As we've seen this summer, the general manager is the most important person in an NBA organization. But once you strip away the factors they can't control, who is really the best GM in the NBA? We rank the candidates from 30-1. And no, David Kahn isn't last.
Jul 22, 2010 - One of my favorite pieces of writing of the summer was this NBA Fanhouse article by Bethlehem Shoals about the plight of the NBA General Manager. As someone who never hesitates to criticize a GM's decision, it was a pleasure to read.
What we forget is that NBA GMs face a unique challenge. On the one hand, the GM is arguably the most important person within the organization. Coaches matter, of course, but the NBA is primarily a players' league, with the coach acting more as a manager. The players matter, insomuch as they decide games. The owner matters because he is at the top of the organization's flow chart. The general manager, however, delivers the players, hires the coach and carries out the owner's vision. He's ultimately the one who has his fingers in every part of the team.
But on the other hand, a general manager often doesn't matter that much. The NBA is forever a superstars' league, and most of the time, everyone knows who is going to be a superstar. It doesn't take a genius to pick LeBron James, Tim Duncan, Shaquille O'Neal, Magic Johnson, Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson, John Wall and other great No. 1 picks. That one player can mask so many mistakes a GM makes and make him out to be more of a genius than he actually is.
You can see where the whole picture becomes really murky. General managers are criticized for a number of unrelated things, but the reality is that this is not a level playing field. We try to objectively evaluate GMs by looking at their win-loss record, but that's completely unfair because GMs deal with different owners, have varying degrees of luck in finding that elusive superstar and operate under different budgets (not every team can pay the luxury tax, you know). Context is so important, and yet, whenever people evaluate NBA GMs, it often is on some sort of universal scale (e.g. winning). I realize why we talk in these kind of terms (the age of Twitter, the enlightened fan, etc.), but it doesn't have to be like this.
Therefore, I'm going to attempt the 30 NBA GMs using a more qualitative scale that goes beyond one's win-loss record. I will do my best to consider context rather than wins. We'll count from 30 to 1, because I'm guessing you all want to read about bad GMs first.
Note: if a GM has been on the job for less than a full year, they are not included. Instead, I'm including the immediate past GM.
Hired: 2003
Long-term plan: Keep the team competitive enough to put people in the seats, until cap room is finally achieved until 2011.
Coaches: Isiah Thomas (2003), Rick Carlisle (2003-2007), Jim O'Brien (2007-present)
Draft picks: Paul George (10th, 2010), Tyler Hansbrough (13th, 2009), Brandon Rush (13th, 2008), Roy Hibbert (17th, 2008), Danny Granger (17th, 2005), Shawne Williams (17th, 2006), David Harrison (29th, 2004),
Trades:
Key free agent signings: Jermaine O'Neal in 2003 (six-year max contract), Jamaal Tinsley in 2004 (six-years, $41 million), Danny Granger in 2008 (five years, $65 million).
Free agents let go: Brad Miller (2003), Peja Stojakovic (2006), Jarrett Jack (2009).
Why is Larry Bird the worst GM on thls list? Because Indiana hasn't had a coherent long-term plan for over half a decade now. Sure, the Pacers were dealt a tough hand when the 2004 Brawl ruined a championship team, but that's no excuse for the team's disinclination to rebuild. Instead of sitting on the cap space he gained from moving Artest, Bird traded for Al Harrington's prohibitive contract. Instead of getting cap relief for Harrington and Stephen Jackson, Bird acquired even worse contracts in Murphy and Dunleavy. Etc. etc. It appears Bird finally will have some cap room in 2011, with Murphy, Dunleavy, Ford and Jeff Foster coming off the books. But considering his track record with putting together a long-term vision, I'm not counting on him coming through.
Hired: 2007
Long-term plan: Unclear
Coaches: Maurice Cheeks (2007-2008), Tony DiLeo (2008), Eddie Jordan (2009), Doug Collins (present)
Draft picks: Evan Turner (2nd, 2010), Marreese Speights (16th, 2008), Jrue Holiday (17th, 2009)
Trades:
Key free agent signings: Elton Brand in 2008 (six years, $80 million), Andre Iguodala in 2008 (six years, $80 million), Louis Williams in 2008 (five years, $25 million).
Free agents let go: Andre Miller (2009)
Remember back in the summer of 2008, when Stefanski was a genius for creating cap room to make a big splash? Yeah, about that.
Now, it's tough to argue with the decision to sign Elton Brand. Sure, there were whispers that his style did not fit with the up-tempo team the Sixers had been building. And yes, Brand did miss almost all of the 2006/07 season with an Achilles injury. But he was also the clear top free agent on the market, and the Sixers had a use-it-or-lose-it situation with their cap space because Andre Iguodala needed to sign an extension. So while the Sixers have fallen flat on their face since signing Brand, I can't get too mad at the move.
Everything else though? Yuck. Iguodala was definitely overpaid with his new contract because there weren't many other suitors willing to offer $80 million at the time. Hiring Eddie Jordan when the roster didn't fit his Princeton system was a truly awful decision that may somehow be eclipsed by hiring Doug Collins.
But the worst part is that Stefanski doesn't realize how badly he needs to start over. He rebuffed offers for Iguodala because he was asking for too much in return, which is really problematic because the team now has Evan Turner and no cap flexibility for the foreseeable future to get him good pieces. Stefanski generally drafts very well, but he keeps thinking he's one move away from getting right back into the chase. It's a shame, because a young core of Turner, Holiday, Speights and Thaddeus Young is pretty good. Why not run with it? At least that's more of a plan than Stefanski has come up with thus far.
Hired: 2009.
Long-term plan: Uhh ... good question. I guess the Warriors are building around young talent.
Coaches: Don Nelson (2009-present)
Draft picks: Stephen Curry (7th pick, 2009), Ekpe Udoh (6th pick, 2010)
Trades:
Free agent signings: Reggie Williams, Dorrell Wright (three years, $11 million).
Free agents let go: Anthony Morrow, C.J. Watson (both 2010)
It's a bit tough to judge Riley, because his predecessor, Chris Mullin, put him in a very tough spot, because he overpaid for a team that made the playoffs once (2007), then dismantled that team just as they started to get good. Former owner Chris Cohan was also nearly impossible to deal with, and the whole front office has been a complete mess in recent years.
However, he's done several things that go against the goal of building through young talent. The team continues to employ Don Nelson as head coach, even though Nelson is a poor coach for player development. Riley's inability to commit to keeping or trading Monta Ellis continues to hold back the franchise's commitment to a clear direction. Finally, while David Lee is an excellent player that should fit in well with this team, he is probably overpaid, and acquiring him cost him a cheaper player in Randolph who has much more potential and plays Lee's position.
Anyway, it's pretty clear that, while Riley wasn't the head GM, he exerted more influence than Mullin during Mullin's final days in office. We can therefore pin a lot of Mullin's later mistakes on Riley too.
Hired: 2006.
Coaches: Sam Mitchell (2006-2008), Jay Triano (2008-present)
Long-term plan: Stay competitive, even if it means throwing cap flexibility into the wind.
Draft picks: Andrea Bargnani (1st, 2006), DeMar DeRozan (9th, 2009), Ed Davis (13th, 2010),
Trades:
Free agent signings: Chris Bosh in 2006 (three-year max contract), Jorge Garbajosa in 2006, Anthony Parker in 2006, Jason Kapono in 2007 (four years, $24 million), Jose Calderon in 2008 (five years, $45 million), Andrea Bargnani in 2009 (five years, $50 million), Turkoglu in 2009 (five years, $53 million), Jarrett Jack in 2009 (four years, $20 million), Amir Johnson in 2010 (six years and $33 million), Linas Kleiza in 2010 (four years, $20 million)
Free agents let go: Mike James (2006), Marion (2009) Anthony Parker and Jamario Moon (both 2009).
Many LeBron James defenders say he should have left Cleveland because his general manager, Danny Ferry, failed at surrounding him with a good supporting cast. However, the truth is that argument should hold far more water with Chris Bosh than with LeBron. Bosh is not as good as LeBron, but he's had far less help from Bryan Colangelo, who squandered many of Bosh's best years with impulsive decisions.
Colangelo had a good reputation in Phoenix, but his tenure in Toronto has been abysmal. He's has thrown money around irresponsibly, despite being given several chances at the kind of cap flexibility necessary to build a good long-term foundation. Colangelo has had cap space in 2006 and 2009 and came away with T.J. Ford and Hedo Turkoglu. He traded many key assets for an overpaid and broken-down Jermaine O'Neal, then somehow made things worse by signing Turkoglu with the money he saved by eliminating his own mistake. He's given out long-term mid-level contracts to marginal players like Jarrett Jack, Jason Kapono and Amir Johnson. He's overpaid his own flawed players, giving Ford a big contract despite his injury issues, Calderon a bigger contract despite his defensive problems and Bargnani an even bigger contract despite not showing he was worth it consistently. In other words, he's the worst stereotype of the impatient GM, unwilling or unable to contain himself when he has some money in his pocket.
But none of those issues are as damaging as his handling of Bargnani in general. While the 2006 draft wasn't exactly full of superstars, Bargnani wasn't even on anyone's radar with the No. 1 pick until Colangelo began talking him up. Bargnani ultimately was a poor fit next to Bosh and played inconsistently, but that didn't stop Colangelo from constantly defending him, firing a head coach (Sam Mitchell) who didn't like him and giving him a big contract extension in 2009.
The difference between Ferry and Colangelo is Ferry learned from his initial mistakes and made shrewd moves to try mitigate them, whereas Colangelo just keeps making the same mistakes over and over again. That's why Colangelo is way down on this list.
Hired: 2009.
Coaches: Kurt Rambis (2009-present)
Long-term plan: Build around Ricky Rubio and pick up undervalued assets while he waits in Spain.
Draft picks: Wesley Johnson (4th, 2010), Ricky Rubio (5th, 2009), Jonny Flynn (6th, 2009), Wayne Ellington (28th, 2009), Lazar Haywood (30th, 2010)
Trades:
Free agent signings: Ramon Sessions in 2009 (four years, $16 million), Nikola Pekovic in 2010 (three years, $13 million), Darko Milicic in 2010 ( four years and $20 million), Luke Ridnour in 2010 (four years, $16 million)
Free agents let go: No significant ones.
I know what you're thinking. Wait a minute, David Kahn isn't last? KAAAAHHN!
No, he's not, and there's only one reason why: Kahn, unlike the guys ahead of him, actually has a long-term plan. As mad as he is (and he is really, really mad), there at least is a method to his madness. His method? Build around Ricky Rubio.
(Stop laughing please).
Yes, it's true that there is no guarantee Rubio actually comes to Minnesota. The young Spanish point guard has been pretty cool (literally) on making a firm commitment to the Timberwolves. But let's not go too crazy here, because this is really an issue about money, as Canis Hoopus notes. The risk of Rubio screwing the Timberwolves over and never coming to the NBA is much less than people think.
Now, that doesn't make Kahn's plan a good one. Rubio is not David Robinson, so it's probably not worth throwing three years away for him. In addition, while the goal is to assemble a team that fits his strengths (goodbye Al Jefferson!), the cast they've assembled to date doesn't really get the job done (some players do, but ... Michael Beasley? Jonny Flynn? Luke Ridnour? Hell, Kurt Rambis and his Triangle offense?). Finally, it's kind of baffling to put all your eggs in the Rubio basket to the point where you're either passing on much better talent (DeMarcus Cousins) or trading away real talent for very little (Jefferson).
So I'm not saying Kahn knows what he's doing, because he doesn't. I'm just saying that Kahn, unlike Colangelo, Stefanski and Bird, has a long-term plan. It may not be a good plan. In fact, right now, I'd say it's a terrible pan. But it is an actual plan, which is what every rebuilding team needs.
Then again, he did just re-sign Darko.
Hired: 2008, officially
Fired: 2010.
Coaches: Himself (2008-present)
Long-term plan: At the time ... good question.
Draft picks: Blake Griffin (1st, 2009), Eric Gordon (7th, 2008), DeAndre Jordan (35th, 2008).
Trades:
Free agent signings: No significant ones from 2008-2010
Free agents let go: Blake and Outlaw (both 2010).
Dunleavy is gone, so there's no real need to dwell on his tenure, which was mostly unremarkable. It's tough to separate Dunleavy the GM from Dunleavy the coach, so he has to be blamed either way for moves that didn't work out prior to 2008. He had a pretty good 2009 summer, drafting Blake Griffin, dumping Zach Randolph and making a shrewd trade for Craig Smith and Sebastian Telfair. Otherwise, though, it's a pretty bleak picture.
Hired: 2000
Coaches: George Irvine (2000-2001), Rick Carlisle (2001-2003), Larry Brown (2003-2005), Flip Saunders (2005-2008), Michael Curry (2008-2009), John Kuester (2009-present)
Long-term plan: Rebuild while staying competitive. In other words, an oxymoron, unless you have a superstar, which he doesn't.
