By Brian Wheeler, Trail Blazers Radio Play-By-Play Announcer


Brian Wheeler recently sat down with Assistant General Manager Mark Warkenstien to talk about his involvement with the Trail Blazers.


Wheeler: People hear your title of assistant general manager and I'm sure are impressed by it, but I know it means different things in different organizations and the duties are often unique to each team. What are you responsible for with the Blazers?

Warkentien: It's pretty generic. When the team is home I'm pretty much responsible for the day-to-day operations. When the team is on the road I'm directly responsible for the scouting operations. From shootarounds to hotels to any problems that come up with the basketball operations I'm kind of on the firing line. When the team leaves town I'm usually out with all of our college scouts working on the draft.


Wheeler: Before becoming Bob Whitsitt's assistant, you were the Blazers' director of scouting for three seasons and scouting is obviously still an important part of your job now. What do you look for in a prospective NBA player?

Warkentien: It's a lot like stock selection. You only have 12 rosters selections and your first pick is going to be on your roster, so every June we have to invest over eight percent of our assets, whether you like the market or not. If you look at the history of the draft there are probably 10 to 12 players that come out each year who will have very good NBA careers. Those players never go in order, one through 12. All you are trying to do is select a player who three or four years from now is going to have either value on the floor to you or value in a trade. If he's neither of those then the asset went wasted.


Wheeler: If you are looking for an individual quality in a player do you have a certain grading scale that you use?

Warkentien: I like to find guys who really like to play and that sounds simple. If you don't really like to play, NBA basketball is a difficult job. With the travel and how physical the game is, if you don't really like to play you're not going to have success. There are a number of players who, if they answered you honestly, would say they're playing for materialistic reasons. And, there are a number of players who have the attitude that "wow, can you believe they pay us for this?" Those are the guys that you want to get. The more guys you have that play for intrinsic reasons, the better chance you have to win.


Wheeler: Is it possible anymore for someone to enter the league as a true "sleeper" in that he checks in as a hidden talent? Or, is it that if you have NBA ability everyone will eventually find out no matter where you are?

Warkentien: It is very difficult to find the "unknown" guy. But, every year we can find the "undervalued" guy. You can run back in every draft and see this. For instance, should Michael Finley have gone at number 23? No way. Should Sam Cassell have gone at number 24? We're hoping that in the future people will question if Zach Randolph should have gone at the 19th spot. On the flip side, in every lottery, this one too, there will be two or three guys who will totally flop. As simple as it sounds, there is the real art. It's very much like what the real estate guy does, or what the stockbroker does. Which pieces are overvalued and which pieces are undervalued. That's the job.


Wheeler: Going back a bit you were a very successful assistant coach along with Tim Grgurich in the college ranks at UNLV. What are the differences between being an assistant general manager as opposed to an assistant coach?

Warkentien: In terms of the NBA it is pretty simple. As a coach your job is simply to win the next game. If it's a Tuesday night in January and you are playing New Jersey that is the biggest time for a coach. Maybe your guys don't feel like playing, or maybe the weather is bad, or whatever. You have to figure out a way to win that game. That is your job and it's the only thing you can think about. At the end of the season that game is going to count just as much as opening night against the Lakers. As the assistant general manager you may spend that night in January in Yakima looking at a college guy. You're looking to the future and past that night.


Wheeler: What are your memories of those glory days with the Runnin' Rebels?

Warkentien: It was actually a lot like Portland in terms of their basketball. It was the only show in town. The Rebels didn't have to share the spotlight with anything or anybody else there. You really have the same situation in Portland. With that comes tremendous interest and tremendous expectation. In Las Vegas we won like 25 games and lost in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. That was like a disaster. Last year the Blazers win 50 and lose in the first round, and it's a disaster. But, I love that. I mean all of that in a very complimentary way. I enjoy dropping by the pharmacy and getting not getting the prescription for me but also for the team. People care that much, and that is great. It was crazy like that in Vegas, and I just loved it. I love Portland for those same things. The only other place I worked was in Seattle and I didn't enjoy it as much. You don't have that kind of interest in Seattle.


Wheeler: Your time in Las Vegas was obviously not forgotten as you and Bob Medina, the current Blazers strength and conditioning coach, were both inducted into the UNLV Hall of Fame earlier this summer. That's an honor that lasts a lifetime.

Warkentien: That was just a great night. We had all of the old timers out and that was one of the most fun nights I've had recently. Again, it's like Portland in that the people really care.


Wheeler: What made you decide ultimately that the front office is where you wanted to be as opposed to staying a coach on the sidelines?

