LOS ANGELES — Tom Dundon’s first day as proprietor of the Portland Trail Blazers got here with a easy message to his gamers: The customary is altering.
In a brief assembly together with his group inside Intuit Dome earlier than Tuesday’s recreation towards the LA Clippers, Dundon advised his gamers he appreciates what they do, however he expects extra.
“Right now, where we are isn’t where I think we can be,” Dundon advised the group.
Dundon, who additionally owns the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes, is understood as a demanding and calculated proprietor who depends on analytics and intestine feeling. Since taking up in Carolina, the Hurricanes have made the playoffs in seven consecutive seasons and made the Eastern Conference remaining 3 times. This season, Carolina is tied for first within the East.
Dundon takes over a franchise that hasn’t made the playoffs since 2021 and has had dwindling attendance since a rebuild began in 2022.
In the minutes earlier than the Blazers tipped off towards the Clippers, Dundon gave an unique interview to The Athletic, concerning his imaginative and prescient for the franchise, the unease of staff fearing for his or her jobs, and the way forward for the Blazers in Portland amid their quest to safe public funding for $600 million in renovations to the Moda Center.
Here is a portion of Tuesday’s Q&A with Dundon.
Note: This dialog has been frivolously edited for readability and size.
Describe your first day …
Today was extra simply seeing what their course of is on recreation day and assembly a bunch of individuals. I don’t know that we did something tremendous helpful apart from sort of take up the knowledge and simply attempt to discover the locations the place there’s the chance to get higher, proper? You’ve acquired to see how they do it at the moment earlier than you’ve an opinion about what concepts we are able to carry as much as see in the event that they need to take into account issues that might give us a bonus sooner or later.
What was your message to the group?
It was very quick, and it was simply, one, I recognize what they do. They’re the product. They made it to the NBA, so it’s very spectacular. But proper now, the place we’re isn’t the place I feel we may be. And it’s extra about perhaps rising the requirements, rising the dedication to excellence, rising the depth — issues that I feel all people says, issues all people needs to do. Now, doing it and anticipating to do it and each day getting higher … that’s not a debate with me. … It goes to occur. It all the time occurs after I present up. And we’re gonna do it. I feel they need it, too.
How do you do this?
I don’t know how one can clarify it as a result of it simply is. Like, I can’t settle for it some other approach. You know? For me, it’s not a selection. It’s like, no matter we’re doing, we’re attempting to do higher, and also you simply hold going and going. I’m simply obsessive about looking for a approach to get higher. I can’t handle dropping. I can’t handle considering one thing may very well be executed higher. And if you happen to get all of the gamers and the coaches and the employees, all people considering that approach … it’s best to get higher.
And I feel the group the final couple years has been in a special place than they’re now, the place now it’s beginning to construct. Now we’ve acquired to get previous these previous habits that perhaps weren’t as centered on the perfect end result. So, pushing folks previous what they assume is feasible, after which doing it many times and once more. I don’t know, I simply … I simply do it.
I feel there’s a normal unease amongst staff, worrying you will are available in and make sweeping adjustments.
I imply, all people who’s not considering like that each day — like, regardless if there’s new possession, if you happen to don’t get up combating in your job, combating in your spot, then that mindset might be not superb anyway. So if it takes this for folks to assume like that, then that’s fantastic.
But I would like folks occupied with the longer term and never worrying about what I’m gonna do. They want to fret about what they’re gonna do. But I don’t like eliminating folks. I wish to see who’s able to taking that subsequent step. So, I’m not trying to eliminate folks. I’m trying to get higher.
Still, you’ll have a few high-profile selections to make at head coach (interim coach Tiago Splitter) and normal supervisor (Joe Cronin). How quickly will you come to these selections?
I don’t know. Like, I’d want to amass data. It could be onerous for me to have an opinion about something apart from the extent of depth that I would like. I’ve expectations which might be most likely larger than most individuals are used to. And so I feel that’s the place I’m beginning with, is getting by to all people what I like, what my expectations are, and you then gotta see if folks can match that. And that’ll let you know greater than me simply guessing who can or can’t.
Some persons are fearful you’ll transfer the group out of Portland. Can you supply any assurances that you just gained’t?
We haven’t spent any time on that. (Team president) Dewayne (Hankins) and the group have spent all their time attempting to determine how one can renovate Moda Center. Anything that individuals write or say, it’s simply made up, as a result of no one has spent any time on that. I absolutely anticipate to get all the things we’re engaged on executed. That’s all we are able to actually do is figure on that.
Why gained’t you place any cash into the sector?
Well, so the best way the sector deal will work is we’re going to decide to be right here for a long run (20 years), and that dedication’s value far more than anything anyone’s gonna do. And so …
Twenty years is fairly customary, although.
I don’t assume so by way of the market.
So you assume 20 years is sufficient forex, so to talk?
Twenty years? That’s lots.
Historically, different homeowners have dedicated years and put in cash …
In Portland?
Is there a message you need to ship to followers?
I’m extra like we simply gotta do it, so that you don’t actually have to inform tales. You ought to have the ability to discover, the group improves, and issues get higher. Hopefully, we’ll get folks out and in of the sector sooner. The meals’s higher. The expertise is healthier. And while you go, we win extra, and you may see the distinction within the product and the way we play.
I don’t assume I’m supposed to vow folks this or that as a result of I can’t predict the longer term. I simply know that the expectation must be excessive throughout the board.
