The beginning of the end for Neil Olshey came last June, when the embattled Blazers GM stood in front of reporters to announce the firing of Terry Stotts and attempted to convince them it was Stotts, not the roster, that was the problem. The defense was better than the cellar-dweller it had been the last two seasons, Olshey insisted, and the core of the team—specifically Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum—could still be molded into a winner.
Six months later Olshey is gone, though not—at least officially—for the Blazers' current mediocrity. Portland terminated Olshey on Friday after an independent investigation revealed evidence of a toxic work environment.