders, Allen confidante Bert Kolde is pushing for Los Angeles Clippers general manager Neil Olshey.

Trouble is, Olshey is a client of agent Warren LeGarie. Remember, LeGarie also represented former Blazers GMs John Nash and Kevin Pritchard as well as ex-assistant general manager Tom Penn. You'd think Allen wouldn't want to eat at that restaurant again.

Also involved is former New Orleans general manager Jeff Bower. And I was told by someone close to the search that Allen had taken a sudden interest in Philadelphia 76ers senior vice president Tony DiLeo. Perhaps because Allen likes DiLeo, but maybe, too, because nobody in his inner circle seems to agree on the other candidates.

Allen issued a statement Wednesday indicating there are four candidates. I have every reason to believe the fourth is DiLeo, who may have been a surprise even to some who thought they were clued into the search.

Crazy stuff, but this is probably understandable when you blow up a long line of executives. Also, when you rely largely upon a committee comprised of people with wide agendas to bring you candidates. Feels like Morway is out of this race, which immediately makes you wonder where that leaves Miller.

Also feels like Olshey would be a big stretch, too, not because he's not qualified or competent, but because he's represented by an agent who isn't viewed favorably by the Blazers. That leaves us with Bower and DiLeo. Given that the Blazers haven't had a general manager since May 2011, and also, that both of those candidates have been available and ready to go to work for the Blazers during that long stretch, it's pretty clear that the search looked past both at least once.

Maybe twice. Or three times. And so what we now have is divided leadership, seemingly ready to settle for a candidate it probably didn't like all that much a year ago.

This brings up Buchanan.

He knows the organization. He understands the culture. He's expressed, on more than one occasion, that he's no longer interested in the GM job. But ultimately, isn't he the most qualified candidate around who will take the job?

It would take some convincing at this point on Allen's part, but the Blazers should hire Buchanan. Give him the title. Give him whatever security he sees necessary to do the job right. Give him the assurance -- from the big boss at the Vulcan Inc. mothership -- that he won't have to answer to Kolde or some other well-meaning lieutenant, but the general himself.

Buchanan is the only candidate who can unify this organization again.

Sports can be a mad business. But it should never feel this nutty.

I am a fan of JJ the Double Double Beast.

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BlazerManiac
Posts: 689

Posted 05/30/2012 5:57 PM

Now if Paul Allen will Listen:

By John Canzano, The Oregonian

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jonthorpe
Posts: 125

Posted 05/30/2012 9:15 PM

I like him and wouldnt mind this move but theyve already wasted so much time interviewing 4 guys...Would make them look even more foolish if they made such a big deal about it and then just went back to Chad. Overall just looks stupid from an outside perspective and we need to be gaining back respect that we lost this season.

I am a fan of DEFENSE CREATES OFFENSE

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