I thought I’d written about him for the last time this summer but he just won’t go away.Yes, he says he won’t report to the team. He’s daring them to suspend him.

This time he’s really overplayed his hand. The Blazers will probably be happy to do that. It’s much easier to be selective about trading him if this goes into the season and the team’s got him on the suspended list and isn’t paying him.

Rudy, my boy, that will not be a problem.

What is a problem, though, is that it’s entirely possible the Trail Blazers are once again going to overestimate the value of one of their players and end up not getting full value for him. For me, a middle first-round pick would have been fine at this point. Somewhere around 15 to 20 would have worked. I think they could have had that.

The problem is, Rudy’s value continues to diminish. Do not forget that his European options make it difficult for another team to take him on knowing that after just one season he might just bail and head back to Spain. I’m not sure you can expect another team to give up a whole lot knowing that he might just be a rental player for one season.

In the meantime, Rudy’s become quite the whiner. And that’s just no fun at all.

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OK, my e-mail buddy Greg nudged me over the weekend with the Rasheed Wallace retirement story. Not much, he said, is being made of the fact that a pretty good player says he’s retiring. And, oh, by the way, he is telling people he may decide to make his post-NBA home in Portland.

It got me thinking. Let’s say Wallace decides to settle with his family here. How will he be received? Let’s say he becomes a regular at the Rose Garden for home games — will fans boo him? Will they cheer him? How do Trail Blazer fans perceive him right now? Do they hate him? Hey, will this guy join Jerome Kersey, Terry Porter and Dale Schlueter as a Blazer ambassador some day? Doubt it.

For me, I’m guessing Wallace will become a fan favorite, if he wants to be. Portland fans want to love their ex-players — all of them. The big question, of course, is will Wallace want it?

It should be interesting.

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As we get ready for the world championships, Rudy is still making it clear he wants no part of returning to Portland (tried to hit the translated link but it won’t let me, sorry. But it’s pretty easy to get one one the web somewhere). He says he’s frustrated and either wants to come back to Europe or be dealt to another team that plays the style of game that will take advantage of his skills. Mostly stuff we’ve all heard before.

But I thought this part was a little more pointed than some previous stuff:

P. Do you think that all were to blame McMillan? Have you made self-criticism?
R. Of course all the fault is not theirs. The coach holds the reins of the team and has to think about what is best for the group. That does it. It also has a philosophy of play and sometimes I did not fall. It is true that I have in front of Roy, who is a superstar and accumulated many minutes on the track. But I do not understand is that I have promised many things they are not carried out. I do not need someone telling me to go all day I’m very good or he sees me playing very well so that the end does not give you the role you expect. Those things hurt you mentally. Affect you because you said one thing and does the opposite. You start thinking about what you have done wrong, what is it that did not like … Accumulate all that and you just eat a headache to the point of not seeing you able to help the team and prefer to be on the bench.

I have to tell you, he’s going about this all wrong. It doesn’t have to be public. But at the same time, he does need to go someplace where he will play — and play his game. Otherwise, given how much money he’s losing by playing over here, he’s wasting time and money playing in the NBA.

Dragging this dispute into training camp would not be beneficial to anyone. In fact, it would be a big mistake for the Blazers that will only be a camp distraction — and it won’t become any easier to trade him later.

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Nice job today by The Oregonian summarizing the mess that is Memorial Coliseum. I especially loved our fine mayor’s contributions to the story, including this gem, in reaction to The Trail Blazers’ “Jumptown” concept:

“Terrible,” Adams said of early Jumptown drawings. “The most un-Portland-like, significantly un-Portland like, renderings of what it would be.”

Now I wasn’t pleased with the role the Trail Blazers played in this whole thing. Most people I know believe they were the ones — not a band of architects — who torpedoed the idea of tearing MC down and building a ballpark. But I was intrigued by “Jumptown” and more than that, I fell on the floor laughing at Sam Adams’ idea that it was “un-Portland-like.”

What does that mean, Mr. Mayor? That it might actually be successful? Gawd, isn’t it time to go with something un-Portland-like? The whole idea that people can’t come to grips with the fact that the building is old, worn out and in serious need of a demolition is still something this city doesn’t want to face up to.

So, just as Portland has done with PGE Park, it will keep pumping taxpayer dollars into it, chasing good money after bad, trying to save something that deserves to be discarded — recycling gone wild. This city won’t come to grips with the idea that sports arenas have a distinct shelf life. Of course, this city won’t come to grips with the idea that every other major city in the world builds new arenas.

I’m warning you, Portland, you follow Adams’ idiotic plans for this site — basically just an overgrown community center — you’re going to be subsidizing that white elephant for decades.

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Man, what a classic “dog-bites-man” story this is. I mean, seriously, is anybody surprised that Rudy Fernandez wants to be traded? Or that the team is trying to accommodate him?

