tlongII
06-25-2009, 09:49 AM
http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindblazersbeat/2009/06/frontoffice_band_of_blazers.html
http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindblazersbeat/2009/06/blazex25jpeg.JPG
General manager Kevin Pritchard (right) helped talk Tom Penn (center) out of leaving the Blazers to take the GM position with the Timberwolves. Penn is considered an expert on the financial aspects of the NBA.
Even though his right-hand man was on the verge of leaving for a more prominent position with another team, Kevin Pritchard refused to slip into panic mode. He knew the moment would come eventually, so the Trail Blazers' general manager was prepared to transform himself from boss and mentor to friend.
He invited Tom Penn to his Lake Oswego home for a heart to heart on his balcony. He popped open a bottle of wine. And then he asked Penn to dissect the pros and cons of a potential move to the Minnesota Timberwolves, who wanted him to be their general manager.
"Neither of us are big drinkers," Pritchard said. "I kid him all the time that it took two bottles of wine to keep him in Portland."
As the franchise continues its evolution from embarrassment to championship contender, one potential pitfall is starting to emerge for the Blazers: It could be difficult for owner Paul Allen to hang onto the people who have orchestrated the transformation.
The NBA draft, where Pritchard, Penn and the rest of the Blazers' management group has distinguished itself as an up-and-coming force in the league through shrewd trades and spot-on talent evaluations, starts today at 4:30 p.m. in New York. The event highlights a hidden byproduct of the Blazers' success. The behind-the-scenes stars -- specifically vice president of basketball operations Penn, director of NBA scouting Michael Born and director of college scouting Chad Buchanan -- are gaining more respect and recognition around the league.
Penn was the first target last month but he likely won't be the last, and there are only so many bottles of wine to go around.
"I know any day, at any time, I can get a call from another organization asking permission to interview one of those three guys," Pritchard said.
Started in Midwest
The seed for this management group was planted more than 20 years ago in the Midwest, where all four have roots.
Pritchard and Born first bumped heads in college, when they starred at Kansas and Iowa State, respectively. In the offseason, Born traveled to Kansas to serve as a counselor for clinics run by Jayhawks players and coaches. It was an easy way for a college kid to earn a little cash, but even more, it provided an opportunity for Born to play in pickup games against talented Kansas players.
Pritchard and Born, both extremely competitive, used to go head-to-head on a nightly basis. Between those battles and college games, the two developed a mutual respect for each other and, ultimately, became friends.
About that same time, Born and Buchanan started their friendship. For 20 years, Born has organized a summer youth basketball camp in Des Moines, Iowa. Buchanan, who grew up idolizing Born, was a camper at the very first camp. After he graduated high school, Buchanan became a counselor and eventually an assistant director for Born.
The three became intertwined, and cut their teeth as basketball talent evaluators, years later in Kansas City. Pritchard was the general manager, head coach and personnel director for the Kansas City Knights of the ABA from 1999-2002, steering the franchise to a championship in 2001-02.
Born was an assistant under Pritchard during the championship season and, the following year, when Born left for a coaching job in the NBA development league, Buchanan replaced him.
"The chemistry we have now comes from our time in Kansas City," Born said. "Spending so much time together in the office, in planes, on buses -- going through the grind -- we really developed a respect and like for each other. It's kind of ironic how it all worked out. That's all carried over (in Portland)."
Buchanan and Pritchard never ended up coaching together, because the ABA suspended play two weeks before training camp and ultimately folded in 2002. But during those two years, Pritchard got a sense of the work ethic, honesty and talent he says Born and Buchanan possess. So in 2004, when Pritchard was hired as the Blazers' director of player personnel, he offered Born and Buchanan jobs as domestic scouts.
After Pritchard became the Blazers' general manager in 2007, he hired Penn as his assistant general manager just before the 2007 draft. Penn, who came from the Memphis Grizzlies, has blended seamlessly into the group.
Each has a role
The result of this long-rooted history and common background is an immensely cohesive, like-minded group that shares a common belief about how a team should be built and operated. The idea is to create a family atmosphere, encourage honest dialogue in which all people feel open to express opinions, place a premium on character and work your rear end off to be better than everyone else.
Each person brings a different dynamic and strength to the operation. Pritchard is the "idea man." He walks into the team's Tualatin offices every day and tosses out numerous ideas. The management group tries to turn the good ideas into reality and dismisses the bad ideas as unfeasible.
Buchanan is valued for his consistent, always-positive demeanor, keen eye for talent and a strong ability to build relationships with college coaches and players. Buchanan met and started logging files on many of the prospects in this year's draft years ago when he was a domestic scout for the Blazers. He's also the biggest "feeler" of the group.
As the team debates the merit of, perhaps, trading Travis Outlaw, Buchanan might be the voice in the room saying, "Wait a minute. This guy is a glue guy in the locker room. How's this going to affect our chemistry?"