Key Draft picks: Darko Milicic (2nd, 2003), Greg Monroe (7th, 2010), Rodney White (9th, 2001), Rodney Stuckey (15th, 2007), Tayshaun Prince (23rd, 2002), Jonas Jerebko (39th, 2009)
Key trades
Key free agent signings: Re-signing Billups (2007), Wallace (2005) and Prince (2007). Rip Hamilton in 2008 (three years, $38 million beginning in 2009/10), Ben Gordon in (five years,$55 million), Charlie Villanueva in 2009 (five years, $35 million).
Key free agents let go: Grant Hill (2000), Ben Wallace (2006).
It pains me to put Joe Dumars, the architect of the Pistons teams of the 2000s, this low. However, Dumars has been a disaster since the Chauncey Billups/Allen Iverson trade. Dumars made the deal to regain salary-cap flexibility to rebuild a team that has run it's course, but ended up spending that money on Ben Gordon, Charlie Villanueva and a re-signed, declining Rip Hamilton. He's refused to deal any of his other big-contract players like Tayshaun Prince because he legitimately thinks his team can and should be "competitive" when rebuilding.
That's the problem, though -- you can be "competitive" without major salary obligations to declining players. Dumars, like many of the GMs behind him on this list, fundamentally misunderstands this. I'm not sure why Dumars refuses to take the long-term approach. Sure, their arena is empty, but it seems they have a core of dieharts that are willing to wait around for a long-term rebuilding project. It's not like Dumars is in a city like Charlotte, where the team desperately needs the revenue from home playoff games.
Therefore, the only explanation for Dumars' recent issues is that he must believe that, because he built a "star-less" core earlier, he can do it again. Newsflash Joe: you probably can't. Lightning doesn't strike in the same spot twice.
Hired: 2007.
Coaches: Sam Vincent (2007-2008), Larry Brown (2008-present)
Long-term plan: Drum up local interest in the team by getting the squad to the playoffs, even if it hurts long-term cap flexibility.
Key Draft picks: Adam Morrison (3rd, 2006), D.J. Augustin (9th, 2008), Gerald Henderson (12th, 2009), Alexis Ajinca (22nd, 2008), Jared Dudley (22nd, 2007).
Key trades:
Key free agent signings: Gerald Wallace in 2007 (six years, $57 million), Carroll in 2007 (six years, $27 million), Okafor in 2008 (six years, $72 million), Thomas in 2010 (five years, $40 million), Shaun Livingston in 2010 (two years, $7 million).
Key free agents let go: Raymond Felton (2010)
(Higgins is really the GM at this point, which is why I'm including him. Jordan's more of a figurehead these days).
Jordan/Higgins are much like the other teams ahead of them in that they don't seem to have a coherent, long-term vision. However, in this case, I think they can be excused a bit. The Bobcats really can't afford to go to a long-term youth movement at this point because they'll lose their fans. The team struggled to keep a hold on the city when they were losing, and when the fans don't show up, you suddenly don't have enough money to do anything significant with your team.
That explains why they throw financial flexibility into the wind and do their best to build a team that will actually make the playoffs. That way, the Bobcats will drum up some local support and take in the money they desperately need from home playoff games. It's not a sustainable long-term model for winning, but it's probably what they have to do.
That doesn't excuse the constant flubbing of draft picks or the pointless trades this regime has made, of course. But I do think the front office has been dealt a bad hand, in that the previous regime failed to generate enough buzz to support the club during its expansion years.
Hired: 2008.
Coaches: Mike Woodson (2008-2010), Larry Drew (present)
Long-term plan: Be a championship contender while still staying under the luxury tax
Key Draft picks: Jeff Teague (19th, 2009), Jordan Crawford (27th, 2010)
Key trades:
Key free agent signings: Josh Smith in 2008 (five years, $58 million), Mike Bibby in 2009 (three years, $18 million), Zaza Pachulia in 2009 (four years, $16 million), Marvin Williams in 2009 (five years, $38 million), Joe Johnson in 2010 (six years, $125 million).
Key free agents let go: Josh Childress (2008, 2010), Flip Murray (2009).
This may seem really low for the GM of team that was one of the eight best in the league last year, but Sund's lack of creativity drops him way down in my eyes.
The Hawks have a good, but not great team and an ownership group that won't go over the luxury tax. They're not winning a title anytime soon, that's for sure. Yet Sund seems so committed to bringing back the same core of players that have proven they can't get it done.
I'm not even talking about the ridiculous Joe Johnson contract, which we'll get to in a second. I'm talking more about all the moves that led up to it. There's little collective rhyme or reason to the contract handed out to Mike Bibby (three years), Zaza Pachulia (four years), Marvin Williams (five years) and Jamal Crawford (a trade, mind you, but two years). The contracts by themselves make sense, but taken together, they demonstrate a lack of planning. That's four key role players making a combined $25 million per season that expire in four different years.
Let's go back to Johnson now. Yes, his contract is terrible, no doubt. But Sund really got himself stuck by not thinking ahead with his other contracts. He put himself between a rock and a hard place because he did not think to give his role players contracts that all expire around the same time. He limited his options to "sign Johnson, ride it out and maybe rebuild in five years" or "don't sign Johnson and fail to rebuild for a couple years because all of Johnson's role players are clogging up our cap flexibility." Under those circumstances, it's more understandable that Johnson got what he got.
I strongly believe that a lack of creativity and long-term planning with smaller decisions ultimately leads to a lack of creativity and long-term planning with bigger decisions. Bad process leads to bad process. Rick Sund and the Hawks are the best example of this.
Hired: 2007.
Coaches: Marc Ivaroni (2007-2009), Lionel Hollins (2009-present)
Long-term plan: Build around young talent, even though the owner is cheap.
Key Draft picks: Hasheem Thabeet (2nd, 2009), O.J. Mayo (3rd, 2008), Xavier Henry (12th, 2010), DeMarre Carroll (27th, 2009), Darrell Arthur (27th, 2008), Greivis Vasquez (29th, 2010), Sam Young (36th, 2009)
Key trades:
Key free agent signings: Darko Milicic in 2007 (three years, $21 million), Allen Iverson in 2009 (veterans minimum), Rudy Gay in 2010 (five years, $82 million), Tony Allen in 2010 (three years, $10 million)
Key free agents let go: Hakim Warrick (2009).
Wallace gets a lot of flack that really should be directed toward owner Michael Heisley. Heisley was the one who wanted Thabeet at No. 2. Heisley is the one that balked at the prospect of paying Rudy Gay a front-loaded contract. Heisley is the one that goes the cheap route with everyone.
Under those circumstances, it's almost impossible for Wallace to do his job well. His record on his own decisions has certainly been mixed, with the Pau Gasol trade being an obvious negative. However, he did well to find some good young players with the picks he actually made, and while many were skeptical of the Zach Randolph trade, it turned out far better than we expected. Wallace was also the one who saw Marc Gasol's potential before we all did.
There are plenty of mistakes in here, no doubt (trading Kyle Lowry, committing to Mike Conley, the Ronnie Brewer situation and, of course, Pau), but it's hard for any GM to look good with Heisley looking over your shoulder.
Hired: 2005.
Coaches: Byron Scott (2005-2009), himself (2009-2010), Monty Williams (2010-present)
Long-term plan: Stay under the luxury tax and still keep Chris Paul in town.
Key draft picks: Chris Paul (4th, 2005), Hilton Armstrong (12th, 2006), Julian Wright (13th, 2007), Cedric Simmons (15th, 2006), Darren Collison (21st, 2009), Craig Brackens (21st, 2010), Quincy Pondexter (26th, 2010), Marcus Thornton (43rd, 2009),
Key trades:
Key free agent signings: Paul in 2008 (four-year max contract), Bobby Jackson in 2006 (three years, $15 million), Peja Stojakovic in 2006 (five years, $64 million), David West in 2006 (five years, $45 million), Morris Peterson in 2007 (four years, $23 million), James Posey in 2008 (four years, $25 million).
Key free agents let go: Mason in 2007, Janerro Pargo in 2008.
There's a lot of talk about how the Hornets did Bower wrong and put a smart man out of work because they're cheap. However, Bower's record has definitely been a mixed bag at best. There are some major successes in here, such as the fair contract for David West, the trade for Tyson Chandler and the drafting of Darren Collison and Marcus Thornton. It's also really, really hard to execute the kind of cost-cutting moves Bower had to make to get under the luxury tax and still remain relatively competitive, which the Hornets did.
But all that ignores that it's very much Bower's fault that he got himself in that situation. Bower fundamentally mismanaged his cap flexibility with damaging mid-level contracts to marginal players that he didn't need. James Posey is the worst, but Morris Peterson and Bobby Jackson are pretty bad too. The Peja Stojakovic contract was also problematic even at the time, though he was one of the best free agents on the market. While Bower should be commended for changing his philosophy and fixing his own mistakes, the fact is that he had to fix his own mistakes.
That, my friends, is how you squander Chris Paul's prime.
Hired: 2009 for Forman.
Coaches: Vinny Del Negro (2009-2010), Tom Thibodeau (present)
Long-term plan: Build a championship team around Derrick Rose with the cap flexibility gained recently.
Key draft picks: James Johnson (16th, 2009), Taj Gibson (26th, 2009).
Key trades:
Key free agent signings: Luol Deng, 2008 (six years, $72 million)*, Carlos Boozer, 2010 (five years, $82 million), Kyle Korver, 2010 (three years, $15 million), Ronnie Brewer, 2010 (three years, $12.5 million).
Key free agents let go: Ben Gordon (2009), Brad Miller (2010).
The Bulls have a weird front office dynamic, with John Paxson still in the picture and owner Jerry Reinsdorf meddling as he sees fit, so it's tough to tell where one person's influence ends and another's begins.
That said, we know that Forman spearheaded a couple big decisions: the re-signing of Luol Deng in 2008, the decision to let Ben Gordon go in 2009 and the clearing of enough cap room to compete in the 2010 free agent market. The Deng contract was probably a mistake, because he wasn't worth $72 million even when it was signed. Letting go of Gordon is a debatable move -- on the one hand, it gave them more wiggle room in 2010, but on the other hand, they could have gotten that by trading Kirk Hinrich sooner. Finally, the 2010 plan was probably a good decision, though it came with many risks.
At the end of the day, Forman's moves have given the Bulls a fairly strong team. It probably could have been stronger, and I'm not wild about his methods, but the results work. I hope his owner gives him a bit more freedom to really fill out a great team around Derrick Rose.
Hired: 2003.
Coaches: Eddie Jordan (2003-2008), Ed Tapscott (2008-2009), Flip Saunders (2009-present).
Long-term plan: Now: build through the draft. Before: get owner Abe Pollin his championship before he passed away.
Key draft picks: John Wall (1st, 2010), Nick Young (16th, 2007), Kevin Seraphin (17th, 2010), JaVale McGee (18th, 2009), Oleksiy Pecherov (18th, 2006), Trevor Booker (23rd, 2010), Andray Blatche (49th, 2005).
Key trades:
Key free agent signings: Gilbert Arenas in 2003 (six years, $65 million) and 2008 (six years, $111 million), Haywood in 2005 (five years, $25 million), Caron Butler in 2005 (five years, $48 million), Daniels in 2005 (six years, $30 million), Songaila in 2006 (five years, $23 million), Stevenson in 2007 (four years, $15 million), Andray Blatche in 2007 (five years, $15 million), Jamison in 2008 (four years, $52 million).
Key free agents let go: Larry Hughes (2005), Roger Mason (2008)
There's a big misconception that Grunfeld has no plan with anything he's doing. That's really not true at all. In fact, it's quite the opposite -- Grunfeld sticks to "plans" so diligently that he doesn't fulfill his other duties as a general manager.
Like Rick Sund in Atlanta, Grunfeld stuck himself between a rock and a hard place coming into the pivotal 2008 offseason. He did extremely well on many of his early moves in D.C., but began clogging up his cap with long contracts to so-so players. When it came time to decide what to do with Gilbert Arenas and Antawn Jamison, Grunfeld was faced with the same "status quo vs. really slow rebuild" quandary. He chose the former, and considering he worked for an owner (Abe Pollin) that was in his 80s and had no time for a long rebuild, he sort of had no choice. That also explains many of his moves after 2008, such as the trade for Mike Miller and Randy Foye. His owner wanted a veteran team that could win right now, so Grunfeld had to give it to him. Now, he's carrying out new owner Ted Leonsis' vision, and so far, he's sticking to the plan.
That said, there are two troubling things about Grunfeld. First, he seems to neglect the draft far too often. He's traded a top-five pick twice in his GM tenure for non-all stars, and the picks he has made (prior to 2010 of course) have all been shot-in-the-dark picks. Some of Grunfeld's projects have worked out, but he should have been augmenting those picks with players more ready to contribute right away.