Man, things change. And this is one of those times when the team definitely waited too long to deal him. A year ago this guy was thought to be a rising star and considered quite possibly to be one of the best young shooting guards in the world. Now? The Blazers will be lucky to get much for him.

I wrote a piece for Oregon Live last summer about Rudy and suggested the team should consider moving him. It’s worth a read just because it reminds us all how much we thought of the guy after his rookie season. And I may be the only one around who still believes he has a chance to be a very good NBA player.

All the reasons for Rudy to want out of here were easy to see coming down the track, like a freight train headed toward Portland. But man, I took a ton of flack for that piece and I ask that you take a look at the poll that accompanied it.

Nobody liked the idea. I was called an idiot every which way in the comments section of this blog. I know Kevin Pritchard didn’t like the idea because he told me so.

But these are the sorts of decisions that GMs are supposed to make earlier than fans. They’re the kind of decisions that are supposed to be made while a player still has value. I’m not sure Portland is going to get all that much for Fernandez, who seriously devalued himself with his work — or lack of same — in the playoffs last season.

There’s a lesson here — for fans, GMs and everyone else. And this is why general managers get paid upwards of a million bucks a year.

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Man, this city’s got a love affair with the guy.

Never mind the fact that the Hornets haven’t yet said they’d shop him — although Paul’s making it easy for them to justify it to their fans because he’s asking out (which makes it possible for the team to turn the player into the villain and make a deal with less criticism). And never mind there may be other teams on Paul’s list that could make better offers than the Trail Blazers.

Everybody wants Paul and they want him now, darn it!

But you have to give up something to get him. For just two years, too, quite possibly. I’m not at all convinced that he doesn’t have a plan to bolt wherever he is as soon as he can and head off to join pals in New York or Miami.

Anyway, would you surrender Greg Oden to get him? Would you give up Oden and Nic Batum? How about Brandon Roy?

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The guy has two years left — and a player option for another. And that player option means it’s really a two-year deal.

You willing to deal Nic Batum for a guy who could be gone in two years? I’m not sure. I’d be real careful about thinking I could convince him to extend that deal to stay in Portland within two seasons. Not sure it would happen. This guy just signed on with LeBron James’ marketing company, folks. Is that the first step toward him heading off to join the superheroes in Miami?

Also not sure Nate McMillan’s willing to turn his offense over to Paul, which is what he’d have to do to win with him — and to keep Paul happy.

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More than you think.

First of all, I think it’s amusing that a defensive specialist, Bob Ociepka, is being added to the staff. Trust me, he’s necessary, even though Nate McMillan is supposed to also be a defensive specialist. The Blazers need huge defensive improvement if they want to do anything in the post-season. I just hope Ociepka can make an impact.

Buck Williams? He should do just fine, even though he’s not had any experience as a coach. He’s also not anyone who ever wowed anybody with his low-post offensive skills. But his work ethic and intensity are top notch and I believe it will rub off on his players.

Bernie Bickerstaff should make a good advisor to McMillan in team matters and I’m not really sure what his duties will be. Certainly, he’s not known as a great offensive mind.

And that’s the real disappointment in these moves — that the Blazers have not added anyone known as an offensive innovator. And all indications are that the Trail Blazers are going to continue exactly as they’ve been on offense — not setting many screens, not moving the ball or moving bodies well enough to get easy baskets. Not running. Ugh.

The second unit, always important to the way McMillan plays, is shaping up as nothing but defense. It will be extremely shy of firepower but will be loaded with stoppers. It will probably need to slow the game’s tempo to a crawl.

McMillan probably just wants to keep playing like he’s always played — relying on the three-point shot to keep his team’s offensive efficiency high. Brandon Roy will continue to have the ball in his hands all the time and the other players will wait around on the perimeter, spotting up for their chance to make an open three created by a double-team on Roy.

Don’t get me started again about this. It’s a strategy that is guaranteed to wear Roy down, to not work in the playoffs and to lead to low scores. Folks, this team is trending — because of acquisitions — toward being LESS powerful on offense and not more. The biggest acquisition of the off-season has been Wesley Matthews — a defensive player. The most likely player to depart? Rudy Fernandez? And Martell Webster is already gone. Two of the team’s best outside shooters!

Where does that lead this thing? There’s NO QUESTION in my mind that a deal must be made for a point guard who can make shots from distance. I don’t know if that’s Mo Williams — considered the most likely choice — or Jason Terry or whomever — but the only way this offensive system is going to work is for another Steve Blake to be found. Man, I can’t believe I just wrote that. (I also believe that point guard is NOT Chris Paul. Getting Paul would require the Blazers to do a complete overhaul on offense. And I don’t see McMillan doing that.)

