|
islesfan
Posts: 9999
Alba Posts: 37
Joined: 7/19/2004
Member: #712
|
by Chris Mannix
CNNSI.com
With but 15 players per roster and five to a lineup, the role of an NBA personnel boss is of paramount importance -- especially when compared to counterparts in the world of major league baseball (which has no salary cap) and the NFL (where a hard salary cap and a host of nonguaranteed contracts allow teams to rebuild on the fly). The NBA is a special breed, as even a three-year run from a GM can make or break a franchise for a decade.
With that fact established, we decided to rank the league's personnel bosses from 1-30, starting from the most promising to the most enervating.
Executive Rankings
1 R.C. Buford, San Antonio Spurs
Pluses: On the surface, Buford's accomplishments appear to be mitigated by the presence of David Robinson (drafted in 1987) and Tim Duncan ('97), and the stern influence of Gregg Popovich calling the shots from the bench while wielding a heavy hand in the front office. Even while taking all of this into account, it has become clear that Buford has had the strongest influence in creating the NBA's model franchise. From scouring the lower reaches of the draft for talent (Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker) to keeping his superstars surrounded with well-meaning vets who have something left to prove, Buford has earned his place atop this list.
Minuses: Buford traded 2007 Sixth Man Award winner Leandro Barbosa to the Suns in June '03, but one of the draft picks he received from Phoenix later helped the Spurs acquire a pivot man (Nazr Mohammed) who contributed to the franchise's '05 title. Other than that, the only players who haven't worked out within San Antonio's system were cheap veterans on their last legs, such as Ron Mercer, Nick Van Exel and Steve Smith.
Bottom line: With only Duncan, Parker and Ginobili under contract entering 2008-09, the Spurs could have enough money to sign another star to a max deal or, more likely, flesh out the roster with solidly compensated and easily movable contributors.
2 Donnie Nelson, Dallas Mavericks
Pluses: Whether working side-by-side with his father -- former Mavericks coach Don Nelson -- or setting up the defensive-minded, new-age Mavs for Avery Johnson, the younger Nellie has refused to let conventional wisdom taint his personnel decisions. And we're not talking about his decision to scour the international ranks for players like 2007 MVP Dirk Nowitzki. Donnie has also made hay with players who were initially regarded as little more than strong scorers for lousy teams: Jason Terry, Jerry Stackhouse and Nick Van Exel. Nelson also garners our respect for working under mercurial owner Mark Cuban, who, despite his willingness to spend money (though the Mavs have been trying to avoid the luxury tax since '05), gives the impression of a being superfan who either wants to extend the contracts of everyone after a win or blow up everything after a loss.
Minuses: Letting Steve Nash walk as a free agent, essentially replacing his cap hold with Erick Dampier while trading for rookie Devin Harris in 2004. And yet, anyone who watched Nash struggle against Mike Bibby and the weak-defending Kings in the opening round of the '04 playoffs would also blanch at the idea of handing the then 30-year-old Nash a six-year, $63 million deal. The Mavs have won an average of 62 games in each of the three seasons since his defection.
Bottom line: A minor tweak or three should have the Mavs right back in the finals. And who better to make those changes than Nelson, who appears to boast the perfect mix of adaptive qualities and fearlessness.
3 Joe Dumars, Detroit Pistons
Pluses: Dumars realized early that cap flexibility can sustain a team's chances of remaining a powerhouse and allow a decision-maker to take advantage of teams looking to clear onerous contracts. His series of gutsy decisions from the summer of 2002 to February '04 gave Detroit its third NBA championship: He threw the full mid-level exception at journeyman Chauncey Billups, took Tayshaun Prince with the 23rd pick of the '02 draft, dumped '02 Coach of the Year Rick Carlisle for Larry Brown in '03 and rolled the dice with a midseason trade for Rasheed Wallace, who was the missing piece of the '04 championship team.