Second, he consistently fails to get good value on his trades, especially recently. While the Miller/Foye trade fulfilled a plan, Grunfeld depreciated the value of his best asset (the fifth pick) by making his intentions of trading the pick way too public. He also only got expiring contracts (for the most part) for Butler, Haywood and Jamison, and took on a far bigger contract in Hinrich than other teams looking to pick up assets from clubs dumping salary to get under the cap (i.e. Houston and Oklahoma City).
In the end, Grunfeld certainly knows what he's doing, but loses a lot of points for his shaky execution of his boss' visions.
Hired: 2005.
Coaches: Brian Hill (2005-2007), Stan Van Gundy (2007-present)
Long-term plan: Build a four-out, one-in team around Dwight Howard and Stan Van Gundy, costs be damned.
Key draft picks: Fran Vazquez (11th, 2005), J.J. Redick (11th, 2006), Courtney Lee (22nd, 2008), Daniel Orton (29th, 2010).
Key trades:
Key free agent signings: Rashard Lewis in 2007 (six years, $127 million), Mickael Pietrus in 2008 (four years, $24 million), Brandon Bass in 2009 (four years, $16 million), Marcin Gortat in 2009 (five years, $34 million), Matt Barnes in 2009 (veterans minimum), Chris Duhon in 2010 (four years, $15 million), Redick in 2010 (three years, $19 million), Quentin Richardson in 2010 (two years, $7.5 million), Jameer Nelson in 2007 (five years, $30 million)
Key free agents let go: Hedo Turkoglu (2009), Darko Milicic (2007), Grant Hill (2007)
This is pretty low for a GM who's put together a juggernaut of a team like Smith has, but Smith has also gotten very lucky. It's much, much easier to look good when you have a superstar like Dwight Howard (who Smith inherited) and an owner willing to go deep into the luxury tax to build a winner.
If you isolate those two factors, Smith's record doesn't look quite as good. He's overpaid several free agents -- most notably Rashard Lewis, but also guys like Marcin Gortat, Brandon Bass and others. His draft record has been spotty, and many of his trades have not worked out. He has done some good things, to be fair. His faith in Jameer Nelson has been handsomely rewarded, and he was right to pass on re-signing Hedo Turkoglu. But he's also a poster boy for why it's misleading to evaluate GMs based on wins and losses. It's hard to fail when you have Dwight Howard and an owner willing to spend.
Hired: 2007.
Resigned: 2010.
Coaches: Mike D'Antoni (2007-2008), Terry Porter (2008-2009), Alvin Gentry (2009-present).
Long-term plan: Tinker with the Suns' essence while making them more fit to win the in playoffs.
Key draft picks: Earl Clark (14th, 2009), Robin Lopez (15th, 2008), Goran Dragic (45th, 2008).
Key trades:
Key free agent signings: Steve Nash in 2009 (two years, $22 million), Channing Frye in 2009 and 2010 (two years, $3.8 million, then five years, $25 million), Grant Hill in 2007 and 2009 (two years, $4 million), Matt Barnes in 2008 (veterans minimum),
Key free agents let go: Amare Stoudemire (2010).
Kerr obviously got off to a very bad start with the Shaquille O'Neal trade, and he has to be docked for that. Since then, though, Kerr did some very good things to tinker at the Suns' essence without completely blowing it up. It helps to have Steve Nash, who does well to attract veteran free agents, but Kerr has displayed his chops too with shrewd trades (the Bell/Richardson deal), draft steals (Lopez, Dragic) and underrated free agent signings (Frye).
Again, the mistakes Kerr made early in his tenure are too damaging to rank him higher, but he's done extremely well since then. It's unfortunate he left right when he had a chance to prove himself further.
Hired: 2005.
Fired: 2010.
Coaches: Mike Brown (2005-2010)
Long-term plan: Keep LeBron James happy by committing all-out to winning
Key draft picks: J.J. Hickson (19th, 2008), Shannon Brown (25th, 2006), Christian Eyenga (30th, 2009), Daniel Gibson (42nd, 2006)
Key trades:
Key free agent signings: LeBron James in 2006 (three-year max contract), Hughes in 2005 (five years, $60 million), Marshall in 2005 (four years, $22 million), Ilgauskas in 2005 (five years, $50 million), Jones in 2005 (four years, $16.1 million), Drew Gooden in 2006 (three years, $23 million), Daniel Gibson in 2007 (five years, $21 million), Delonte West in 2008 (three years, $13 million), Anderson Varejao in 2009 (six years, $50 million), Anthony Parker in 2009 (two years, $6 million), Jamario Moon in 2009 (three years, $9 million).
Key free agents let go: Jeff McInnis (2005).
Danny Ferry's major problem is that he messed up badly in 2005. Armed with tons of cap space to build a contender around LeBron James, Ferry blew it with Larry Hughes, Donyell Marshall and Damon Jones. Those are mistakes that are nearly impossible to erase, because they are all long-term contracts and because Ferry couldn't exactly just trade them in a salary dump with LeBron's shadow looming over him.
So he tried to make the best of his terrible situation, and in the end, he actually did pretty well. He was able to turn Hughes and Marshall into Delonte West, a useful piece for the future. He then made a very shrewd trade for Mo Williams, giving up nothing of value to get the kind of shooter and secondary playmaker LeBron needed. Neither of those guys are All-Stars, but it's hard to get All-Stars when you have little to offer. Ferry did about as well as he could.
Then, Ferry turned Wallace's corpse into Shaquille O'Neal -- again, not a great player, but a useful player that does far more for his team than Ben Wallace. He then kept Anderson Varejao and West with good-value deals and shrewdly signed Anthony Parker and Jamario Moon for cheap. In the end, while he never could find LeBron another star, he surrounded him with an excellent group of role players using assets worth basically nothing.
Ferry gets penalized for going for Antawn Jamison over Amare Stoudemire, as well as for his epic disaster in 2005. But he also was in a very tough spot and did about as well as he could have considering the circumstances. For that, he should be ranked in the middle of the pack.
Hired: 2008.
Coaches: Mike D'Antoni (2008-present)
Long-term plan: Get under the cap in 2010, now, get under the cap for 2011.
Key draft picks: Danilo Gallinari (6th, 2008), Jordan Hill (8th, 2009), Toney Douglas (29th, 2009).
Key trades:
Key free agent signings: Amare Stoudemire in 2010 (five years, $99 million), Raymond Felton in 2010 (two years, $15.8 million), Chris Duhon in 2008 (two years, $12 million).
Key free agents let go: Lee (2010), Harrington (2010), McGrady (2010), Duhon (2010).
Walsh simply had to get under the cap in 2010, and he did. He made mistakes along the way, especially in the draft, and he got swindled by Daryl Morey and lost a lot of future draft picks. But in the end, he succeeded in cleaning up Isiah Thomas' mess and has put the Knicks in position to be a genuine threat in the 2011 free agent market. Replacing David Lee with Amare Stoudemire, Anthony Randolph, Kelenna Azubuike and Ronny Turiaf was outstanding, and while I'm not wild about Raymond Felton, the long-term cost isn't bad and he does fit Mike D'Antoni's system fairly well.
Average sounds about right to me.
Hired: 2003, officially.
Coaches: Phil Jackson (2003-2004), Rudy Tomjanovich (2004-2005), Frank Hamlin (2005-2005), Jackson again (2005-present)
Long-term plan: Build a winner
Key draft picks: Andrew Bynum (10th, 2005), Javaris Crittenton (19th, 2007), Brian Cook (24th, 2003), Jordan Farmar (26th, 2007), Sasha Vujacic (27th, 2004), Luke Walton (32nd, 2003), Ronny Turiaf (37th, 2005)
Key trades:
Key free agent signings: Kobe Bryant in 2004 and 2010 (maximum both times), Vladimir Radmanovic in 2006 (five years, $30 million), Walton in 2007 (six years, $30 million), Derek Fisher in 2007 (three years, $15 million), Ron Artest in 2009 (five years, $30 million), Odom in 2009 (four years, $33 million), Steve Blake in 2010 (four years, $16 million).
Key free agents let go: Smush Parker (2007), Trevor Ariza (2009).
Nobody, and I mean nobody, has as many built-in advantages as Kupchak. He has Kobe Bryant, the league's premier winner, Phil Jackson, it's premier coach, and Jerry Buss, an owner always willing to spend. Kupchak can get away with mistakes most other GMs can't.
But Kupchak has done pretty well on his own too, especially with trades and good value picks late in the draft. His free agent signings have been a bit underwhelming, but again, you can get away with that in L.A. Most importantly, Kupchak never blinked when Bryant demanded a trade in 2007 and did what he had to do to give him the championship team he desired. Other GMs might have panicked, but Kupchak stayed cool. Sure, he probably was given a mandate to not trade Bryant from up above, but he still deserves props.
There's also the Pau Gasol trade, which was certainly a bit lucky, but also a hell of a coup.
Hired: 2000.
Retired: 2010.
Coaches: Byron Scott (2000-2004), Lawrence Frank (2004-2009), Kiki Vandeweghe (2009-2010), Avery Johnson (present)
Long-term plan: Build around young talent, now that they struck out on the LeBron James sweepstakes
Key draft picks: Kenyon Martin (1st, 2000), Derrick Favors (3rd, 2010), Brook Lopez (10th, 2008), Terrence Williams (11th, 2009), Richard Jefferson (13th, 2001).
Key trades:
Key free agent signings: Kidd, 2003 (max contract), Mourning, 2003 (mid-level exception), Jefferson, 2004 (six years, $78 million), Jason Collins, 2004 (five years, $25 million), Carter, 2007 (four years, $60 million).
Key free agents let go: Martin (2004), Nenad Kristic (2008).
Thorn has an extremely impressive body of work with trades in particular, and nobody can say it was luck that allowed him to turn the Nets' franchise around. To be as good as they were for that long is impressive, considering ownership never allowed him to go over the luxury tax. Thorn has certainly made mistakes, particularly in re-signing his own stars to poor long-term contracts, and delaying the rebuilding of a decidedly average team in the late 2000s. But in a league where it's so hard to get good value in trades, Thorn's consistent ability to do so means a lot.
The Nets will miss his guidance going forward, and Billy King is a very underwhelming replacement.
Hired: 2008.
Coaches: Scott Skiles (2008-present)
Long-term plan: Find undervalued players and traits and bring them to small-market Milwaukee.
Key draft picks: Joe Alexander (8th, 2008), Brandon Jennings (10th, 2009), Larry Sanders (15th, 2010).
Key trades:
Key free agent signings: Drew Gooden in 2010 (five years, $35 million).
Key free agents let go: Charlie Villanueva (2009), Ramon Sessions (2009).
Hammond would have been higher if not for his curious 2010 offseason, when he seemingly abandoned the principles that allowed his club to have so much success in 2009/10. Last season, the Bucks were the quintessential "more than the sum of their parts" team, and Hammond deserves so much credit because he realized that tough defense is undervalued in this market. He hired a coach who preaches it, made sure to build around a point guard/center tandem and found great bargains to fill the other spots in the lineup. He was also opportunistic in trading for John Salmons when his value was lowest.
That's why it's so interesting to see Hammond spend a lot of money on Corey Maggette, Drew Gooden and a re-signed Salmons. I'm very curious to see it all play out, because it certainly goes against the philosophy he's used to build a successful team in a tiny market. Perhaps Hammond believes that now is the time to switch gears with his philosophy. I'm skeptical, but hey, maybe he's right.
Hired: 2002.
Coaches: Don Nelson (2002-2005), Avery Johnson (2005-2008), Rick Carlisle (2008-present)
Long-term plan: Extend Dirk Nowitzki's prime and use assets to bring in a good running mate.
Key draft picks: Rodrigue Beaubois (25th, 2009), Dominique Jones (25th, 2010), Maurice Ager (28th, 2006), Josh Howard (29th, 2003).
Key trades:
Key free agent signings: Dirk Nowitzki in 2006 and 2010 (max, slightly less than max), Raef LaFrentz in 2003 (seven years, $60+ million), Erick Dampier in 2004 (six years, $67 million), Shawn Marion in 2009 (five years, $39 million), Haywood in 2010 (six years, $57 million)
Key free agents let go: Steve Nash (2004), Michael Finley (2005).
Nelson has the built-in advantage of an owner in Mark Cuban who will spend up the wazoo, but that's not always a good thing, especially when Cuban jumps in to approve moves like the Jason Kidd trade and the Erick Dampier contract. Nelson manages that impulsiveness well, consistently getting good value on nearly all his transactions. He has yet to find a good enough running mate for Dirk Nowitzki, but it's certainly not for a lack of effort.
