In the JQ interview on Slam, he says...

"I still argue that the worst era of the Blazers was when Patterson ran the team. Yes, there were some poor characters in the past, but they were great on the court and it resulted in the Blazers being at or near the top of the West for several years. Under Patterson, the team not only had bad characters, they were awful on the court, and Patterson worked under a cloud of deceit, paranoia and threats."

I agree.  LIke it or not, Whitsitt had a plan based on solid precedence. 

I like our current team better, but its clear that we would have been back in the playoffs much sooner had we not made so many classic bonehead decisions under Patterson. 

In evaluating KP's skillset as a GM, the natural tendency is to first point to the Roy and Aldridge trades as proof of his elite status.   I don't think too many people would disagree with that.  Foye and Tyrus Thomas were arguably better athletes, but not players with good fundamentals and leaderships skills.   So, I think KP has certainly proven himself to be a good evaluator of true basketball talent and team chemistry. 

However, there is more to being a good GM than just evaluating talent.   The NBA has a salary cap.   Therefore, a GM must also be a great negotiator.  Every dollar counts...literally.  I think KP's handling of the Roy extension showed that he also a negotiator.  He is not just going to throw money around like a certain former GM.  I think the fact that KP was willing to pushback on a negotiation with a guy that is the pillar of the franchise shows that he is not going to make a Darius Miles or Zach Randolph-type of mistake that could cripple the franchise.   He is not going to buy any candy, just meat and potatoes.   I think this should give Roy and Aldridge and the rest of Blazer Nation confidence that KP is an aggressive yet disciplined decision-maker.  A rare combination indeed.