Minuses: Cap flexibility and unwillingness to take on bad contracts cost the Pistons the services of Mehmet Okur in 2004 and Ben Wallace in '06. Though it makes sound fiscal sense, Dumars sometimes acts as though he's working with an NFL-like hard cap -- witness his recent trade of the inconsistent Carlos Delfino to the Raptors for two second-round picks. The trade was made to clear up cash to re-sign Billups even though the Pistons can far exceed the salary cap to retain the point guard. Dumars also deserves heat for not only passing on a series of future All-Stars in order to draft Darko Milicic, but also for compounding his mistake by dealing the big man to Orlando to clear money he thought needed to keep Ben Wallace, who ended up signing a free-agent deal with Chicago.
Bottom line: Dumars' Pistons have been the class of the East for years, but he's also developed a roster that is long on arrogance and short on sealing the deal in the playoffs since the 2004 championship. Outside of Antonio McDyess, recent attempts at adding new blood (Milicic, Delfino, coach Flip Saunders) have been met with locker-room derision. This sated group desperately needs a jump-start. Dumars may have his toughest challenges ahead of him.
4 Bryan Colangelo, Toronto Raptors
Pluses: The two-time Executive of the Year understands that aesthetically pleasing basketball can also be winning basketball. He doesn't mind letting his coaches determine what sort of team will grow from the talent assembled. With Danny Ainge (easy practices, small lineups), Scott Skiles (strong defense, up-tempo offense), Frank Johnson (screen-and-roll orthodoxy), Mike D'Antoni (all-out offensive blitzkrieg) and Sam Mitchell (modified up-tempo attack with a spread floor and ball movement), Colangelo has allowed his coaches to work without a hint of meddling from the front office.
Minuses: Traded Jason Kidd for Stephon Marbury in 2001, which might bar Colangelo from making the Hall of Fame even if his Raptors win 16 championships in a row starting in '08.
Bottom line: For those general NBA fans who had to watch the primes of Kevin Garnett, Allen Iverson, Kobe Bryant and Paul Pierce frittered away by the shortsighted personnel decisions of their respective GMs, having Chris Bosh's future in Colangelo's hands has to feel good.
5 John Paxson, Chicago Bulls
Pluses: Paxson has shown unyielding patience while creating a young, dynamic and sometimes-explosive roster filled almost entirely with players who have gone deep into the NCAA tournament, NBA playoffs or international play. As a result, the Bulls consistently field one of the youngest rotations in basketball, and they've still been in the playoffs three years running. Because of Paxson's ability to spend wisely, draft carefully and not cash his chips in early, the Bulls have long been a preferred trade target for teams looking to unload unhappy superstars -- though Paxson's greatest scores have come from taking advantage of Knick president Isiah Thomas' lust for players who can fill up highlight reels but have issues when it comes to making an efficient dent in the box score (Eddy Curry and Jamal Crawford).
Minuses: Paxson's perceived faults depend entirely on how you view pro basketball. On the surface, Chicago is desperate for a low-post threat. Paxson actually traded away one of the NBA's finest young low-post threats in Curry in October 2005, but Curry wouldn't have played another game for the Bulls because he refused to take a DNA test for a heart problem. His issues with defense, rebounding and turnovers were also wearing thin. Paxson also traded away Tyson Chandler after acquiring Ben Wallace last summer. While Chandler had a better per-minute statistical year in '06-07, Wallace's ability to stay on the floor without fouling and help limit Chicago's turnovers was a strong improvement over Chandler's play. Paxson also turned down a reported deal in February that would have sent Ben Gordon, Luol Deng, and P.J. Brown to Memphis for Pau Gasol, but trading three starters for one is never a smart move.
Bottom line: Paxson has created a team reminiscent of the Cleveland Cavaliers from 15-20 years ago -- a club full of well-meaning and talented players who might be missing the superstar needed to lead them to the next level. Those Cavs cashed in some assets for Danny Ferry, fresh out of Duke. Here's hoping Paxson, should he decide to gamble a bit, finds a better return.
