Tag: Neil Olshey

“He’s become like the team-spirit …

“He’s become like the team-spirit animal,” said Neil Olshey, the Blazers’ president of basketball operations. “Dame [Lillard] is Dame, and that’s just understood. Right. And CJ [McCollum] is CJ. They are much more stoic. “But Nurk plays with his emotions on his sleeve. I use the tennis analogy: Dame and CJ are [Bjorn] Borg. They’re quiet assassins. Nurk is more Jimmy Connors or John McEnroe.”

“It’s two-fold,” Neil Olshey said …

“It’s two-fold,” Neil Olshey said Wednesday. “On one hand, I’m excited to see our guys play again. You know, the season ended so abruptly, we were just getting healthy. We were three days from getting ‘Nurk’ (Jusuf Nurkic) back and Zach (Collins) was on the horizon — he was about three weeks out from returning. At that point, Trevor (Ariza) was in the starting lineup, so the exciting thing is to see the guys out playing basketball again. I missed basketball.”

“I don’t think anyone can be cavalier …

“I don’t think anyone can be cavalier about the health risks,” he said. “Our players and our traveling staff have tested negative over the course of our two weeks of mandatory testing. But, it’s a concern, and we have family members concerned about us going into the environment. I do think there will be diligence down there. I do think Adam’s (Commissioner Adam Silver) model of trying to make it the safest place in the country, i think the league will do everything in its power to do that. But I can’t tell you that people aren’t concerned about their health.”

Neil Olshey: “Guys have stayed. They …

Neil Olshey: “Guys have stayed. They are dialed in. They are locked in. They’re ignoring whatever the strength of schedule we’re going to face down there. And they’re going down with the mindset that Day One, this is playoff basketball for us. We’re training and preparing and we’re going to give it our best shot. One of the things that has been consistent with this group is that this is a group of closers. We’ve always been better the second half of the year. It’s a testament to the character of the guys we have and our coaching staff not burning guys out and keeping them engaged and I think you will see that when we get to Orlando.”

Whether his Achilles injury changes the …

Whether his Achilles injury changes the Blazers’ intentions of a long-term contract is unclear. Neil Olshey, the Blazers’ president of basketball operations, said Tuesday that he cannot talk about player contracts. And Hood’s agent, Ty Sullivan, was vague Tuesday when asked if there are plans to pursue an extension or just pick up the player option. “I know Rodney loves Portland,” Sullivan said. “He was having a great year before he got hurt. He will have options.”

“This is a heartbreaking loss for the …

“This is a heartbreaking loss for the entire Trail Blazers family. Zach was a positive spirit, a tireless worker and an outstanding teacher. My prayers go out to his family and all who loved him.” — Neil Olshey, President of Basketball Operations. “I am devastated by the news of Zach’s passing. He was a valued member of our staff, but more importantly, he was an outstanding young man who everyone loved and appreciated. Words cannot adequately express my sadness for such a loss.” — Terry Stotts, Head Coach

NBA teams to put moratorium on team business, transactions

The National Basketball Association is putting the business of basketball on hold during the league’s hiatus from games during coronavirus.

The fallout from the NBA’s hiatus of at least 30 days is continuing to unfold and it is now making an impact on the usual day-to-day business of the NBA over the next month.

The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported on Friday afternoon that the NBA will have a moratorium that extends from now until April 15. In addition to that, Charania reports that players will be paid in full on their next game check on March 15. However, it seems clear that if there is no more basketball-related income, players will likely not be getting paid beyond that unless they are able to resume the season at a later date.

As the league and the world continue to come to grips with the realities of the world during the spread of coronavirus, the NBA is taking proper steps to prioritize the lives of people within the league rather than the business of the game. In terms of big changes, this was likely that last big step from the league at large, leaving several teams to figure out how they will take care of arena workers who will be affected by the league’s hiatus.

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The Portland Trail Blazers have …

The Portland Trail Blazers have completed the two-way transfers of center Moses Brown and forward Jaylen Hoard to the Texas Legends of the NBA G League, it was announced today by president of basketball operations Neil Olshey. Brown, 20, has played in nine games for the Trail Blazers this season, averaging 1.2 points (40.0% FG, 37.5% FT) and 1.6 rebounds. In 22 games with the Legends, Brown (7-1, 245) has averaged 14.9 points (63.8% FG, 49.2% FT), 7.6 rebounds and 1.41 blocks.