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Feb 18

What Rich Cho Really Said

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By truthbetold Posted in: Blazers

There’s been a published misconception regarding the intentions of Trail Blazers General Manager Rich Cho upon his arrival in Portland. In an interview with NBA.com writer Art Garcia, former GM Steve Kerr said:

“Cho when he got there (Portland) made a pretty big deal about how there was going to be change, and they've been waiting for change and nothing's happened.”

In actuality, Cho was very deliberate in saying that he would be meticulous and disciplined when making decisions regarding trades, and never promised “change”. At his introductory press conference on July 19, Cho said:

“We will be very process-orientated and methodical in our approach. We won’t make a trade to make a trade. It has to improve the team or give us an asset we can use in a future trade… One mistake some guys make when they get jobs – they think they know everything and they just want to make trades right away.”

In a one-on-one interview with the Oregonian later that month, Cho reiterated his strategy:

“I think both backgrounds (engineering and law) help me look at both sides of every issue, the pros and cons – you look at things in terms of a layering or domino effect instead of the short term… You know, deals aren’t easy to make in our league. But I’ve been involved in a lot of deals over the years, and lot of them happen really fast. Some of them take a long time. Right now, nothing is imminent.”

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10 Comments

it's nice to be reminded of one thing in particular: "We won't make a trade to make a trade." in looking at potential players and deals, that's the thing which concerns me most. i'm glad to see that philosophy in Cho.

by Kassandra on 2/18/2011 12:38 PM
In his introductory he also said that collaboration will be one of his core philosophies: "One thing I've learned through the years is that I don't have all the answers. My management style will be a collaborative one. I will seek the opinions and inputs from others, I will then challenge those inputs and then make the final decision based on my view." In short it seems that Larry Miller and Paul Allen have been salivating for a player for youth at the pg position. I highly doubt that they will let 3 expiring contracts go to waste including Cho.

http://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/index.ssf/2011/01/trail_blazers_big_changes_on_t.html

by Roland on 2/19/2011 10:59 PM
please remove my repeated blogs

by Roland on 2/19/2011 11:05 PM
If the expiring contract has value to us and we need the players resigning them is not wasted.

I say sign all three to extention or offer a new contract based on their future output. If they accept, great, if not then they can go to the free agency and try their chances. IMO, all three realize they are getting older and their value is going to be that of back-up and will be willing to take a less money. Of course we could make a trade then resign if the other teams drop them. and that would be a new contract and probably less money.

In short, I like what all three brings us for the present and IMO, they have value for three or four more years.

Hg

by Hg on 2/20/2011 9:28 AM
This is a great example of how reality does not always match up with how people remember things. Thank you for setting the record straight!

by Storyteller on 2/21/2011 4:27 PM
Hg, so right. just because we have the expiring contracts doesn't mean we'll let them expire ... or maybe we will. the one thing we know is that we don't know. no matter what some fans want to say (most often without referencing any facts whatsoever), we just don't know. we do have a better idea of Cho's intentions now that things have been cleared up. excellent comment, my friend.

by Kassandra on 2/21/2011 10:25 PM
well nice to see that he is a GM that likes to think things through before making a move. I honestly think thats common sense, but meh who knows these days. I am perfectly content playing with the team we have right now. Letting this team with a much improved LA, a stronger overall chemistry and a returning Broy play this season out, will tell us ALOT of what if, any moves need to be made this offseason.

Players are not just dice you throw in a cup and shake around all the time till you get the numbers you want, it just doesnt happen that way, or should not happen. People need to be patient, let all the pieces fall in place, let that play out fully...THEN decide if a trade or trades/player signing needs to happen.

by whitefeather21380 on 2/22/2011 3:44 PM
I'd sure hate to see any trades now, when the team is jelling and working together so well. Watching them play together is a joy and with Marcus coming back and a little bit of BRoy, it will be sweeter.

by shingle creek on 2/22/2011 5:26 PM
Dude, have we all lost it. IF YOU CAN make a deal to land a player like Devin Harris or DJ Augustin w/ Miller, Camby and Pryz being the keynote parts, YOU DO IT!. This a no brainer.

Expiring contracts are invaluable. Look at how the Lakers got Gasol (mainly through K. Browns expiring contract). If our GM had the savvy of King or Kupchak we'd have a key addition already. Very disappointed in Cho :(

by Roland on 2/23/2011 2:05 PM
I agree with Cho, But there are trades Portland needs to make in order to improve it's future. We need a center and if B. Roy is going to stay on the bench and not be a starter, His contract is too large for a bench player when he can be traded for a top 10 center (15+ points, 11+ boards)

by mbmurr1 on 3/10/2011 3:19 PM