6 Geoff Petrie, Sacramento Kings
Pluses: Unafraid to make what appear to be risky deals for certain talent, Petrie doesn't think twice before taking advantage of a lopsided offer. Two big ones -- acquiring Chris Webber for fading vets Mitch Richmond and Otis Thorpe, and getting Mike Bibby for Jason Williams -- turned the Kings into one of the NBA's better teams for the first part of the decade. But big deals alone didn't turn around Sacramento's fortunes. Petrie also persuaded Vlade Divac to come to a 27-win team in 1999, waited patiently as Peja Stojakovic (drafted in '96) developed overseas (he debuted in '99) and consistently rotated a sound cast of seventh and eighth men in and out of Sacramento since '99.
Minuses: Petrie hasn't had luck with coaches. In 1997, he gave Eddie Jordan the reins a little too soon, before Jordan became a Princeton offense devotee. Rick Adelman was an improvement who led the Kings deep into the playoffs soon after, but his shortened rotations never seemed to mesh with Petrie's personnel moves. Worse, the Maloof brothers jumped in last summer and hired Eric Musselman, who was fired after one season.
Bottom line: Petrie knows how to put together a winner, and even last season's 33-win team appeared to have playoff-worthy talent. But without a Finals appearance from the Webber-led squad, Petrie's legacy now depends on his most recent coaching hire (the energetic Reggie Theus) and his own work with a team that needs retooling.
7 Pat Riley, Miami Heat
Pluses: The ultimate "win-now" guy, Riley parlayed a bit of luck (a Lakers team desperate to unload Shaquille O'Neal) into his sixth ring as a coach two season ago. Before that, he took advantage of teams with unhappy superstars who were looking for a change of scenery (Alonzo Mourning in Charlotte and Tim Hardaway in Golden State) to smartly build a contender in the late 1990s.
Minuses: Riley knows his big names, even picking them up long past their primes (Kendall Gill, Rod Strickland, Christian Laettner, LaPhonso Ellis, Anthony Mason, Cedric Ceballos, the list goes on), but he also lets players get away. Chris Gatling, Ricky Davis, Kurt Thomas and Jamal Mashburn all had the best years of their careers after Riley let them go. Even worse, as a coach in charge of the organization (Randy Pfund is GM in name only), Riley lives off the quick fix. That put Miami in the lottery in 2002 and '03 and left it with some of the NBA's worst rotation players last season.
Bottom line: The Heat will be approaching luxury-tax territory even with just seven players under contract for next season. Miami will pay O'Neal and Antoine Walker close to $30 million a year combined over the next two seasons, and doesn't appear to have the tradable assets needed to build a contender around Dwyane Wade. Will Riley stick through the lean years long enough to rebuild?
8 Rod Thorn, New Jersey Nets
Pluses: Thanks in large part to Thorn's acquisition of Jason Kidd for an unhappy Stephon Marbury, the Nets made the NBA Finals in 2002, his second season in charge. He smartly passed on paying Kenyon Martin a maximum contract in '04 -- an unpopular move at the time -- and moved him to Denver for draft picks that would help bring Vince Carter to New Jersey in late '04. Entering the '02 draft, Thorn knew he'd have to wait for skilled 7-footer Nenad Krstic, but chose him anyway and the wait paid off (the center debuted auspiciously in '04).
Minuses: With Kidd rumored to be considering San Antonio's contract offer in 2003, Thorn let the point guard make some ill-considered personnel suggestions, which included bringing an uninsured Alonzo Mourning into the fold. Mourning played 30 games with the Nets over two seasons before serving as the linchpin of the deal that brought in Carter. Thorn has been unable to build any semblance of a bench since '00, swinging and missing with both lower-rung draft picks and minimum-salary vets. The lone exception was Mikki Moore in '06-07.
Bottom line: With Carter eligible for free agency, the Nets are at a crossroads. Thorn can keep him and maintain the status quo, but that may only ensure 45 victories in an ever-improving East. As with the Kidd and Carter trades, he may have to get lucky again to improve things, perhaps by turning Richard Jefferson (a nice but limited and oft-injured swingman) into Zach Randolph this summer.