Ultimately, Nelson hits a lot of singles and doubles, and that's not a bad thing for a team that is willing to spend and will therefore never have or need cap flexibility.
Hired: 1995.
Coaches: Gary St. Jean (1995-1997), Eddie Jordan (1997-1998), Rick Adelman (1998-2006), Eric Mussleman (2006-2007), Reggie Theus (2007-2008), Calvin Natt (2008-2009), Paul Westphal (2008-present)
Key draft picks: Tyreke Evans (4th, 2009), DeMarcus Cousins (5th, 2010), Jason Williams (7th, 1998), Spencer Hawes (10th, 2007), Tariq Abdul-Wahad (11th, 1997), Jason Thompson (12th, 2008), Peja Stojakovic (14th, 1996), Hedo Turkoglu (16th, 2000), Quincy Douby (19th, 2006), Omri Casspi (23rd, 2009), Francisco Garcia (23rd, 2005), Gerald Wallace (25th, 2002), Kevin Martin (26th, 2004),
Key trades:
Key free agent signings: Too many to count on both fronts
Petrie's draft work is simply incredible, perhaps the best of any GM in basketball. He also built a real juggernaut early in the decade thanks to some great trades, and he's now got a really nice young team on his hands. Petrie's only shortcoming is that he often overpays for marginal talent, handing out big contracts to guys like Beno Udrih, Francisco Garcia, Shareef Abdur-Rahim and (nearly) Bonzi Wells. He also tends to overpay for his own players, giving Mike Bibby and Brad Miller too much money in particular.
But when you draft as well as Petrie, your team will always be able to rebuild shrewdly.
Hired: 2003.
Coaches: Jim O'Brien (2003), John Carroll (2003-2004), Doc Rivers (2004-present)
Long-term plan: Find a way to extend the rapidly-closing window of the Big 3.
Key draft picks: Marcus Banks (13th, 2003), Al Jefferson (15th, 2004), Gerald Green (18th, 2005), Avery Bradley (19th, 2010), Rajon Rondo (21st, 2006), Delonte West (24th, 2004), Tony Allen (25th, 2004), Kendrick Perkins (27th, 2003), Glen Davis (35th, 2007), Leon Powe (49th, 2006)
Key trades:
Key free agent signings: Paul Pierce in 2005 (max contract) and 2010 (four years, $61 million), Perkins in 2007 (four years, $16 million), Rasheed Wallace in 2009 (three years, $18 million), Jermaine O'Neal in 2010 (two years, $11 million), Ray Allen in 2010 (two years, $20 million). UPDATE: Can't believe I forgot about Rondo's five-year, $55 million extension last summer.
Key free agents let go: Gary Payton (2005), Antoine Walker (2005).
Ainge provides a lesson for all of us when wondering about the madness of GMs like David Kahn who seemingly are always rebuilding. When he arrived in Boston, Ainge saw a marginal team and was determined to tear it down, even if it took a while for fans to ultimately see the fruits of his labor. He kept stockpiling draft picks, building up their value by playing them and biding his time until the right opportunity came along. Eventually, it came, and it led to a title.
It's true that trading for superstars like Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen requires being a bit lucky. However, you also have to put yourself in a position to make it happen, and Ainge did exactly that with his draft picks and his general philosophy. It takes a lot of guts and skill to perform a franchise facelift, but Ainge made it happen. That alone has to propel him way up this list.
Oh, and Ainge also nailed the Rajon Rondo pick and continues to find good young players that can contribute for cheap. That's not luck -- that's skill.
Hired: 2002.
Coaches: Gregg Popovich (2002-present)
Long-term plan: Extend Tim Duncan's title window.
Key draft picks: James Anderson (20th, 2010), George Hill (26th, 2008), Ian Mahinmi (28th, 2005), Beno Udrih (2004), Tiago Splitter (28th, 2008). DeJuan Blair (37th, 2009).
Key trades:
Key free agent signings: Tim Duncan in 2003 and 2007 (maximim), Manu Ginobili in 2003 and 2010 (three years, $39 million), Tony Parker in 2004 (six years, $66 million), Robert Horry, 2004 (two years, $9 million), Antonio McDyess in 2009 (three years, $15 million), Richard Jefferson in 2010 (four years, $39 million).
Key free agents let go: Turkoglu, more.
What has happened to the San Antonio Spurs recently? Giving Richard Jefferson $40 million? Going over the luxury tax the year before? Throwing cap flexibility into the wind? It's certainly a bit jarring, and I had to penalize the impeccable Buford for it. Buford probably feels that he needs to spend to prolong Tim Duncan's window, but I'm not convinced about that. If and when Duncan declines and the Spurs need to retool, it will be far more difficult than it should be.
That said -- c'mon, it's R.C. Buford and the San Antonio Spurs. They have to be high on the list because of everything they accomplished this decade. They're the league's best-run franchise, and while a lot of that is luck (drafting Duncan), much of it is due to the work of Buford. He might be losing his touch, but he has to also be rewarded for the touch he showed beforehand.
Hired: 2006
Fired: 2010
Coaches: Nate McMillan (2006-present)
Long-term plan: Build a championship-caliber young core
Key draft picks: Greg Oden (1st, 2007), LaMarcus Aldridge (2nd, 2006), Brandon Roy (6th, 2006), Jerryd Bayless (11th, 2008), Luke Babbit (16th, 2010), Elliot Williams (22nd, 2010), Rudy Fernandez (24th, 2007), Nicolas Batum (27th, 2008), Dante Cunningham (33rd, 2009)
Key trades:
Key free agent signings: Roy in 2009 (max contract), Aldridge in 2009 (five years, $65 million), Andre Miller in 2009 (three years, $21 million), Steve Blake in 2007 (three years, $15 million), Camby in 2010 (two years, $22 million), Martell Webster (four years, $20 million)
Key free agents let go: Frye in 2009.
Pritchard strikes me as the modern day Stu Inman, a name Trail Blazers fans probably know well. Like Inman, Pritchard built a perennially successful franchise by finding diamonds in the rough and generally paying way more attention to detail than his peers. Like Inman, Pritchard changed the culture of his franchise and created a cult of personality around himself (which, in Pritchard's case, probably led to his firing). Finally, like Inman, Pritchard made one massive mistake.
Inman's mistake was taking Sam Bowie over Michael Jordan. Pritchard's mistake, of course, was taking Greg Oden over Kevin Durant. In his defense, Pritchard made a pick everyone else would have made (except maybe for Ainge). However, it's still a huge, huge mistake that prevents him from being number one.
Pritchard also gets docked a bit because he has an owner willing to spend, which makes his life easier. But besides the Oden pick, his record is truly outstanding, and he did it as the GM of a team in desperate need of a culture change and a savior. Here's hoping the 2006 draft, and not the 2007 draft, will forever be his legacy in Portland.
Hired: 2006.
Coaches: George Karl (2006-present)
Long-term plan: Contend for a championship, even with an inherited hefty luxury-tax bill.
Key draft picks: Ty Lawson (18th, 2009).
Key trades:
Key free agent signings: Carmelo Anthony, 2006 (five-year max contract), Nene in 2006 (six years, $60 million), J.R. Smith in 2008 (three years, $15 million), Chris Andersen in 2009 (five years, $26 million), Al Harrington in 2010 (five years, $34 million)
Key free agents let go: Steve Blake (2007), Marcus Camby (2008 -- not officially, but dumped for nothing), Linas Kleiza (2009), Dahntay Jones (2009).
Warkentien got dealt a really tough hand because the previous GM, Kiki Vandeweghe, threw around money way too frivolously for an owner who doesn't have incredibly deep pockets. Somehow, he's managed to build a contender despite that, finding great free-agent bargains and making shrewd moves to stay in contention while also trimming some salary. The Allen Iverson move is his only blemish, but he corrected that with the Chauncey Billups trade.
The Nuggets are probably in even more of a tight spot now than ever, and Warkentien's own future with the club is murky. But keep in mind that Warkentien inherited a lot of the cap hell the Nuggets currently have. To make the team better under those circumstances is very impressive.
Hired: 2007.
Coaches: P.J. Carlisemo (2007-2008), Scott Brooks (2008-present)
Long-term plan: Build around Kevin Durant and the rest of his young talent, using the salary-cap creatively to get it done.
Key draft picks: Durant (2nd, 2007), James Harden (3rd, 2009), Russell Westbrook (4th, 2008), Jeff Green (5th, 2007), Cole Aldrich (11th, 2010), Serge Ibaka (24th, 2008), Byron Mullens (24th, 2009),
Key trades:
Key free agent signings: Durant in 2010 (max contract), Nenad Kristic in 2008 (three years, $15 million), Thabo Sefolosha in 2009 (four years, $13 million).
Key free agents let go: Rashard Lewis (2007).
Presti is probably the most creative general manager in the league, and he continues to rip off fellow GMs with his unique strategy of using his salary-cap space to pick up draft picks and other young assets. He also consistently nails his draft picks, which is so hard for anyone to do, and has built a young, talented roster that is the envy of everyone.
But I can't put him No. 1 for two reasons. First of all, he has Kevin Durant. Presti completely lucked into Durant, and having a guy like him makes you look a whole lot better. This isn't to take away from Presti's genius long-term plan in building around him, but his strategy wouldn't result in this much success if Durant wasn't around.
Secondly, I strongly believe Presti needs to think about changing gears. His prized young players are all going to have to sign contract extensions, which will eliminate the cap space Presti has always prized. This summer may have been the last time Presti will have enough cap space to sign a piece to put his team over the top, and he declined to use it. With the Thunder now a successful team with a successful core, that could prove to be a mistake.
I'm nitpicking though. The reality is that Presti is one of the best in the business.
Hired: 2007
Coaches: Rick Adelman (2007-present)
Long-term plan: Build enough assets to eventually make a big move to bring in the superstar the team is missing.
Key draft picks: Patrick Patterson (14th, 2010), Aaron Brooks (26th, 2007), Carl Landry (31st, 2008).
Key trades:
Key free agent signings: Landry in 2008 (three years, $9 million), Trevor Ariza In 2009 (four years, $24 million), Scola in 2010 (five years, $47 million), Lowry in 2010 (four years, $24 million), Brad Miller in 2010 (three years, $15 million.
Key free agents let go: Artest.
Nobody gets more value with their decisions than Daryl Morey. He finds contributors in the draft in places nobody else does. He swindles other GMs in trades, picking up a boatload of assets that the other 29 GMs only dream they had. In short, there's very little he's done wrong.
Morey arrived on the scene having to deal with a top-heavy team without much of a supporting cast and without much prospect of improving. Now, he has a more balanced team with tons of assets and a ton of flexibility to improve. Going from Step 1 to Step 2 while maintaining an extremely successful team like he has is remarkably impressive.
Step 3 now is to do something with those assets, which is proving to be a challenge. But sometimes, that's how it works. To get that great player in a trade, you have to be lucky. The good news for Rockets fans is that Morey has put himself in a position where he and his team can get lucky.
Hired: 1999.
Coaches: Jerry Sloan (1999-present).
Long-term plan: Build a good team that fits Sloan's vision.
Key draft picks: Deron Williams (3rd, 2005), Gordon Hayward (9rd, 2010), Ronnie Brewer (14th, 2006), Kris Humphries (14th, 2004), Kirk Snyder (16th, 2004), Sasha Pavlovic (19th, 2003), Eric Maynor (20th, 2009), CJ Miles (34th, 2005), Paul Millsap (47th, 2006), Mo Williams (47th, 2003),
Key trades:
Key free agent signings: Carlos Boozer in 2004 (six years, $68 million), Mehmet Okur in 2004 and 2009 (six years, $40 million, two years, $21 million), Andrei Kirilenko in 2004 (maximum contract), Matt Harpring in 2006 (five years, $25 million), Deron Williams in 2008 (maximum contract).
Key free agents let go: Boozer (2010), Karl Malone (2003), Derek Fisher (2008).
O'Connor may be the most underappreciated GM in basketball. Nobody does a better job of sticking to a plan. O'Connor has committed to Jerry Sloan as his coach and finds players that perfectly fit his system. Players like Wesley Matthews, Paul Millsap, Ronnie Brewer, C.J. Miles, Carlos Boozer, Mehmet Okur, Matt Harpring and even Deron Williams would all have been successful elsewhere, but their success was magnified because they were all perfect fits for Sloan. O'Connor understands that you can't just throw together talent and expect it to jell. You have to find the right kind of talent, and for over a decade, he's done exactly that.
O'Connor has also done a great job managing the luxury tax, something that will always be an issue because Utah is a small market. Last season, he made cost-cutting moves that didn't affect his team's performance, then recovered from losing Carlos Boozer by trading for Al Jefferson. His one mistake was giving Andrei Kirilenko too much money in 2004, but otherwise, his record is impeccable.
The only thing lacking is a championship, but that's tough to do when you only get one top-five pick in a decade. O'Connor used that pick well, and he's made every last move count. That's the mark of a good GM.