"Chad is a very, very thorough, diligent, hard-working guy who has a great eye for talent and understands basketball overall," Penn said. "He's also the biggest feeler of the group in that he has a constant eye on the team dynamic, the chemistry dynamic, and how a move is going to play among the feelings of a team. He reminds us of that all the time."
Born, like Buchanan, has a sharp eye for talent and for building relationships. With a background that includes coaching, front office work and playing at multiple levels, he has an innate understanding of basketball. Penn said he's a human "encyclopedia" of information about NBA players across the league. There's also this:
"Born is ultra competitive," Pritchard said. "It doesn't matter if you're playing Tiddlywinks, he's going to try to kill you. He brings that competitiveness every single day to the process."
This offseason, perhaps more than any in recent years, there is emphasis on Born's NBA knowledge. As the team moves away from building through the draft and starts to accentuate the roster with veteran pieces through free agency and trades, Born's expertise and scouting will be relied upon heavily. A successful offseason will only add to the blooming credibility of the management group.
"I think there is going to be an incredible amount of interest in Chad and Mike (from other teams)," Pritchard said. "In fact, that is already starting to bubble. I don't want to get into details about (who has shown interest), but I do know that people have acknowledged their work."
Penn, who was a successful trial lawyer before his time in the NBA, is considered one of the league's foremost experts on the collective bargaining agreement and the financial aspects of the league. He's so well known for this, however, that his ability to judge talent -- thanks in part to working for years under Jerry West in Memphis in addition to his time with Pritchard -- is often overlooked.
But more than anything, this foursome succeeds because it is a tight-knit group. They are all close in age -- Born, 43, is the oldest; Buchanan, 36, is the youngest. Their families regularly spend time together. Their kids play together. And it's common to find everyone -- wives and kids, included -- hanging out at Pritchard's house, which sits along Oswego Lake.
Each admits this is rare in NBA front offices. And they understand what they have is special.
"You talk to other people around the league about their relationships within their staff and there always seems to be, not cliques, but tension," Buchanan said. "We don't have that. Maybe we take it for granted until we hear and talk to other people around the league about their situations. We love coming to work every day. We're all focused on the same goal: How can we make this team better? You're not worrying about who's getting credit for this, and why is he not doing this. There's none of that around here. It's all about everyone moving in the same direction on the same boat."
How long will they ride this boat together? Pritchard is prepared for the inevitable. He prefers to keep his staff together as long as possible, but, years from now, he hopes to see them become peers.
"I want to be a GM for 25 years," Pritchard said. "I would love to have five or six guys who I've worked with be GMs in the league at the same time. That would mean as much to me just about as much as winning a championship."
http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindblazersbeat/2009/06/blazex25jpeg.JPG
General manager Kevin Pritchard (right) helped talk Tom Penn (center) out of leaving the Blazers to take the GM position with the Timberwolves. Penn is considered an expert on the financial aspects of the NBA.
Even though his right-hand man was on the verge of leaving for a more prominent position with another team, Kevin Pritchard refused to slip into panic mode. He knew the moment would come eventually, so the Trail Blazers' general manager was prepared to transform himself from boss and mentor to friend.
He invited Tom Penn to his Lake Oswego home for a heart to heart on his balcony. He popped open a bottle of wine. And then he asked Penn to dissect the pros and cons of a potential move to the Minnesota Timberwolves, who wanted him to be their general manager.
"Neither of us are big drinkers," Pritchard said. "I kid him all the time that it took two bottles of wine to keep him in Portland."
As the franchise continues its evolution from embarrassment to championship contender, one potential pitfall is starting to emerge for the Blazers: It could be difficult for owner Paul Allen to hang onto the people who have orchestrated the transformation.
The NBA draft, where Pritchard, Penn and the rest of the Blazers' management group has distinguished itself as an up-and-coming force in the league through shrewd trades and spot-on talent evaluations, starts today at 4:30 p.m. in New York. The event highlights a hidden byproduct of the Blazers' success. The behind-the-scenes stars -- specifically vice president of basketball operations Penn, director of NBA scouting Michael Born and director of college scouting Chad Buchanan -- are gaining more respect and recognition around the league.
Penn was the first target last month but he likely won't be the last, and there are only so many bottles of wine to go around.
"I know any day, at any time, I can get a call from another organization asking permission to interview one of those three guys," Pritchard said.
Started in Midwest
The seed for this management group was planted more than 20 years ago in the Midwest, where all four have roots.
Pritchard and Born first bumped heads in college, when they starred at Kansas and Iowa State, respectively. In the offseason, Born traveled to Kansas to serve as a counselor for clinics run by Jayhawks players and coaches. It was an easy way for a college kid to earn a little cash, but even more, it provided an opportunity for Born to play in pickup games against talented Kansas players.
Pritchard and Born, both extremely competitive, used to go head-to-head on a nightly basis. Between those battles and college games, the two developed a mutual respect for each other and, ultimately, became friends.