9 Kevin Pritchard, Portland Trail Blazers
Pluses: Pritchard understands that young, malleable talent is at a premium, and he isn't afraid to deal for it. He also understands that with every domestic or international prospect being scouted to the hilt, a GM cannot be close-minded or intractable, and that conventional scouting wisdom isn't nearly enough to pinpoint the best personnel. Pritchard doesn't appear to be the type to leave any stone unturned.
Minuses: We're still trying to figure out just how large a role he had in Portland's post-Bob Whitsitt mistakes: handing big contracts to Darius Miles, Theo Ratliff and Zach Randolph; trading down to draft Martell Webster over Chris Paul; and taking Sebastian Telfair way too high in 2004. Most signs point to Pritchard being a less-than-willing partner in former boss Steve Patterson's machinations.
Bottom line: This isn't a case of the New Guy looking swell just for emerging from the shadow of his predecessor's mistakes. Pritchard knows what he's doing.
10 Kevin O'Connor, Utah Jazz
Pluses: O'Connor had to preside over the uneasy task of watching the Stockton/Malone Jazz fade into mediocrity while trying to appease his legendary coach and keep an eye on the future. Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur, two 2004 pickups, appear to have the frontcourt settled for the next decade. When injuries derailed the promising '04-05 season, O'Connor made up for it by trading up to secure point guard Deron Williams in the draft. He also nabbed Paul Millsap with the 47th pick in last year's draft.
Minuses: The impressive turn ends with Millsap. O'Connor has yet to reel in a significant contributor while drafting in the mid-to-late first round. DeShawn Stevenson had some promise, but it was realized away from Utah. Then came Raul Lopez, Curtis Borchardt, Kirk Snyder and Kris Humphries, who was traded for another nonfactor in Rafael Araujo.
Bottom line: This young group should easily vault past 50 wins for the next few years. O'Connor's biggest challenge is to fill the shooting guard slot while possibly finding a taker for Andrei Kirilenko, who doesn't appear comfortable playing small forward alongside Boozer.
11 Ernie Grunfeld, Washington Wizards
Pluses: Grunfeld smartly realized that Gilbert Arenas was more than a good player putting up great stats on a mediocre Warriors team in 2003. He took into account Arenas' age (21) and ability and used nearly all of his cap space to sign the loquacious guard to a contract that the Warriors couldn't match. He also made deals for Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler, who both made the All-Star team with Washington. In previous stops, he drafted Michael Redd in the second round in Milwaukee and laid the groundwork for a Knicks renaissance (based around athletic players like Marcus Camby and Latrell Sprewell) after years of resisting even the hint of rebuilding in New York.
Minuses: Doesn't appear to covet the kind of players who would shine in coach Eddie Jordan's Princeton-like offense. Save for Darius Songaila, Grunfeld hasn't gone after the sort of high-post passer who could create spacing or locate cutters.
Bottom line: Grunfeld has built solid teams in New York, Milwaukee and Washington, but can he put one over the top?
12 Mark Warkentien, Denver Nuggets
Pluses: When Kiki Vandeweghe's contract wasn't renewed last summer, the Nuggets made Warkentien their guy, though he has help from coach George Karl and VP Rex Chapman in the decision-making process. His biggest moves have been to re-sign big man Nene and pull the trigger on the Allen Iverson deal.
Minuses: Initially, the Nene deal was thought to be a bust, but observers need to take a second look. Coming off knee surgery, the 24-year-old averaged 12 points and seven boards in just 27 minutes per game last season. Even at eight figures per year, Nene's deal is one that more than half the league would gladly take off Denver's hands. Picking up the troubled J.R. Smith seems like a minus as well, but it cost Denver only two second-round picks and Howard Eisley.
Bottom line: Warkentien and his helpers appear to have put together a team that, with a few things going its way, could become a Finals contender.