Hired: 1995.
Coaches: Himself (1995-2003), Stan Van Gundy (2003-2005), himself (2005-2008), Erik Spolestra (2008-present)
Long-term plan: Create enough cap room to pull off the free agent coup of the century.
Key draft picks: Michael Beasley (2nd, 2008), Dwyane Wade (5th, 2003).
Key trades: Too many to list
Key free agent signings: LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in 2010
Key free agents let go: Does it matter?
Look, Pat Riley just pulled off the free agent coup of the decade (maybe of all time). It was a coup that required a level of long-term planning and creativity that no other GM is remotely capable of doing. I hate the guy, and he did get lucky, but he was also a genius. He has to top this list, and frankly, nobody comes close.
103 comments
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the thing I never get
is why Donnie Walsh is continually ripped for his trade with Houston and for his Draft picks.
If you are convinced he hasnt drafted well, then you a) dont like gallo and b) dont like hill.
Gallo is turning into a very nice player. You can knock the pick if you like, but I know many of us NY fans are plenty happy with it.
If you dont like HIll, then how can you bash the trade that was centered around him? 1 draft pick is coming back to the knicks as it is a switch with the Rockets, and there is a very good chance they will be close together. The other is gone yes, but at that point you are basically trading Hill and 1 draft. With that, the pick we are giving up is top 5 protected. So if the knicks have a clunker of a season and end up winning the lottery, its not another lost top pick for NY.
So you say he was “he got swindled by Daryl Morey and lost a lot of future draft picks” but that doesnt really add up. Losing 1 draft pick that is top 5 protected is not a lot of future picks. And without that trade, we had no shot at LBJ, which even though we didnt win was nice to have the chance, and we dont have both Felton and Amer’e. Which is much better then having either Duhon and Amer’e or Felton and… um… T.Thomas?
But loved the piece. A nice read.
I am a fan of both the mets and knicks... so just kill me now.
by gbaked on Jul 22, 2010 4:39 PM EDT reply actions
Walsh passed on a lot of really good players for Gallinari
And I admit I’m not following your logic with Jordan Hill. Not sure how that trade was “centered” around him.
The only reason the 2011 picks were swapped is because you can’t trade picks in two consecutive years. Top-five protection is very little in today’s day and age, and as we saw with the Bulls’ decision to dump Hinrich and the Heat’s ability to dump Beasley/Cook/etc, Walsh appeared to pay a much heavier price than necessary just to get room for two max free agents (they already had room for one).
SB Nation DC | Bullets Forever | Twitter.
by Mike Prada on Jul 22, 2010 4:46 PM EDT up reply actions
the trade was Hill
and 2 picks for TMac (JJ doesnt count, getting rid of him was the whole point).
And 1 of the pics is coming back. If it was this year, we were essentially trading the 9th pick for the 14th pick. Which, while not great, is not the end of the world. THere is a very good chance that the knicks improve this year which would make the switch even less severe.
Hinrich and Beasley/Cook/etc. are MUCH more attractive to a team then Jarred Jeffries. It would make sense that trading them would be easier.
Top 5 protected is not nothing. It means that in 2012 if the knicks are fortunate enough to win the lottery, then they wont have to give it away. Losing the #3 pick is huge. Losing the #12 pick is not as huge.
Im not convinced that the players Donnie passed on where really good. and I am sure that there was not a lot of them. You can argue Lopez, but I can counter that he is not really designed for Mike D’s system. There are other players that appear quality, but there is nothing other then opinion to suggest they are that much better the Gallo that its a travesty. Also, Gallo has the attitude to handle NYC (not everyone does), and has shown a very high basketball IQ to go along with a strong work ethic.
I am a fan of both the mets and knicks... so just kill me now.
by gbaked on Jul 22, 2010 4:55 PM EDT up reply actions
Gallinari himself is a really good player
The Knicks probably won’t have to swap picks with the Rockets next year because they’re likely to have a higher playoff seed/actually be in the playoffs.
So in the balance of that trade, the Knicks gave up Jordan Hill who you think sucks, and a 2012 first round pick (likely to be in the late teens) to have the space to sign and trade David Lee this off-season. Do you see at all how those moves are connected?
Maybe you should have titled this “Who the beat reporters I read think are the best GMs”
by Dutchmarau on Jul 23, 2010 5:59 PM EDT up reply actions
The Knicks probably won’t have to swap picks with the Rockets next year because they’re likely to have a higher playoff seed/actually be in the playoffs.
i lol’d here as well. if the implication of the last part is that the rockets won’t be in the playoffs i’m lmao-ing
by lawlruschang on Jul 26, 2010 2:50 AM EDT up reply actions
the was is much harder then the east
I am a fan of both the mets and knicks... so just kill me now.
by gbaked on Jul 27, 2010 2:11 PM EDT up reply actions
*the west
I am a fan of both the mets and knicks... so just kill me now.
by gbaked on Jul 27, 2010 2:11 PM EDT up reply actions
Walsh got OWNED by Morey
hahahaha- tyy to justify it all you want, but I imagine it will be easier once you accept it.
No Layups
by Ron E on Jul 23, 2010 9:26 AM EDT up reply actions
1 draft pick is coming back to the knicks as it is a switch with the Rockets, and there is a very good chance they will be close together
i lol’d
by lawlruschang on Jul 26, 2010 2:49 AM EDT up reply actions
It bothers me SO much that Kahn is given so little respect around the NBA fans.
What did he do so bad that makes him so low?
by KGMN on Jul 22, 2010 4:51 PM EDT reply actions
it's got to the Wayne Ellington pick
has to be. I mean, you can get so much more value at #28. Kahn will never live that pick down.
by John Park Williams on Jul 22, 2010 4:56 PM EDT up reply actions
Oh, of course.
Wayne is just a multi-functional player who can shoot the lights out, drive surprisingly well, and has surprisingly good ball handling. Horrible.
by KGMN on Jul 22, 2010 5:00 PM EDT up reply actions
Kahn is indeed horrible.
He “Traded Al Jefferson to the Jazz for Kosta Koufus and two protected future first-round picks”…. Why would you do that. The Jazz’s picks are not going to be lottery, they are a successful team. Jefferson was one of the best, if not THE best on their team. Kahn is a dumbass
by Michael S. on Jul 23, 2010 9:34 PM EDT up reply actions
Cap room for a future player
The Wolves will be able to take on a big salary talent of their choice in the future because of the Jefferson trade. Jefferson had his day in Minnesota. Kevin Love will be able to fill Jefferson’s role and he is a fine player. Kahn has reshaped the roster and it is much improved. The extra draft choices stock the cupboard for the future and will allow the Wolves to add some talent as the team shows additional improvement in the coming years. The Wolves continue to move piece by piece to a better and better team.
by WeDraftedPooh on Jul 24, 2010 12:16 AM EDT up reply actions
Agreed.
Al was one dimensional. anyway, and on a bad wheel.
"Chaotic action is preferable to orderly inaction."
Will Rogers
by WillistonCoyote on Jul 25, 2010 4:43 PM EDT up reply actions
Darko?
by CNUwizkid on Jul 22, 2010 6:12 PM EDT up reply actions
What was wrong about that signing?
by KGMN on Jul 22, 2010 6:42 PM EDT up reply actions
You will know by January
his role will be greatly expanded for better and for worse.
by Scoot21 on Jul 23, 2010 6:58 AM EDT up reply actions
Who was he bidding against?
I seriously, seriously doubt there was someone out there about to offer Darko 19 million. Or anything even resembling a number that big. The dude is tall and will give you six fouls and that’s about the extent of his impact on an NBA game.
A lonely Kings fan in a sea of gold and purple...
by Jaycee on Jul 28, 2010 6:09 PM EDT up reply actions
Who else was out there? Good 7 footers don't grow on trees.
"Chaotic action is preferable to orderly inaction."
Will Rogers
by WillistonCoyote on Jul 25, 2010 4:44 PM EDT up reply actions
Hahaha...
… is that a serious question?
by henryclemente on Jul 23, 2010 5:18 AM EDT up reply actions
Yes, it is serious.
I would post why I don’t think it’s wrong, but I posted it about 200 times, so I don’t feel like it.
by KGMN on Jul 23, 2010 11:12 AM EDT up reply actions
if you have to defend the signing 200 times that should tell you something.
by dandresden on Jul 24, 2010 1:29 PM EDT up reply actions
It tells me that people don't want to listen..
To what other people say. They stick to their beliefs closed-minded, not wanting to believe that Darko Milicic is good enough for that contract.
by KGMN on Jul 24, 2010 4:10 PM EDT up reply actions
By the way..
It’s not a 4-year, $20 million contract anymore, but $16 million.
by KGMN on Jul 24, 2010 4:13 PM EDT up reply actions
I don't get it, either
I think it’s journalistic peer pressure. Somebody gets knocked down, you dog-pile him.
His moves haven’t been any more unwise than anyone elses. Yes, he’s stumbled, but
so have the guys in the top ten. I think the 2010-2011 squad will be very surprising to
this blog’s writer, as well as the rest of the NBA. I think Kahn let Rambis have some
freedom to act on this roster. One thing is certain; he’s not ‘crazy’ because he let
Jefferson go. Al Jefferson was overpaid, played no defense, and plugged the offense.
Once the ball got to him on the offensive end it died there. Now the Wolves have
athleticism and more options. This will be an exciting team and may even make
the playoffs.
"Chaotic action is preferable to orderly inaction."
Will Rogers
by WillistonCoyote on Jul 25, 2010 4:42 PM EDT up reply actions
Petrie
Dammit, I was going to rank the GMs on my blog! haha
Anyway, good stuff. I think your analysis of Petrie was spot on, although I wonder if he should be faulted for failing to surround Mitch Richmond with a capable supporting cast back in the late 1990’s . . .
by The Fadeaway on Jul 22, 2010 5:06 PM EDT reply actions
How can you rate Mitch freaking kutchap so low? He got odom and gasol indirectly from that trade alone.
F*ck you Rob Sarver!
by Bkj on Jul 22, 2010 5:28 PM EDT reply actions
Came here to say EXACTLY the same thing...
You point to “Kupchak can get away with mistakes most other GMs can’t.” but don’t (can’t?) expand on that. And “free agent signings have been a bit underwhelming” (perhaps because of a perpetually capped-out roster?)… yet the guy’s team has won the last two titles, and been in the Finals the past 3 years.
Sure… advantages in LA, ad infinitum. But give the guy his dues. #13 is not doing so.
The half-crazed ramblings of a Lakers fanatic living in Japan...
by With Malice on Jul 25, 2010 5:20 AM EDT up reply actions
He's made the Lakers even stronger for 2011. Three-peat.
"Chaotic action is preferable to orderly inaction."
Will Rogers
by WillistonCoyote on Jul 25, 2010 4:46 PM EDT up reply actions
Sometimes you’ve got to overpay to keep guys in Sacramento. Just saying.
Email: bearsnecessities@gmail.com
by Avinash Kunnath on Jul 22, 2010 6:11 PM EDT reply actions
Same for Minnesota & Kahn. If guys are great, they want to play NY, L.A., or Miami
It’s hard to entice them to play in what they consider “the Sticks”.
"Chaotic action is preferable to orderly inaction."
Will Rogers
by WillistonCoyote on Jul 25, 2010 5:15 PM EDT up reply actions
Buford is way too low
You’ve got the likes of Morey ahead of him who just gave Lowry a huge contract and way overpaid Scola? Also, I’m confused, what has his teams done…they had the one playoff run and…? Warkentien has one good move under his belt and that’s getting Billups for Iverson. One move and a slightly above average team. Presti is good, but he lucked into Durant.
I think you are putting to much emphasis on money and not enough on success and smart decisions. You call one guy lucky and the next guy smart. I understand your list is yours and you can put whoever were ever you want, but you should try to be consistent in your refrain.
by Big50 on Jul 22, 2010 6:33 PM EDT reply actions
Evidence is needed to justify these choices
You put Joe Dumars behind the general manager of the Grizzlies. I undersand that Dumars drafted Darko, but the Grizz drafted Thabeet, who hasn’t proved he is demonstrably better. Aside from that Dumars won a championship, and the Grizzlies…signed Rudy Gay?
There are many other questions about the logic behind this article, proviidng a little a bit of evidence, number of wins, or dollars spent, might validate some of these numbers. Otherwise the limited scope and subjectivity of the article make your rankings border on insulting.
by tads on Jul 22, 2010 7:35 PM EDT reply actions
I became a member of this blog
just so I can say how stupid these rankings are.