With Webster and probably Fernandez gone, how are they going to spread the floor well enough for Roy — or Greg Oden, if he’s healthy — to have room to operate? Miller would not have room to get to the basket.  This thing isn’t going to work unless there’s one more shooter on the floor. Man, right now, there’s not even another one on the roster.

I assume, as I have now for weeks, that Rudy, Jerryd Bayless and Miller would go in the deal. There’s really no point of keeping Miller if you acquire a big-minute point guard — and the team that trades a point guard always needs one in return. Joel Pryzbilla’s expiring contract could also be used in this trade.

If something like this isn’t done, you’re going to see a real offensive mess again. It’s just not going to work. And all the new coaches in the world aren’t going to be able to repair it.

I still have a hunch they’ve got the framework of a deal already done, just waiting for Rich Cho to push the button. If not, they better hope Cho can pull a rabbit out of a hat.

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Folks, it’s all about controlling the message. And it’s all about your Internet presence.

The Portland Trail Blazers introduced a new general manager Monday. And on the first wave of news, he was introduced to Portland, and Portland learned about him, almost exclusively through the team’s website.

In effect, that allowed the team to control the message and shape the story as much as it possibly could for as long as it could.

Remember what happened? Word got out that Rich Cho would become the team’s general manager and within minutes there was an interview with Cho on the Trail Blazers’ home page. It was taped Sunday night and packaged for web use. A little while later, there was an exclusive interview with team owner Paul Allen on the site — to this day the only interview with the reclusive owner available on the subject.

Mike Barrett, the team’s play-by-play man, did both the interviews.

This is the wave of the future, not only in sports but with news from any major corporation: control the message, control its distribution as much as possible. Own it! Potentially make money off it, through the web, if possible. But mostly, just make sure the message gets sent — at least initially — exactly as the company wants it spelled out.

What happens, of course, is that the story gets only one treatment. One slant. Now you can argue all day that newspapers, blogs, magazines, radio stations all have their ax to grind. That they all shape the message in whatever way they wish. Maybe. Sometimes. Of course. But at least you have the opportunity to take a look at all the points of view, consider the slant and make up your own mind.

But long term, those of us in the media aren’t real happy with the new reality and I don’t think you should be, either. I don’t think tough questions will be asked and I’m not sure truth will always be found until some form of independent media — be it blogs, newspapers, TV, whatever — gets the chance to ask questions. And I’d be plenty suspicious of the message until more people have a chance to pass it along.

As far as the Trail Blazers go, though, I’m sure they saw the whole production Monday as a very big success. They had statements up on their site from Larry Miller and Paul Allen, they had the exclusive interview with Cho and got plenty of run from all of it. They got a positive message out there for a few hours during the critical time, the breaking of their story — and I’m sure their web traffic was incredible.

In short, the team maximized the impact of the hire in two important ways — potential revenue through massive traffic increases on the site while having complete control of the content of the message.

At the same time, they kept media away from Allen, Miller and Cho until the team had its own spin on the story fully distributed and explained. Now granted, this wasn’t the most controversial story you’re going to find. But it’s an indication of how companies — and teams — will attempt to handle such stories in the future.

They want control. And through their skillful use of the web, they now have a convenient and powerful way of doing that.

But do fans win? You’re going to have to decide that. And I’m afraid you’re going to have to get used to that.

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Quick question: What do YOU have in common with the new Trail Blazer general manager? (Answer below).

Cho made a big hit, it seemed, with local media during the first news conference of his life Monday. He came across as humble, smart and even witty. For a guy often described as “not a big personality guy” he did a very nice job.

You’ve already read a lot about him (and you should read this) and I’m not going to attempt to recap his career, other than to say he’s worked his way up in the business, known for how hard he continues to work, packs a couple of pretty heavy college degrees and you can’t find anyone around the league who doesn’t like him.

I think there’s every reason to believe that this guy can be a very clever and effective general manager. And I’d also make the case that you shouldn’t get too involved in worrying about how much autonomy he’s going to have in this job. Nobody here has ever had TOTAL autonomy. Not many GMs anywhere have it. The owner is almost always going to have his say.

The only GMs who act like they have total control are the ones who want total credit, which is something to be suspicious about.

The Blazers have made the Finals twice under Paul Allen’s ownership and should have been there a third time or fourth time. I don’t think Allen himself kept any of those teams from going all the way. He isn’t the reason a championship hasn’t been won here since 1977. Relax on all that stuff.

In fact, I’d advise you to relax a little about the GM situation. Rich Cho is going to be fine. In fact, there’s evidence he’s the smartest guy in just about any room he’s in. Why do I think so?

Well, let me get to the answer of the question I asked at the top of this blog. He’s smart because he’s like you — Rich Cho reads this blog! At least that’s what he said Monday, and he backed it up by recognizing me from that goofy picture on your right.

Good move, young man. You have the Godfather’s blessing, Rich. At least for now.

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