13 Sam Presti, Seattle SuperSonics
Pluses: When newly anointed Pistons coach Rick Carlisle begged the Spurs to allow him to take Presti, then toiling in the lower reaches of the San Antonio organization, to Detroit in 2001, the Spurs started to look at the 24-year-old in a new light. When Tony Parker, a 19-year-old French point guard whom Presti had endlessly talked up, took over the starting reins during the first month of his rookie year, it became obvious that the Emerson College product was on to something. Six years later, one of the league's most promising executives has just taken control of his own team.
Minuses: Presti enters a very delicate situation, having to deal with the PR complications of a team trying to either secure public money for a profitable arena or grease the wheels for a move to a new city.
Bottom line: Don't expect many wholesale changes in Presti's first offseason: Should Rashard Lewis leave as a free agent, the SuperSonics will still be only a few million under the salary cap once they sign the second pick in the draft. Still, you get the feeling Presti isn't married to the roster he inherited and won't be shy about making moves.
14 Jeff Bower, New Orleans Hornets
Pluses: Bower deserves credit for getting owner George Shinn to open up his wallet. Though Shinn has always been receptive to extending the contracts of his own players, he hadn't actively gone after other teams' free agents until last summer. Bower worked a sign-and-trade with Indiana to bring in Peja Stojakovic and added backcourt depth by signing Bobby Jackson and Jannero Pargo. Shinn also signed off on a deal that let Bower turn P.J. Brown's expiring contract into 23-year-old center Tyson Chandler, who responded with a career year.
Minuses: While center Hilton Armstrong (12th pick in 2006 draft) seems like a keeper, Bower may have drafted for need in picking forward Cedric Simmons at No. 15 last year. Though Stojakovic brought an All-Star name and a desperately needed scoring threat, he also missed 69 games with injury and has played more than 75 games just once in his career. With four years and nearly $52 million left on his deal, the 30-year-old already appears to be a cap millstone.
Bottom line: Devastated by injuries the last few seasons, the Hornets can only get better. And they have the luxury of building around one of the NBA's best point guards in Chris Paul.
15 Larry Harris, Milwaukee Bucks
Pluses: Took the reins in 2003 and immediately set out to create a younger, more up-tempo team that surprised and made the playoffs a year later. Cleared cap room, picked up Zaza Pachulia for a second-round pick and kept young talent like Michael Redd and Dan Gadzuric in the fold.
Minuses: Dumped coach Terry Porter after his second season -- Harris may have underestimated a team that won 41 games in 2003-04 and overestimated a team that won 30 games the following season without T.J. Ford. Took Andrew Bogut with the top pick in '05. Bogut is already a fine pivot man, but he'd probably be ranked no better than fourth on the prospect list (behind Chris Paul, Deron Williams and David Lee) should the re-draft happen two years later. Let Pachulia get away the same summer and overpaid for '05 Most Improved Player Bobby Simmons. Before '05-06, he traded for Jamaal Magloire, who promptly took minutes away from Bogut and took shots away from those who were better at making them. Let Terry Stotts run the show in '05-06 and for most of '06-07, halting his team's growth and ensuring the Bucks would remain one of the NBA's worst defensive teams. Jury is still out on the Ford-for-Charlie Villanueva deal.
Bottom line: Harris set his team back by employing Stotts for nearly two seasons. A speedy return to the playoffs will depend in part on Harris' ability to re-sign or replace free-agent point guard Maurice Williams.
16 Daryl Morey, Houston Rockets
Pluses: Made no bones about his statistical bent when hired by the Rockets to work as an apprentice to longtime GM Carroll Dawson for a year. Since taking over this offseason, he fired coach Jeff Van Gundy, who was unable to come up with an offense to get his Rockets past the first round, and stole an unhappy Mike James from the Timberwolves for Juwan Howard, who is likely to fade from here on out. The Rockets are short on depth, so Morey's hiring of coach Rick Adelman is a good thing because Adelman won't use a 10-man rotation even if Dwyane Wade and Kobe Bryant were the third- and fourth-string shooting guards.
Minuses: James could have been a Rocket last summer, without giving up Howard, had the Rockets granted James (who had played for six teams in five years) the trade kicker he sought.