In a league that has only had 16 franchises win a championship in its history, I think that any GM that has won a championship with his current club should be ranked relatively high. That mean Kupchak and Dumars, Joe D in particular, are too low. Dumars has had a run of questionable moves, but has a solid foundation of good moves to merit much more respect. Also, you can’t discount Kupchak for having Kobe…he got Gasol and even though that was a lopsided move, it is just as impressive as Ainge getting Garnett.
by TonyOrlando78 on Jul 22, 2010 7:40 PM EDT reply actions
Perhaps even more so...
It’s resulted in 2 titles for LA out of 3 straight trips to the Finals. Additionally, I’d rate a trade as a greater achievement for a GM than a free agent signing.
The half-crazed ramblings of a Lakers fanatic living in Japan...
by With Malice on Jul 25, 2010 5:23 AM EDT up reply actions
He got Gasol, the best big man in the NBA and two consecutive championships
because of it.
"Chaotic action is preferable to orderly inaction."
Will Rogers
by WillistonCoyote on Jul 25, 2010 4:48 PM EDT up reply actions
" I became a member of this blog just so I can say how stupid these rankings are."
Me, too.
"Chaotic action is preferable to orderly inaction."
Will Rogers
by WillistonCoyote on Jul 25, 2010 5:16 PM EDT up reply actions
Otis Smith
You have him too low, certainly. He didn’t exactly have Howard giftwrapped, he had major input into his selection over Okafor (which was not a slamdunk at the time, on the heels of Kwame Brown, Ed Curry and Tyson Chandler). He absolutely fleeced the Knicks with the Francis trade. He made an excellent coaching hire in Stan Van Gundy. Nelson was an excellent signing (he’s cheaper than Felton, whom he absolutely destroyed in the playoffs). Lee was an excellent draft pick and Redick finally panned out. And don’t forget the brilliant Rafer Alston trade that led to a Finals appearance, and the savvy to cut Alston loose while he still had some value.
Marcin Gortat, compared to what average front court guys this summer received (Brendan Haywood? Drew Gooden?) will not be considered overpaid when he’s traded to be a starter.
The only major dings are the Rashard Lewis contract , the Ariza trade to the Lakers, and the baffling Fran Vazquez selection while Granger was available. The Lewis contract though hasn’t exactly hamstrung the team since it is over the cap regardless if he’s making $22 million or $15 million.
In comparison, the guy ranked right above him, Kerr, destoyed a contender through a trade for Shaq that was widely panned the moment it was executed. He also pushed out the wildly successful D’Antoni, and replaced him awfully with Terry Porter.
Kerr was only salvaged not so much through shrewdness (though Dragic looks like a keeper) but through the presence of Steve Nash. Lets see what that Channing Frye signing looks like in a couple years when Nash is gone and he’s back to his marginal bench status as a center that doesn’t rebound or defend.
by Half-man Half-gortat on Jul 22, 2010 10:40 PM EDT reply actions
you almost had me..
But when u finally got back 2 the Rashard signing, that may warrant being 20th on this list for that move alone. Any thoughts of dumping salary around dwight and starting over have hamstrung the team and they are all-in until that water bag hits the final year of the deal. he is top 3 worst contracts next to elton brand and hedo. at least he had enough sense 2 let him walk since vince is on an expiring
by IndubitableBayAreaGM on Jul 23, 2010 11:48 PM EDT up reply actions
You’re too nice on Chris Wallace. That guy was a bum in Boston and I was amazed to see him get another job.
Pat Riley though as you said..got lucky. Sometimes it is better to be lucky than good. And that sums up Pat Riley throughout his NBA career.
The Once and Future King
by FlaGators on Jul 22, 2010 10:53 PM EDT reply actions
really enjoyed this. great concept and execution.
Blazersedge.com || Twitter
by Ben Golliver on Jul 23, 2010 12:02 AM EDT reply actions
Are you freaking kidding me?
Mitch at 13? thats a joke
Born purple and gold. Live purple and gold. Die purple and gold.
by RA37thriller on Jul 23, 2010 12:18 AM EDT reply actions
Morey at 3
I’ll take that I suppose. I mean the guy’s only been in the league 3 years as a GM. Although I expect him to be climbing that ladder very soon to the top place. And yes I’m a homer! You don’t need to tell me that.
The only thing that pains me about this article is the Jazz GM being listed above Morey. Sad day is this one.
But seriously, Morey, the third best GM in the NBA? (or higher) We are truly blessed Rockets fans. Our cult leader is moving up in the world.
"voted for the Jazz"
ooooh, that’s like being a pedophile – it never goes away. //grudgedave//
by ressaliance_00 on Jul 23, 2010 12:26 AM EDT reply actions
Pritchard
Thoroughly enjoyed your article, I haven’t come across a better snapshot of today’s NBA GMs.
Like you said, 29 out of 30 GMs would have chose Oden if they had the #1 pick, yes and that includes Presti. So to cite that as Pritchard’s major blemish and considering the potential and at times dominance Oden has showed in limited minutes (look at his PER) makes such criticism somewhat unfair. But #6 is a fair position for the guy who in the 2006 draft turned Telfair and Tyrus Thomas into Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge.
by LMA on Jul 23, 2010 2:07 AM EDT reply actions
Very well done.
Usually, when a single writer attempts to cover all 30 teams, the piece skims across the surface of each team, never dipping into any information beyond common knowledge. You deserve credit for writing a piece that actually taught me a few things I didn’t already know, and for justifying your selections well.
On to my team, the Timberwolves. This was a far more reasonable take on David Kahn than anyone else outside of Minnesota has given. He has several clear faults (drafting, choosing a vision that didn’t fit the players he inherited) that are enough to put him at average or worse, but for whatever reason he’s become this pariah, and people aren’t satisfied until they’ve portrayed every one of his moves as bad, when some have been quite good. When Kahn isn’t being asked to evaluate talent, he’s a consistently good trader.
How much credit would Morey, Presti, or Pritchard have gotten for the trade that netted the Rubio pick or for acquiring Beasley for free?
Really, I think most of what you wrote about Morey applies to Kahn as well. As it stands, the team has only one bad contract, a forgivable ~$5 million/2 years owed to Ryan Hollins. Darko doesn’t count unless you can find me a superior center making less than his $5 million/year. That’s just what 25 minute/night centers make. Like Morey, Kahn has put himself in a good position for the future. He has combinable assets, leftover cap space, a 2011 lottery pick, and the Rubio hope. Some combination of that ought to yield a better superstar than whatever Morey’s pieces can be turned into.
by John Doe on Jul 23, 2010 6:59 AM EDT reply actions
The questions for Kahn are the long term deals
given to players ahead of the guy he is supposedly going to build around in Rubio. Flynn, Sessions, and now Ridnour are all now on the books for 3-4 years each. Unless he plans on playing 3 OT games on purpose, because he is now doing similar things with the shooting guards.
by Scoot21 on Jul 23, 2010 7:07 AM EDT up reply actions
Also it should be noted if the owners get the hard cap
overpaid veterans could keep you from resigning young players particularly since cap space would become infinitely more valuable and much more guarded by gms in such a scenario. Salary dumps would be much harder to get.
by Scoot21 on Jul 23, 2010 7:15 AM EDT up reply actions
But none of them are bad contracts.
Regarding the PGs, it looks like there’s a (unconfirmed) deal in place to send Sessions to Cleveland with Koufos (also unwanted) for Delonte West’s unguaranteed deal. The hold up is that they want to make sure Flynn’s hip injury will be healed by the start of the season. If that’s the case, they’re essentially paying 500k and an extra year of commitment to swap Sessions for Ridnour. Hardly a big deal. Sessions could also be flipped to Indiana for free. Hard to imagine they wouldn’t take him.
The inevitable trade will leave them with 2 point guards on the roster. No way to get fewer than that. When Rubio comes, Flynn will still be a positive value contract, and Ridnour can’t be much worse than neutral value. One will be moved with relative ease.
Every other position is largely the same situation. The Wolves have two or three guys competing for playing time, but all of their contracts are short and fair value. As it becomes apparent what they have, logical adjustments will be made. To make the Morey comparison again, the Rockets have a similar situation roster-wise, with 11-12 guys worthy of consistent playing time, most on small, reasonable deals. Morey would never be criticized for it, but Kahn is consistently.
by John Doe on Jul 24, 2010 3:47 PM EDT up reply actions
He only skimmed the surface of the Warriors
and missed a lot of key items.
Chris Cohan and Robert Rowell? Oh no hide the children!
by Nuck Chorris on Jul 23, 2010 3:09 PM EDT up reply actions
Pat Riley
Doesn’t even deserve to be in Top 15. The fucking Miami thrice, or whatever the hell their self acclaimed title is, was a product of THEM. All he did was cleared cap space so they could sign all three players- Big Fucking Deal- any asshole could have done that. Daryl Morey makes Riley look like a straight armature.
No Layups
by Ron E on Jul 23, 2010 9:31 AM EDT reply actions
You're a moron
2009 NY Phin PhansFantasy League Champion
2009 Best Regular Season Record in NYPPL.
2010 The Jim Mandich NewsFlash Award Winner.
""It only ends once. Everything that comes before is just progress"
by Patssuck456 on Jul 24, 2010 11:08 AM EDT up reply actions
Buford has four titles, KP hasn't even made a WCF..
Meanwhile the Spurs are still in contention each and every year. The Jefferson trade was so ‘horrible’ that SA is re-signing him (albeit to a restructured deal)
And what was so all-world about KP’s 2006 draft? Yes Roy is outstanding, but LaMarcus is pretty medicore. Rudy Gay, Rajon Rondo, Paul Milsap are among the players taken behind LaMarcus who are much better players (and cheaper)
You gotta give KP credit, he really did get himself on your guys’ radar. He’s able to make a top 30 GM list when he’s not even a GM. I just find it odd you’re comparing a guy who had one good draft to guys who have had sustained excellence over many years. Not just Buford, but Petrie and others.
The Leeroy Rule: being insistent >>>> being correct
by leeroyjenkins on Jul 23, 2010 9:59 AM EDT reply actions
Finally someone takes Bird to task
I get so sick of people making excuses for the Larry Bird vanity project in Indy.
This franchise should have done a bottom out rebuild in 2005. How ownership has been so blind for so long is beyond me?
" Tell me something Steve, How does a guy from Puerto Rico loose a ball in the Sun? "
by aaronb on Jul 23, 2010 10:28 AM EDT reply actions
Gotta Agree
He’s had his chance and the team has shown no signs of improving. However, I do think his hands have been tied to a large extent. Still, his decisions have done nothing to improve the team.
In fact, I think ranking him at #30 is fairly generous. I would not have ranked him in the top 35-40………….yes, I know there are only 30 teams. My comment still stands!
by Tayree on Jul 23, 2010 11:20 AM EDT up reply actions
You need to go to Indy Cornrows and read the Bird apologists
It’s unreal. This guy can literally do no wrong.
2005- The sun was in his eyes
2006- The ball was wet
2007- He wasn’t ready, start over
2008- He was having a bad year, happens to everyone
2009- He was feeling ill, and his hampster died
2010- It was all Donnie Walsh’s fault, stop picking on Larry
I swear if the guy’s name was Lawrence Dove from Minnesota, he would have been run out of town in 2006.
" Tell me something Steve, How does a guy from Puerto Rico loose a ball in the Sun? "
by aaronb on Jul 23, 2010 2:37 PM EDT up reply actions
he's not that bad
Bird has not been good, but I don’t think he should be last on the list.
by mr_jones on Jul 25, 2010 11:27 AM EDT up reply actions
I'm Astounded By These Odd Rankings
I can’t seem to use the link at the top of the page which details the other rankings of the other 29 GM’s, but I couldn’t absolutely disagree more with those of you who say Dumars lacks a direction. Dumars has been a disaster since he traded Chauncey? What?!?!? Please allow me to educate you. First off, I’m not claiming Dumars had the foresight to know that the teams who missed out on the Lebron-Wade-Bosh-Boozer-Nowitzki-Pierce-Johnson-Stoudemire-Allen bonanza would GROSSLY overspend to get average NBA players on their roster. He may have been that clever, but I wasn’t, so I can’t allow myself to concede that HE was. However, what he did was trade a player on the decline (Chauncey Billups) for essentially two players who are entering their prime. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – give me one hot playoff series from Villanueva and Gordon and everyone who called the Billups trade a farce will be back on Joe D’s nuts again saying it was a great move, which it WAS. Yes, I didn’t want to see Chauncey go. I would have rather seen ‘Sheed go. But a deal is a deal. Dumars is building an athletic, long, tall team that can run and that has multiple options on offense. He’s trying to train a majority offense-oriented team to play defense, and that’s why we were low in many defensive categories. I could go on, but I won’t bore you any longer
You can't reap the reward if you don't first take the risk.
by Retiredat23 on Jul 23, 2010 11:59 AM EDT reply actions
I'm Still Astounded By These Odd Rankings
Give it to me AGAIN! (sorry – had to) I will continue to bore you. Many fans still hate on Joe D for Darko. We ALL need to move past that. Darko was a bad pick. I would love for anyone out there to find me a lottery draft that didn’t have at least two huge busts in it. Yes, #2 shouldn’t bust, but it did. However, he turned a big mistake into a little reward – when he traded Darko or Orlando, in return we received the pick we used to draft Rodney Stuckey, our poor man’s D-Wade. With some of the horrible signings we’ve seen this summer (Amir Johnson for 35 mil? Gooden for 32? Outlaw for 35 mil??? Outlaw’s avg’s – 9 points, 4 boards) how can you possibly complain with Charlie V at 7 mil/year and BG at 11/year. Many of you would have preferred to have received Bosh or Boozer and sign them to a max contract, thereby crippling the team’s resources for a non-superstar. Would you rather have Joe Johnson at 6 yrs, 120 million?!?!?! Give this team a chance (its a playoff team without a doubt) to play with a healthy roster and you’ll see that Dumars plan is right on track. RIP and TAY become more attractive to others teams THE CLOSER WE GET TO FEBRUARY! One will likely be gone, possibly both. But Joe won’t trade them unless he gets what he wants in return. I have no problem exercising PATIENCE, which Joe is as well. Can’t anyone understand that?
