For better or worse, Portland Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin surprised the NBA world on multiple occasions this past offseason. Nobody expected Portland to be in the running for a 35-year-old Jrue Holiday, and their first-round selection of Yang Hansen was even more surprising.
These were puzzling moves at the time, and now, 36 games into the season, it's no easier to wrap our heads around the decisions.
The most confusing aspect is the conflicting timelines. Acquiring an aging and overpaid Holiday is a move that a contending team makes when they think they are a piece away.