It was very long ago that the Portland Trail Blazers were one of the most stable franchises in the NBA. Six months ago, the Blazers parted ways with Terry Stotts. Now the team has fired Neil Olshey, and the team does not have much experience at the head coach or GM levels. But, the leader of the franchise Damian Lillard has endorsed Joe Cronin to be the full-time General Manager.
The Blazers believe that they have some challenges with their roster:
“We know we have some challenges with this roster, we like our team, we’ve had some high moments and we’ve had some low moments this season. It’s been a unique year so far for us but we’re committed to being aggressive to be willing to take on risks, to being creative and forward-thinking. Chauncey and I, we talk a lot about what it takes to win and what we believe winning basketball looks like and I think we’re super aligned in what type of product and what type of team we need to have in order to reach the levels that we’re trying to reach.
“The core challenge I think we’re facing is it’s extremely difficult to go from good to great. To take that next leap that extra whatever percent it is, five, 10. We’ve had a solid team for years, we had a ceiling, how do we burst through that ceiling in order to really compete, and when we say really compete we mean to walk into the gym every night and have that swagger to know that we are one of the best teams in the league, we have a very realistic chance of winning this whole thing. I don’t know if we have that swagger now or that confidence, sometimes you just know it, you have that pop in your step. It’s evaluating what we need to do, what pieces we need to add, what changes we need to make in order to take that next step.”
From Joe Cronin
“We’re definitely not content with where we currently are,” Cronin said. “We’re optimistic about our team and we’re definitely not panicking or worried about it. But, I mean, we have a strong, strong desire to win basketball games and I think we’re all in agreement that we have some room to improve here. And we’d like to be active and aggressive to do so.”
Portland’s ownership Jody Allen and Bert Kolde have told Cronin to act as if he is the General Manager, participating in trade scenarios, taking calls, handling the Cap, etc. Even though, they still haven’t named him or anyone else the full-time general manager.
About Joe Cronin
Cronin said he learned a lot about the business and the salary cap from former Blazer’s general managers Rich Cho (2010-11) and former assistant general manager Tom Penn (2007-2010). He has been in the Blazers front office for 15 years starting out as an intern. That longevity and loyalty of Cronin and the fact that he is being endorsed by the star of the Portland Trail Blazers has got to mean something.
Promoted to Assistant General Manager in 2021, Joe Cronin manages the team’s Salary Cap and oversees its amateur and professional scouting. An important part of the team’s player evaluation, roster construction and strategic planning process, Cronin is active in the NBA Draft, trades and free agency. Entering his 16th season with Portland, Cronin joined the team as a Basketball Operations intern in 2006. In 2010 he was promoted to Pro Scout/Salary Cap Analyst and in 2014 he was named the team’s Director of Player Personnel. As a result of his continued dedication to the team, Cronin was the 2011-12 recipient of the Trail Blazers’ “Unify People in a Championship Culture” award. Prior to joining the team, Cronin earned his Master’s at the University of Denver, where he also worked as Graduate Assistant for the men’s basketball team.
from Blazers.com
He’s dreamed of being a general manager for an NBA team and now has that opportunity. Even if he is not named the full-time General Manager. The experience should propel him into the conversation for other GM openings.
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