Warkentien: The front office excites me a little more. As a coach, when I would wake up the morning, the talent issue has been solved. All I can worry about is how we're going to win the game that night. In the front office I can work with the entire equation everyday- present and future. In what we do with personnel we can affect good players, playing hard, and playing as a team.


Wheeler: You had a chance to watch the Blazer squad in both the Long Beach and the Salt Lake City summer leagues and first round draft choice Zach Randolph certainly opened a lot of people's eyes with his stellar play. Even though the competition was below what he'll see every night in the NBA, did Zach's play validate your high opinion of him on draft day?

Warkentien: Our scouts had him rated very, very highly all year. We always had him listed in our top 10. There was no debate when it came to the 19th pick and Randolph was available. Zach has played like we thought he would.


Wheeler: You were involved in the process to bring Maurice Cheeks in as the Blazers' new head coach. What qualities does he have that told you he was the right man for the job?

Warkentien: The thing that always impressed me about Maurice was his desire to learn. The year he retired from the NBA he went and took an assistant coaching job, not a head coaching job but an assistant's job, in the CBA. He wanted to learn coaching and went straight to work. In this day and age how many four-time all-stars in their first year out of the league would go and become assistants in the CBA? Here is a guy who wants to become good at his craft and did what he could to get there. I can't find many guys who've had success in the CBA and then didn't have success in the NBA. Phil Jackson, George Karl, Bill Musselman, Bob Hill, and Flip Saunders, all went the CBA route. Maurice is a guy who is ready to go to work.


Wheeler: Talk about the other new additions to this year's roster... Derek Anderson and Ruben Patterson. What will they bring to the mix?

Warkentien: I always want players who will play hard, who love to play, and who will play as a team. When you are talking about chemistry issues these things have never been a question with these two guys. It was the exacta we were looking for this summer.


Wheeler: In your travels this summer I know you had a chance to visit Bonzi Wells in Indiana. How is his rehab coming along and what is his prognosis for training camp and the start of the season?

Warkentien: The optimum recovery time for a surgery like Bonzi had is six months. He had his surgery April 14th. It's been a great recovery for Bonzi so far. The doctors couldn't be happier with his progress. I couldn't be prouder of the guy. He has absolutely busted his rear to get back to form. He's done everything he's been asked to do. A lot of guys pick up weight when they are injured and Bonzi has actually lost weight and is in great shape.


Wheeler: You've had a chance to work very closely with Bob Whitsitt, regarded as one of the top talent evaluators in the league. What have you learned from him about running a team?

Warkentien: It is something new every day. He is the smartest guy I've ever been around. He has taught me some very key things. Never make decisions in anger. Always take responsibility and never point the finger even when the finger is being pointed unfairly at you. He's also always tried to hire the right people. A lot of people have the philosophy always hire friends. Bob always says hire the right person and you'll quickly become friends.


Wheeler: Adversity tests even the strongest competitors and last season certainly didn't live up to anyone's expectations by the time it was all said and done. Is there a renewed commitment with everyone in the organization to get this club back among the elite in the NBA?

Warkentien: There was a lot of finger pointing when the season ended. I'm very proud of Bob and very proud of our off-season. It would have been simple to sit around and spin and point fingers at others. Simply, it went wrong and you've got to fix it. Bob went right back to work. A lot of people said this team was so old and has no flexibility and no ability to get young. The next thing you know Zach is tearing up the summer league, Derek Anderson is on board, and Ruben Patterson is on board. Bob just refused to sit and get caught in the mud slinging and just got right back to work.


Wheeler: You had an opportunity to interview for the general manager's opening with the Denver Nuggets not long ago, but ultimately chose to withdraw your name from consideration. Obviously the time was right to continue to be a Blazer, but would you like to run your own team someday?

Warkentien: It was educational for me. I'm thrilled to be a Blazer. The end of the season and what has happened in this off-season has really solidified my belief in the franchise and the city of Portland. This is the type of situation I want to be in. I'd rather be the assistant GM in the right situation than the GM in a lesser situation. That much I know. We have clearly the best owner in the league, have great leadership in Bob, and have a total commitment to winning. You don't see that in a lot of stores. I'm too old to lose.


Wheeler: I don't have to tell you about the wonderful support that the Blazers enjoy with the most loyal fans in the NBA. What are the expectations they should have about the upcoming season?

Warkentien: I think we'll play much harder and much more aggressively than what fans saw at the end of last season. Obviously that change was necessary. Fans pay good money and guys playing hard should be a given. They will this year.


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