NOOOOOO. Nate McMillan to be named Trailblazers coach tomorrow

[Mojambo]

Fox Sports Net Northwest is reporting.

What an absolute punch in the gut for Sonics fans.

I feel unwell.

[Wetzelbill]

1. this hardcore Sonic fan is about to cry

[Mojambo]

3. It's really rough

This is way worse than Piniella, Payton or even Griffey.

This one really hurts. It's like losing your girlfriend to your next door neighbor.

I really hope I don't have to hear them having sex.

[Wetzelbill]

19. I was shattered by Griffey, Payton not as much, I prepared myself

Shawn Kemp hurt, back in the day. What happened to that guy and his demons beating him, is a crying shame.

Yeah, this one is tough. Agreed.

[flamingyouth]

2. Oh man, that sucks

Nate's a good guy. I was hoping he'd stay in town. :(

[ugarte]

4. A lot more $$ in Portland

but lots more headaches, too. I wonder now how much Schultz intends to pony up for Antonio Daniels and all the free agents. To be honest, with the young players they've been signing, it looks like rebuilding time, which can't make Ray Allen happy.

Or did Ray Allen have a problem with Nate?

[Mojambo]

5. It was rebuilding time 3 years ago.

They've been on a 5 year plan and last year was year 4. They are a year ahead of their plan.

Ray Allen has ben onboard and cool with the rebuild since he got here.

They have rebuilt and will contend next year even without McMillan.

[kaitykaity]

6. Take it from this Blazer fan, you will have your revenge.

The Blazers chew people up and spit them out like
a woodchipper.

Trust me, MacMillan won't be here long. He'll get
sick of the mismanagement and incompetence and no
amount of $$$ will make him stay.

[Mojambo]

7. That's just it

I care about Nate McMillan, he means a lot to me as a fan.

I don't want bad things to happen to him. Normally when a coach leaves you want them to crap out (especially if they're going to a rival) but I can't root against Nate.

I can't, I won't.

[kaitykaity]

8. then that's doubly sad for you.

Because I'm telling you, the Blazers organization is
sick and dysfunctional.

Sports guys are are yammering on about how the Seattle
management cried poor. Is that straight up?

Anyway, I'm just saying the Rose Garden ain't no rose
garden and your guy could be outta here sooner than
you think. He'll just have to go through a lot of pain
first.

[Mojambo]

9. Yeah

"Sports guys are are yammering on about how the Seattle
management cried poor. Is that straight up?"

The Sonics have legitimate financial concerns as far as sports franchises go.

Still they managed to make him a very respectable offer. Portland stated loudly they were willing to double the Sonics offer if necessary.

They weren't going to be able to compete with Portland, but they made a good faith effort.

[kaitykaity]

10. According to the sports guys, it's supposed to be about

more than money? They're making a big deal about
something or other, that the two offers weren't
that different.

Anyway, I wanted Porter, so I'm kinda bummed too.
Maybe Porter can hook up with MacMillan as an assistant
or something.

[Mojambo]

11. I haven't heard of any other factors

Nate didn't seem dissatisfied with management at all. Of course he's such a class guy that we never would have heard about it if he had.

It was one more year and 12 more million dollars. I think the Blazer deal was significantly more, but I could definitely buy the possibility of other factors.

Do you have any specifics on what those sports guys might be referring to?

[kaitykaity]

12. It was on Sports Radio 1080 The Fan.

http://www.kfxx.com/contactus.asp

I don't see a listen live link, but you could
call I guess.

It was more like logic, like the offers weren't that
different so it wasn't about the money so it has to
be something else, we're speculating about what kind
of conversation. One guy said player personnel,
another said that's not Nate's style.

[aaronbees]

13. Sick and dysfunctional??

I find it hard to believe Blazers management is sick and dysfunctional when:
they've drastically reduced costs, said goodbye to players like Rasheed and Bonzi and McInnis (who, whether they were real problems or not, had worn their welcome in Portland), built a good nucleus of young players with real talent (Telfair and Outlaw are studs by the end of this next year), gotten a leg up on getting them experience this past year, ditched a coach who even though he was a great man didn't utilize his players effectively, and hit a potential homerun with the recent draft (Webster will be great and Jack is a good prospect).

How is that sick and dysfunctional, especially when you compare it to the mess left by Whitsitt two years ago?

On ESPN radio just now Marc Stein said Seattle's last offer was about $4.5 million compared to the $6 million per he'll be getting in Portland.

All that said, condolences to Sonics fans (was rooting for you guys this past year). Perhaps they'll make a pitch for Flip or Iavaroni? I think the Sonics will still be mighty good this next year.

I would've been quite happy with Porter but McMillan seems to have a style that would benefit the Blazers players. So, sweet news (at least to this Blazers fan)!

[kaitykaity]

14. Yeah, I can really tell by how many games they won last year.

Good management really gets lottery picks, doesn't it?
Yeah, I really see a lot of "red hot and rolling"
around town.

Look, you might be willing to forgive and forget, but
it's gonna take a lot more than the moves you describe
to heal the hurt. Potential is one thing, but "show
me the money."

Now when they win 50 games again and make the playoffs
again and maybe, maybe win a playoff series, then yeah,
I'll be as positive about them as you are.

