The general manager of Portland Trail Blazers, Joe Cronin, has signed an extension of several years, The team announced Monday. Cronin became the interim gm of the team when they shot Neil Olshey in December 2021, and the Blazers took the interim label the next season. During his term, Portland has changed to Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum and began to rebuild the team around younger players such as Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe, Deni Avdija and Toumani Camara.
“Joe has demonstrated leadership and vision during his time as a general manager, and I am excited to see him continue building the bases for a long -term winning team,” said the owner of the Jody Allen team in a statement. “We are all delighted with the front impulse of the team and excited by the future of Trail Blazers basketball.”
In the same press release, Cronin said: “My vision is to have a competitive list with the potential of sustained success, while creating a culture that helps all our players, coaches and personnel to prosper. I could not be more excited about what is to come.”
Blazers were officially eliminated from the containment of postseason on Sunday, but, in 35-44, they have been more competitive than many observers expected. Since January 19, they have gone 22-16, with the number 4 defense of the League (and the defense of half of the court number 2, for cleaning the glass) in that period.
For a team that will not reach the playoffs and will not be particularly strong probabilities in the draft lottery, Portland has many interesting things. Avdija has been in an absolute tear, Henderson has improved significantly and camera could make a total defense. In the low season, Cronin’s main office faces family questions: how do Jarami Grant, Anfernee Simons, Deandre Ayton, Matisse Thybulle and Robert Williams III adjust? What is the timeline to make an impulse of playoffs?
A more pressing question: Is the extension for coach Chaunley Billups soon? One would seem to be justified, based on the improvement of the team’s season, and Billups is already in the guaranteed final season of the five-year agreement signed in 2021 (Blazers have a team option in 2025-26). At the beginning of the season, it was widely assumed that this would be the last of Portland, but “The tenor of That That That Chate”, the line of Stein Stein, the Stein Stein, the line of Stein Stein, the line of Stein Stein, the line of Stein Stein, the line of Stein Stein Stein, the line of Stein Stein Stein Stein, Stein Stein’s line, Stein Stein’s line, Stein Stein’s line, Stein Stein’s line, Stein Stein’s line, Stein Stein’s line, Stein Stein’s line on the Stein line. wrote last month.
