Surprisingly, the Portland Trail Blazers fired general manager Rich Cho on Monday after just nine months on the job, leaving many wondering just what in the world Paul Allen was doing and what the long-term plans for the team are. By all accounts, Cho was the man to lead the Blazers into the future following the draft-day departure of Kevin Pritchard in 2010, but all that went out the window on Monday afternoon.
So why was Cho unceremoniously fired just a month before the draft? It may have something to do with Brandon Roy, according to John Canzano. After Roy openly complained about his playing time following Game 2 of the Blazers' NBA playoff series with the Dallas Mavericks, Cho reportedly wanted to suspend the Seattle native. It never came to fruition and Roy put on a dazzling display in Game 4, but Canzano believes it may have been the death-blow for Cho.
Canzano writes that although Cho didn't suspend Roy, the behind-the-scenes push to do as much could have led to a chasm between he and the management team above him, led by team owner Paul Allen.
If this is the story, one has to wonder what Paul Allen is doing and just how much control he wants over his franchises. Even if there is some other reason and probable cause for dropping Cho, running through two general managers in less than a year is not a good look, and has Portland fans questioning Allen's sanity.
For more on the Blazers, and pained reactions from the fanbase, head over to BlazersEdge.