You can't reap the reward if you don't first take the risk.
by Retiredat23 on Jul 23, 2010 12:00 PM EDT reply actions
Kevin O'Conner?
How in the hell is Kevin O’Conner 2nd. He has continued to field a good team that is unable to win a championship. The Jazz are like the world’s greatest tease. Just the tip…just the tip…. and she won’t even allow the tip! The tip would be a Finals appearance, which this franchise hasn’t had since Jordan ripped their hearts out 15 years ago. Continued 50 win, no championship season = OVERRATED. Not underrated – please
You can't reap the reward if you don't first take the risk.
by Retiredat23 on Jul 23, 2010 12:04 PM EDT reply actions
i agree
and the jazz are constantly on the verge of having to ship out good players because they are capped out due to garbage contracts like AK 47.
by dandresden on Jul 24, 2010 1:35 PM EDT up reply actions
Funny that you do not mention Robert Rowell in relation to Riley and the Warriors.
Rowell is the one with all the power. Riley is just a puppet that answers phones and babysits Nellie when he gets cranky with the youngsters.
Your shot at Mullin was kind of a low blow.
“Chris Mullin, put him in a very tough spot, because he overpaid for a team that made the playoffs once (2007), then dismantled that team just as they started to get good.”
Your lack of knowledge on GSW history is showing through here. Mullin had a reasonable 3 year deal in place with Baron that Rowell nixed because it was not incentive based (either way Rowell had approved then backed out at the last minute).
Also, in that same 48 win season, Rowell squashed Mullin’s intention of using the JRich trade exception (it went unused) to acquire Mike Miller in what would have all but guaranteed another playoff spot. Plus the Maggette signing was a Cohan/Rowell eff you to Donald sterling who planned on re-signing Maggette at a much lower amount and including him in a sign and trade.
You also have to realize that many of Mullin’s “mistakes” were motivated by whatever reactionary culture was being pushed by Cohan at the time. Post Spreewell signings and coach hirings were
terribly short-sighted.
Rowell is by far the worst GM in the league (who are we kidding with silly titles here?).
Chris Cohan and Robert Rowell? Oh no hide the children!
by Nuck Chorris on Jul 23, 2010 3:06 PM EDT reply actions
Plus Rowell was directly responsible for Stack Jax's 3year $28 million extension.
That turned out greeeat.
Chris Cohan and Robert Rowell? Oh no hide the children!
by Nuck Chorris on Jul 23, 2010 3:12 PM EDT up reply actions
+1
i luv it
by IndubitableBayAreaGM on Jul 23, 2010 11:52 PM EDT up reply actions
lol this article went bad fast
the heat,jazz,and rockets at top? they dont make a font big enough for me to LMFAO
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"CMON NOW I DIDN'T QUIT IN THE PLAYOFFS. I'D CALL IT MORE OF A TEMPORARY PERIOD OF LESS TRYIN, NOT QUTTIN YALL CRAZY"-LBJ6
by Czheck on Jul 23, 2010 4:05 PM EDT reply actions
Ok, so let me get this straight
your pitiful excuse of a rationale that Mitch Kupchak, (who is probably wanted in the state of Tennessee for grand theft and extortion), is that he has Kobe.
Wow…
GM are suppose to build winners. The defending champs couldn’t even get top 10 on your list? Explain to me how the Bucks and the Nets did better GM work than the Lakers…
The guy that built a super team that hasn’t won shit is named first, followed by a perennial 2nd round flameout and a lottery team last season?
Congrats on the hot wife (or whoever that chick in your pic is), but seriously, stop blogging…
Today's sports media excels at over-reaction to a single event and specializes in hyperboles. But hey, it's that or my biochem textbook...
by Mike1204 on Jul 23, 2010 4:33 PM EDT reply actions
Calm down, drink some coolaid, chillax, take a chill pill...
"Now, Maggette's one of those where when he catches, it's probably going to go up--Not to a teammate." --Jon McGlocklin, 11/14/09
by Jacob Grinyer on Jul 27, 2010 9:34 PM EDT up reply actions
Kahn is the most incompetent GM in the league, no matter what you say
You will not convince me otherwise.
I listened to him talk about Darko live with Chris Webber..the thing where he compared him to Vlade…
Kahn is f***ing retarded. literallly. I should be an NBA GM. I would do better.
by tw10 on Jul 23, 2010 4:48 PM EDT reply actions
+1
lol
by IndubitableBayAreaGM on Jul 23, 2010 11:52 PM EDT up reply actions
Insult someone's mental capacity - followed by a mispell?
As I read a reply with that tries to insult someone’s mental capacity. (which is wrong on so many levels), I can only sigh and reply that the very next word is not spelled correctly. As for Kahn, he has indeed built a better Wolves roster. Year to year improvement has already started.
by WeDraftedPooh on Jul 24, 2010 8:00 AM EDT up reply actions
Sorry I'm not a Rhodes scholar...
but Kahn has NOT built a better roster…he traded away their best asset for NOTHING…
They have way too many point guards…period. Please explain why they should have 4 starting caliber guys…Flynn, Sessions, Rubio(presumably going to be a starter), and Ridnour. WHY!
Then they have WAY too many wing players…Wes Johnson, Corey Brewer, Martell Webster, Damien Wilkins, Lazar Hayward, Wayne Ellington, Pavlovic
Worst of all Kahn thinks Darko will is a “mana from heaven” cmon…seriously? Their centers are Darko, Ryan Hollins, and Olesky Pecherov.
The only position they are solid at is PF with Love and Beasley…and how are they hoping to develop both of those guys?
Kahn is an idiot. Players need PT to develop. They have too many young guys and zero veteran leadership.
by tw10 on Jul 24, 2010 11:42 PM EDT up reply actions
Jefferson was one dimensional. Rambis saw it, I see it, and you will forget him
and his undeserved bloated contract, guaranteed.
"Chaotic action is preferable to orderly inaction."
Will Rogers
by WillistonCoyote on Jul 25, 2010 4:59 PM EDT up reply actions
Yup. I like what he's put together.
"Chaotic action is preferable to orderly inaction."
Will Rogers
by WillistonCoyote on Jul 25, 2010 4:57 PM EDT up reply actions
How did Sacto rank so high?
They had some really strong years after 99/00, but have fallen short again lately while the Mavericks and Lakers have been consistently strong.
This tells me the Sacto GM was more lucky than anything else for a while. When you are that bad you are bound to get a few good players with solid draft placement, and hell, someone had to benefit from the whole Chris Webber fiasco in Warriors-land.
Sacto cannot place that high unless they break into the playoffs again this year.
BTW, your take on Riley and Mullen is B.S. This is obviously way too many teams for you to try to handle in one article.
by warriorsvictim on Jul 23, 2010 5:12 PM EDT reply actions
my bad on webber, forgot he went to washington first
Petrie is still ranked several spots too high though
by warriorsvictim on Jul 23, 2010 5:14 PM EDT up reply actions
Kahn isn't last?
"Dodger fans aren’t happy when foul balls get into their section, because it interferes with their playing with the beachball"- Mike Krukow
by 49er16 on Jul 23, 2010 5:22 PM EDT reply actions
KAAAAAHHNNNN!!!!
"......but Curry had a better TS%"
by kwill on Jul 25, 2010 6:15 AM EDT up reply actions
One healthy season
from Greg Oden and he will put all this nonsense that durant should have been picked #1 to bed. Oden dominated the games vs Durant, and EVERY other GM would have taken Oden over McGrady, i mean Durant. I specifically remember Danny Ainge being a whiny little wuss when boston lost the lottery…
by retirecards51 on Jul 23, 2010 6:45 PM EDT reply actions
Agreed
People are sleeping on Oden. If I had to redraft the 2008 Draft, I’d still take him second, for at least the partial chance that he’s as dominating or better than he was last year pre-injury. And it’s indeed still possible that he turns out to be as much of an impact player as Durant.
by John Doe on Jul 24, 2010 3:57 PM EDT up reply actions
But very, very, very unlikely.
The half-crazed ramblings of a Lakers fanatic living in Japan...
by With Malice on Jul 25, 2010 5:26 AM EDT up reply actions
Pat Riley didn't organize and plan that for years...
The credit belongs to Wade only.
"We're not talking about me and Darko in the same sentence." - Chris Webber vs KAHN!
by caseycheesecake on Jul 23, 2010 6:47 PM EDT reply actions
Building a team around a player that
might never be on your team and who is unproven in the NBA is worse than having no plan and just making random moves.
The Warriors GM Larry Riley should rank higher than Kahn at least. There is no evidence to suggest that he made the decisions at the end of Mullins tenure as GM. Also he clearly does have a plan, he has accumulated contracts that will run out soon giving flexibility to the New Owners. He got David Lee and paid him less than Joe Johnson, the Warriors did give up a lot but what they got back should result in more wins.
Curry was drafted and at the time between Hill and Curry it was a toss up. Many GMs would have gone with Jordan Hill instead of Curry.
Overall Larry Riley has only been the GM for a short time, I understand he hasn’t proven himself and should not be ranked highly, but he should be above Kahn.
Also Prichard was a great GM for Portland, Oden may still be a very good Center in the league. Having a really good center is the most rare and valuable commodity in the NBA. Durant is a fantastic player but Prichard had no idea that Oden would have these injury problems. You cannot criticize Prichard for making a decision every other GM would have made.
I also agree that Dwayne Wade should be in Pat Riley’s place he is the one who got LeBron to come to Miami and therefore at the moment Dwayne Wade is the leagues top GM.
by brutusbrutus on Jul 23, 2010 6:49 PM EDT reply actions
no idea?
Oden had injury issues in college
by tw10 on Jul 24, 2010 11:43 PM EDT up reply actions
Kupchak @ 13 huh?
So you have the guy who rebuilt the Lakers in a matter of 3 years into a dynasty owning the last 2 championships at 13?
Fail Supreme
You all occupy a world dominated by Kobe Bryant, consider yourself fortunate.
by S Jay Bruin on Jul 23, 2010 6:54 PM EDT reply actions
list is garbage
just another shot at the Celtics.
Larry Bird last and Pat Riley first.
We’re not stupid.
Prada shouldn’t be able to write anything.
He hates the Celtics he has no business writing anything.
Dude is a fraud.
by star18 on Jul 23, 2010 10:13 PM EDT reply actions
This list
was made for no other reason than to take a shot at the Celtics.
The information on the GM’s is good, but the rankings was only done to insult the Celtics.
Look at the Top 6 GM’s
1 Finals appearence in 41 total years.
2006 with the Heat, that’s it.
List is garbage, was made for one reason only to try and discredit the Boston Celtics.
Jouranlists are liars.
by star18 on Jul 23, 2010 10:19 PM EDT reply actions
You know you fucked up somewhere when Laker fans AND Celtics fan think your stuff is shit...
Today's sports media excels at over-reaction to a single event and specializes in hyperboles. But hey, it's that or my biochem textbook...
by Mike1204 on Jul 25, 2010 7:59 PM EDT up reply actions
Actually thats usually a sign when you did something right.
Aim for the head baby Jesus
by Doncosmic on Jul 25, 2010 9:07 PM EDT up reply actions
Nonsense
“There’s also the Pau Gasol trade, which was certainly a bit lucky, but also a hell of a coup.”
What the hell does this means. This trade is not lucky. This trade is a thoroughly calculated process that mutually benefits both the Grizzlies (got cap space and Marc Gasol) and the Lakers (2 straight years of freaking championship, 1 lost playoff series in the past 3 years). This trade is the bomb and show that Mitch Kupchak deserves more than the 13th spot
by Jose Lopez's swing on Jul 24, 2010 1:06 AM EDT reply actions
you just used the phrase
’the bomb"
by tw10 on Jul 24, 2010 11:45 PM EDT up reply actions
Yup.