About that same time, Born and Buchanan started their friendship. For 20 years, Born has organized a summer youth basketball camp in Des Moines, Iowa. Buchanan, who grew up idolizing Born, was a camper at the very first camp. After he graduated high school, Buchanan became a counselor and eventually an assistant director for Born.
The three became intertwined, and cut their teeth as basketball talent evaluators, years later in Kansas City. Pritchard was the general manager, head coach and personnel director for the Kansas City Knights of the ABA from 1999-2002, steering the franchise to a championship in 2001-02.
Born was an assistant under Pritchard during the championship season and, the following year, when Born left for a coaching job in the NBA development league, Buchanan replaced him.
"The chemistry we have now comes from our time in Kansas City," Born said. "Spending so much time together in the office, in planes, on buses -- going through the grind -- we really developed a respect and like for each other. It's kind of ironic how it all worked out. That's all carried over (in Portland)."
Buchanan and Pritchard never ended up coaching together, because the ABA suspended play two weeks before training camp and ultimately folded in 2002. But during those two years, Pritchard got a sense of the work ethic, honesty and talent he says Born and Buchanan possess. So in 2004, when Pritchard was hired as the Blazers' director of player personnel, he offered Born and Buchanan jobs as domestic scouts.
After Pritchard became the Blazers' general manager in 2007, he hired Penn as his assistant general manager just before the 2007 draft. Penn, who came from the Memphis Grizzlies, has blended seamlessly into the group.
Each has a role
The result of this long-rooted history and common background is an immensely cohesive, like-minded group that shares a common belief about how a team should be built and operated. The idea is to create a family atmosphere, encourage honest dialogue in which all people feel open to express opinions, place a premium on character and work your rear end off to be better than everyone else.
Each person brings a different dynamic and strength to the operation. Pritchard is the "idea man." He walks into the team's Tualatin offices every day and tosses out numerous ideas. The management group tries to turn the good ideas into reality and dismisses the bad ideas as unfeasible.
Buchanan is valued for his consistent, always-positive demeanor, keen eye for talent and a strong ability to build relationships with college coaches and players. Buchanan met and started logging files on many of the prospects in this year's draft years ago when he was a domestic scout for the Blazers. He's also the biggest "feeler" of the group.
As the team debates the merit of, perhaps, trading Travis Outlaw, Buchanan might be the voice in the room saying, "Wait a minute. This guy is a glue guy in the locker room. How's this going to affect our chemistry?"
"Chad is a very, very thorough, diligent, hard-working guy who has a great eye for talent and understands basketball overall," Penn said. "He's also the biggest feeler of the group in that he has a constant eye on the team dynamic, the chemistry dynamic, and how a move is going to play among the feelings of a team. He reminds us of that all the time."
Born, like Buchanan, has a sharp eye for talent and for building relationships. With a background that includes coaching, front office work and playing at multiple levels, he has an innate understanding of basketball. Penn said he's a human "encyclopedia" of information about NBA players across the league. There's also this:
"Born is ultra competitive," Pritchard said. "It doesn't matter if you're playing Tiddlywinks, he's going to try to kill you. He brings that competitiveness every single day to the process."
This offseason, perhaps more than any in recent years, there is emphasis on Born's NBA knowledge. As the team moves away from building through the draft and starts to accentuate the roster with veteran pieces through free agency and trades, Born's expertise and scouting will be relied upon heavily. A successful offseason will only add to the blooming credibility of the management group.
"I think there is going to be an incredible amount of interest in Chad and Mike (from other teams)," Pritchard said. "In fact, that is already starting to bubble. I don't want to get into details about (who has shown interest), but I do know that people have acknowledged their work."
Penn, who was a successful trial lawyer before his time in the NBA, is considered one of the league's foremost experts on the collective bargaining agreement and the financial aspects of the league. He's so well known for this, however, that his ability to judge talent -- thanks in part to working for years under Jerry West in Memphis in addition to his time with Pritchard -- is often overlooked.
But more than anything, this foursome succeeds because it is a tight-knit group. They are all close in age -- Born, 43, is the oldest; Buchanan, 36, is the youngest. Their families regularly spend time together. Their kids play together. And it's common to find everyone -- wives and kids, included -- hanging out at Pritchard's house, which sits along Oswego Lake.
Each admits this is rare in NBA front offices. And they understand what they have is special.
"You talk to other people around the league about their relationships within their staff and there always seems to be, not cliques, but tension," Buchanan said. "We don't have that. Maybe we take it for granted until we hear and talk to other people around the league about their situations. We love coming to work every day. We're all focused on the same goal: How can we make this team better? You're not worrying about who's getting credit for this, and why is he not doing this. There's none of that around here. It's all about everyone moving in the same direction on the same boat."
How long will they ride this boat together? Pritchard is prepared for the inevitable. He prefers to keep his staff together as long as possible, but, years from now, he hopes to see them become peers.
"I want to be a GM for 25 years," Pritchard said. "I would love to have five or six guys who I've worked with be GMs in the league at the same time. That would mean as much to me just about as much as winning a championship."