Especially weird Pax-speak after the Boylan wake on Thursday:
"I'm not going into this thing, 'I've got to have this kind of person,' I can tell you that," Paxson said. "I'm going into it open-minded and with the belief that I'm going to try to find someone that I think can connect with our organization, resonate with our fans and be the right guy that can get us back on the winning track.
"Contrary to what has been written, I don't have any one person in mind that I want to go after to get this job. I'm not going to worry about a timetable. I'm not going to worry about anyone getting hired in the meantime.
"I'm going to do as thorough a search as I can to find someone that I think will fit the organization and give us direction going forward. I think we need some real leadership from that position."
(Before I rant on nearly every word he said, I acknowledge that Paxson is likely lying or at least embellishing about some of this. It's either that or he's overmatched as a GM, so I'd choose to believe the former.)
First of all, it's unforgivable (if it's true) that he has no preconceived leading candidate, let alone no idea what kind of candidate to look for. Not only should starting an informal coaching search have been deemed necessary after seeing a week of Boylan, he should have replacements in mind even when Skiles was coach. Pax is playing it off as being thorough, but I consider it unprepared.
And notice the quick jab at the media when saying "contrary to what has been written". Yet another example of Paxson giving too much worry (i.e., any) to that darned 'misinformation' out there that keeps him from doing his job. For someone who isn't worried, he sure spends a lot of time saying how he isn't worried.
And worse yet, he should be worried, if it's regarding the possibility that someone is hired in the meantime. What if they're the best choice? Right, he doesn't even have an idea what criteria he'll be looking for, let a lone who fits that. Holy crap.
And then there's the pandering to the fans. I don't want the coach to "resonate" with me. I don't even care if he "connects with the organization", as even Pax has said that the same organization needs to be reevaluated at all levels (And it sounds like he's right on that point. Of course, no part of that reevaluation involves canning 'organizational guys' Myers and Adams, though they weren't promised seats on the bench either).
For contrast, look to Ben Gordon, who said regarding his preferred style of coach: "It really doesn't matter to me, I think we just need a coach who knows the result is winning." I feel the same way, as winning will resonate just fine. Pax should be even less worried about the fans than the press when it comes to this.
For a guy who's supposed strong suits include dealing with the media, Pax sure finds ways to irk me often. And the examples above wouldn't get to me so much if he didn't reinforce them every chance he got, and worse yet make personnel moves that echo them. It's a pattern that's getting harder to explain away.