"Chaotic action is preferable to orderly inaction."
Will Rogers
by WillistonCoyote on Jul 25, 2010 5:01 PM EDT up reply actions
a lot of misrankings, imo
Larry Bird last? Last time I checked, his team has not bottomed out any year. Yeah, they haven’t been serious contenders for four or five years, but they do pretty well for a mid-size market team. They’re never a push over. And how is Mitch Kupchak so low? You blame him (as you blame Presti for having Durant) for having Kobe, as if he asked for that chip. Yeah he’s lucky on that point, as Presti is, but last time I checked, luck matters a great deal in life. If someone is the beneficiary of good fortune, that matter should be immaterial when evaluating their stewardship of the team they’re shepherding. Mitch Kupchak resisted talk radio’s desire to trade Andrew Bynum in the summer of ‘08. He stuck with Andrew and Andrew has paid major dividends which will only get higher as he matures as a basketball player. Same goes for Lamar Odom. If there’s a more underappreciated player in the game, I don’t know who it is. Yet Kupchak has resisted the nonsensical screams from talk radio and know-nothing blogs to deal Lamar and he also has proven himself an indispensable part of the Lakers’ back to back run.
I don’t know how Donnie Nelson is so high. That guy can’t keep a coach who does a good job, in Avery Johnson, and he seems to be throwing trades against a wall and seeing what sticks.
Bryan Colangelo so low? Yeah, he hasn’t excelled, and he’s seemed a bit in over his head the last couple of years, but they’ve made the most of their financial resources pretty well too.
Ernie Grunfeld at 18? Really? The guy is throwing things at a wall to see what sticks. It’s a complete dice game with him. You see a coherent plan, I really don’t. And he’s six spots ahead of Joe Dumars? Are you kidding me? He was perhaps the best GM in the game for a few years, until 2007. Maybe he’s not quite as good now, but the guy is a legend. He’s made some great decisions and simply based on the last couple of years, you’ve penalized him highly.
In a similar vein, your awarding of the top spot to Pat Riley is seriously myopic. Yeah, he just signed some pretty big names. But look at how many dopey moves he’s made. Your list is too much What Have You Done For Me Lately? and not enough considering the fullness of GMs’ accomplishments over their entire careers.
by Tee Cee on Jul 24, 2010 2:35 AM EDT reply actions
Larry Bird SHOULD have bottomed out the roster
Why should he get any credit for standing pat with a garbage roster for 5 years now?
The NBA isn’t designed to shoot for .500 if everything breaks right. If you aren’t a contender, you need to deal your vets for future picks and young assets. Not sit back and draft role players to plug in for 15 minutes a night in the late lotto.
Ray Charles had better vision than Larry Bird has shown as a franchise builder.
" Tell me something Steve, How does a guy from Puerto Rico loose a ball in the Sun? "
by aaronb on Jul 25, 2010 10:22 PM EDT up reply actions
to aaronb
You smoke crack for a living.
by star18 on Jul 27, 2010 5:52 AM EDT up reply actions
I am astounded.
Kupchak and Ainge, the two orchestrators of the greatest swindles in league history, and the combined winners of the past 3 championships (and 5 of 6 spots in those 3 finals) fall at 13, and 8?
Meanwhile, Pritchard, Warkentien, Preseti, Morey, and O’Connor have combined for a grand combination of jack shit and a pile of chips. Sure, they all have made smart moves. They make intelligent picks and utilize money well for the most part. But what on EARTH?
The point of being a GM is to put your team in place to win a championship. Let’s go down your top 10 and see who qualifies.
1. Pat Riley – He deserves to be in the top 10, but 1? He’s been the GM for 15 years, and won a single championship. That is commendable, he did win. But he also had 07-08. You know, the time his team won a total of 15 games? Besides his championship, the Heat have had a reasonable chance of the Finals/winning a ‘ship once in the past 10 years, 04-05. That doesn’t cut it for the “best GM in basketball” status.
PS – Come on, you cannot put him at 1 because Wade convinced LeBron to come over. They haven’t even played a single game together yet!
2. O’Connor – The Jazz have been solid. Sure. They don’t spend too much, great. None of this changes the fact that they haven’t made the Finals since 97-98 and made the semis in 06/07. They’ve been a team that has been basically the same the past few years – good, very good even, but not great. That’s commendable in a GM, but not #2.
3. Morey – Wooo he’s a stat genius. Yay he bilks teams with smart trades. Doesn’t change the fact that A) he inherited Yao (a fact you seem to hold against other GMs in this list) and B) ummmm he hasn’t won ANYTHING. They’ve won games, made the playoffs, left early, and been optimistic for next year. I consider him a top-rate GM, but not #3.
4. Presti – I’m okay-ish with him being here. His team is new, he’s building a strong team with a great plan, and is primed to compete for the future. 4 or 5 is okay. How do you have Morey ahead (inheriting Yao) and knock him for inheriting Durant? Ummm come again? He still made the decision to draft Westbrook, which is looking more and more one of the best draft decisions of the past 3 years.
5. Warkentien – WHAT? How is he anything more than slightly above average? He put together a solid team, but again inherited a star (Carmelo) and has not managed to parlay that into even a Finals appearance. The team is in limbo – good enough to make it past the first round, but not good enough to make the Finals. He’s got a pissed off star waiting to bolt and no way to rectify this mess. Great, he got rid of AI. He still traded for him in the first place. This is the least defended and most inexplicable placement right here. Wark is maybe what, 10? 15? Certainly not one of the 5 best GMs in the game.
6. Pritchard – Let’s run with some of your myriad detractions from good GMs that you fail to apply here. Lucked into picks (2 2006 top 6 picks)? Check. Owner willing to spend boatloads of money? Check.
He picked Oden, but has built a solid playoff team through smart drafting and some good FA signs. Your ranking isn’t that far off what I’d put, but since you flubbed the top 5 I have problems.
7. Buford – Here we have our first mistake. The Spurs have been a 50-win team his entire tenure! Yes, he has Duncan. Doesn’t mean shit. He kept him, didn’t he? He built around him. He consistently made smart decision, and built a lasting team. Most importantly, <HE WON THREE CHAMPIONSHIPS. The RJ signing was a mistake, sure. So that drops him to what, the 3rd best GM?
8. Ainge – Ainge has had bad years. The Celtics were terrible for a while. But you know, I don’t really care. He rebuilt. Made the best draft pick of the past 5 years in Rondo at #21. Swing the two outrageous trades that netted the Big 3. Put the Celtics onto the short list of legitimate championship contenders for the past 3 years, and won a title. There’s no way he’s not top 5. Even if we’re putting a heavy emphasis on the future (which you seem to be doing), team is a true contender this year (one of what, 5? 6 teams?) and has Rondo and Perkins to build around.
9. Petrie – This again is a spot that isn’t too bad as a raw number, but weird in context of who he’s above. Yes, they’re in a good spot for the future with Evans and Cousins. They had past success as contenders in the early part of last decade and would have won a title or two if not for the Lakers. That’s fine. But they were terrible, awful, tragic for the past 4 seasons.
10. Nelson – You know what? He should be higher. He’s held on to Dirk, made reasonably sound decisions, worked in conjunction with Cuban, and fielded teams that were championship contenders (or in the case of 06, should have won the ‘ship) and consistently made the playoffs/won 50+. That’s higher than #10 in my book.
Obviously my main beef is having Kupchak at 13. No justification here makes sense.
Umm great, doesn’t change the fact his team just won back-to-back titles (one of the most difficult tasks in sports).
He also managed to keep Kobe, which is a feat of itself.again, kept/brought him back
This is the most dismissive praise I’ve ever read.
So let’s recap. He didn’t kowtow to an ego-maniacal star who would’ve sunk the team in the future (Shaq), successfully kept the game’s best player for arguably the past 5/6 seasons (and at least 3 of them) despite a rebuilding process, signed the best coach the game has ever seen back from retirement, brought in Pau Gasol for parts the Lakers had no use for (and he just so happens to be one of the keys for this next bit), and, oh, won the past two titles and was runner-up the year before. Add on to that the fact that the Lakers are in position to be the first team in 23 years to make 4 straight Finals and the favorite to three-peat (a task almost impossible in the modern era) and you get the 13th best GM?
Dumars should be higher (he won a ‘ship, gotta get some love), Thorn/Walsh/Wallace should be lower, and I’ve spent too much time on this.
What you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.
by remingtonmartin on Jul 24, 2010 6:12 AM EDT reply actions
Riley had been planning on thus coup for two years and he suceeded
Nt only at getting The Big 3but also to get a solid core around them.
2009 NY Phin PhansFantasy League Champion
2009 Best Regular Season Record in NYPPL.
2010 The Jim Mandich NewsFlash Award Winner.
""It only ends once. Everything that comes before is just progress"
by Patssuck456 on Jul 24, 2010 11:09 AM EDT reply actions
John Hammond should be a bit higher
and I don’t agree with your comments on his moves this offseason- I don’t think he’s changed philosophies at all. Yes, Maggette has an expensive contract. But it was Golden State that took on salary in that trade, not the Bucks. And besides, gadzuric and bell were expensive and had ZERO worth on the bucks roster. Maggette fills a need that neither of those two could- scoring. Makes perfect sense to me.
Also, i’m surprised you give so much credit to Dumars for the no-star
pistons teams. Who was there when that plan was working? Hammond. When did detroit go downhill? When Hammond left. hmmmmmmmmmmmm.
by elvisizer on Jul 24, 2010 2:20 PM EDT reply actions
I have so many problems with this Mike.
But I’ll let things be. It’s too late to throw my issue’s with it into the fray.
EvilCowtownInc: Screwin Suckaz over since 1985...... On Twitter
No mistakes in the tango, Donna. Not like life. Simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get all tangled up, you just tango on.....
by pookeyguru on Jul 25, 2010 9:17 PM EDT reply actions
No mention of two pretty significant trades Kupchak made
I don’t know that I care specifically where Kupchak was ranked, the writer didn’t even mention two pretty significant trades that Kupchak made. In salary dumping moves he:
Traded Brian Cook and Maurice Evans for Trevor Ariza
Traded Vladimir Radmanovic for Shannon Brown and Adam Morrison.
Ariza was pretty huge in 2009, and Brown made contributions this year, and that the trades were meant to cut costs was even better.
Plus, he seems to have done well in the 2010 draft with Devin Ebanks and Derek Caracter, both in the second round.
by bournsa125 on Jul 26, 2010 6:22 PM EDT reply actions
one more thing...
Signing Artest was not “a bit underwhelming”… it was actually kind of huge. It was a risk, but it paid off, especially when he came up huge in game 7, both offensively and defensively.
And not only should he get credit for trading for Gasol, he should get credit for signing him to an extension before he got to the open market. Meanwhile, players like Joe Johnson are getting max money.
by bournsa125 on Jul 26, 2010 6:26 PM EDT up reply actions
Kevin O'Conner has allways been underrated
Kevin O’Conner has fantastic eye for underrated talent. He’s one of the reasons the Jazz consistently make the playoffs.
Check out my post “Has Vegas Already Crowned Miami’s Three Kings the 2011 Champions?” on The Peachtree Times: http://peachtreetimes.blogspot.com/search/label/Sports
by M Haroldson on Jul 27, 2010 5:37 PM EDT reply actions
Lol @ the people going crazy because their team wasn't ranked higher
"Now, Maggette's one of those where when he catches, it's probably going to go up--Not to a teammate." --Jon McGlocklin, 11/14/09
by Jacob Grinyer on Jul 27, 2010 9:38 PM EDT reply actions
Presti is number 1
You noted his fleecing of the competition which is true but it takes more than “Lucking” into Durant. The Cavs “lucked” into Lebron, but Danny Ferry was constantly changing parts trying to find suitable teammates (he never did). The second reason you provided for pushing him down from the top spot is that Presti holds on to his long-term cap space and missed out this year signing a free agent before their young guys get extensions.
You would be absolutely right if you were referring to the New York Knicks but the Thunder is not a luxury tax team, never should be. If they signed a Carlos Boozer or traded for Al Jefferson that is money that could prevent them from resigning a James Harden, Russell Westbrook, or two or three of their reserves that might develop over the next few years. The Thunder drafted a core group of guys with the intentions of allowing them to grow together. Presti hit on his draft picks because he has a blueprint in mind for the team and the type of player he wants at each position <passing on Evans for Harden is an example, “reaching” for Westbrook at 4>. It is yet to be seen how much Russell Westbrook is worth but it can be argued that he already as good if not better than Rando who got 5 years $55 million. Signing a big free agent would have practically shut the door on that possibility.
by dscot399 on Jul 31, 2010 4:23 AM EDT reply actions
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