It wasn't by accident that Rasheed and Bonzi and all of
their arrested buddies made a mockery of that team. And
Whitsitt's hand is not out of this mix despite the fact
that is name isn't on the door anymore.

MacMillan is an "average" coach. He was on the bubble 14
months ago and outperformed this last year.

[aaronbees]

15. Rebuilding is a process...

though since Portland fans have been pampered by so many years of playoff runs, I think it's hard to see. That's not a knock, it's just a matter of having it good for a long long time (even the last few years of the run when he had some shady guys on the team) ... with no recent rings to show for it.

You do understand that kickstarting a team that's in the gutter takes time right? Exactly what kind of moves would you have made to make this team competitive and completely turnover the roster in a little more than a year?

Look, fans and media called out the organization for its disreputable characters. New management is brought in and in a year makes great strides in getting a better, more motivated team with young players on board. Still not good enough, I suppose, for some.

Say what you will about Miles, Zach and Patterson (his past), this roster is leagues better as far as reputation is concerned. Of that, there's no freakin' doubt -- Telfair, Outlaw, Przybilla are good players and have a solid image.

This team can't turnaround overnight. It's going through growing pains that every organization (even the Lakers in the 90s and last year, even the Spurs in the '90s, even the Celtics and Bulls) goes through. Every organization in every professional sport, just about (at least can't think of an exception now), rides that up and down wave.

So it looks like plenty of teams with "good management" have been able to use the draft effectively.

Wouldn't you rather watch an improving team win 30 or 40 games next year than see Sheed, Bonzi, Damon, etc. struggle in with another first-round playoff exit? I sure would.

And McMillan is not average. He got a lot out of that team - hardworking, good defense, running ... exactly what the Blazers need.

Uh, in any case, sorry to get this convo off track. I just think McMillan could be headed to a good situation
;-)

[kaitykaity]

17. You make some good points.

But the wounds cut deep. The organization got off track
with what they did to Schonely to even last year when they
were going to pay that idiot's fines for when he got into
it with Cheeks.

YOu can apologize for the Blazers all you want and look
at what they're doing through rose-colored glasses if you
want to. Count me out.

Trust once broken is damn near impossible to restore. Just
because you see a few blades of grass growing in the weeds
doesn't mean they're going to take over and make a lawn.

Look, like I said, I even hope you're right. But right now,
I'll go with an expert who knows way more than you. In
Jaynes' column about the Porter rumor, and he said,
paraphrasing, "I'd tell my friend to stay away. This is a
bad situation."

[aaronbees]

20. Thanks, you too...

make some good points. I agree on Schonely but not on the Miles incident. He was disciplined and that's it, as far as I'm concerned. They may be rose(garden)-colored glasses, true, but I think I'm honestly hopeful from what I've seen. I see no point in wallowing about past transgressions when I think the current team is relatively new and has made positive changes. And as much as I usually like the cranky Jaynes (he beats the Canzano/Quick duo, that's for sure), I think he's wrong here. I'm probably not as longstanding a Blazers fan as you (I got into them in the late 90s when I lived in PDX and will never change my allegiance), but I understand if it's hard to trust the organization after so much time elapsed with the Blazers being pretty dang stellar as an organization. I just see a new team in place that has the potential to do great things. So, there ya go :)

Proof is in the pudding, so we'll see next year ...

[kaitykaity]

21. Right on.

:thumbsup:

Cranky Jaynes. That's good.

Now if they could get rid of the homer homey clown radio
show of Brian "that was a horrible call" Wheeler and Mike
"really, really, really" Rice, I might even be able to
listen to the games again.

:hi:

[Mojambo]

22. Oh Wheeler was the worst

He broke in up here doing sports talk. Believe it or not he was probably better at that than he is at play by play.

Every offseason I worry that Kevin Calabro is going to sign with another team to do play by play. That guy is friggin awesome at what he does.

[kaitykaity]

23. I can't stand him.

The guy we had before him was just pure class. He'd
actually get after the players or coaches if they did
something dumb. Wheeler makes homer excuse after homer
excuse.

The color guy is far worse than Wheeler though. He was
junior to the classy Schonely, but once Schonely got axed,
Rice became the top dog, and all of his horrible personality
traits -- the ego, sports radio in the morning BS -- came
through with no "check or balance."

I won't listen. Absolutely refuse.

[Mojambo]

16. Flip is the guy I've zeroed in on

I always thought he got a raw deal in Minnesota.

I think he'd be a good fit, but I don't know a tremendous amount about him.

Any lurking T-Wolves fans care to share their opinion of Saunders?

[Tom Kitten]

18. how awful you must feel...

Portland is such a hick city to lose out to! It's worse than, well, anything, isn't it?

[northzax]

24. indeed, luckily we have the richest owner in professional sports

and the Blazers are the only game in town. Why compete with a mediocre football and baseball team, when you can be the big dogs. When the Blazers are rolling (not for a few years, of course) there is no better place to be.

of course, when you screw up, there's no distractions for the circus, either.

Let's face it, what Paul Allen wants, Paul Allen gets. being the third richest man in the country, and top five among non-royalty in the world, will help with that.