Bottom line: With Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming combining to make anywhere between $32 to $39 million over the next three years, the Rockets need to focus on limited-cost players who get the job done without needing a lot of minutes or shot attempts. Morey is the right guy to find those contributors. One problem: Can he persuade his ownership group to let him go above the luxury tax to chase San Antonio and Dallas?
17 Chris Mullin, Golden State Warriors
Pluses: Brought back Don Nelson, who this past season coached the Warriors to their first playoff appearance since 1994. Took advantage of teams in need, first getting unhappy Baron Davis from the Hornets for a song and then adding troubled Stephen Jackson (along with Al Harrington) from Indiana for defensively deficient Mike Dunleavy and Troy Murphy. Mullin also did well in picking up Andris Biedrins with the 11th pick in the '04 draft and Monta Ellis with the 40th pick a year later.
Minuses: In 2004, Mullin and owner Chris Cowan hired Stanford's Mike Montgomery, who coached the team through two desultory seasons. On top of that, Mullin needlessly bid against himself to keep Adonal Foyle; overpaid Derek Fisher so much that two years later he sent him to Utah for three players who weren't even in Golden State's rotation in '06-07; and drafted for need last year in selecting center Patrick O'Bryant, only to watch the ninth pick struggle to contribute in the NBDL. And though Mullin did well in dumping Dunleavy and Murphy, he is still the guy who signed both players to outrageous contract extensions before seeing what they were worth on the open market.
Bottom line: Nellie saved Mullin's hide last year, but how long will the honeymoon last? The mercurial Nelson was already wavering on returning after Golden State's playoff run, and the young Warriors weren't exactly gracious losers when they did drop a game to either the Mavericks or Jazz during the postseason. The team will be capped out even in 2008-09, with just five players under contract, and that's not even taking into consideration the host of young players (Matt Barnes, Biedrins, Ellis, Mikael Pietrus) eligible for extensions by then. Mullin has a series of tough decisions to make to keep this team afloat in the West, and we're not entirely sure if he's up to the task.
18 Steve Kerr, Phoenix Suns
Pluses: Played on five championship teams, knows the game, appears to have at least a passing idea about how the salary cap works based on his brilliant work as an online columnist, and his way with people could go a long way toward persuading Suns owner Richard Sarver to pay the luxury tax.
Minuses: The bottom of this list is littered with contributors to championship teams, so that's no sure thing. Luxury-tax concerns could see Shawn Marion shipped out for pennies on the dollar.
Bottom line: Because no team will likely want to take Boris Diaw or Marcus Banks, Marion is the most likely candidate to be traded in order to avoid the tax burden. But his all-around play is nearly as invaluable to the Suns as Steve Nash's command of the offense, and we suspect that Kerr is more than aware of this. If Kerr can get Sarver to retain nearly the same team for one more title run, he'll have earned his salary for the next five years.
19 Elgin Baylor, Los Angeles Clippers
Pluses: Long maligned, Baylor deserves recognition for at least hanging on to his job for 21 seasons despite only four playoff appearances. Baylor has had the trust of Clippers owner Donald Sterling through thick and thin, and has done a good job of turning in profitable teams for Sterling without spending too much money retaining free agents who ended up faltering elsewhere. Baylor's strongest moves came in taking advantage of GMs in their lowest moments -- grabbing Elton Brand from Chicago for Tyson Chandler and getting Sam Cassell (plus a future draft pick) from the Timberwolves for Minnesota's right to overpay Marko Jaric.
Minuses: Baylor has long been the gold standard among overmatched executives. While the defense about not spending to retain players who weren't All-Star material is legit, it should be noted that Baylor was the man behind the initial acquisition of all these players. Baylor was hamstrung by his owner's tight purse strings for years and acquitted himself well in recent years with Sterling's bit of relative lavishness, but he also gets demerit points for seeming to slumber during the regular season. Save for the pointless acquisition of Ike Austin late in 1997-98, Baylor hasn't made a significant in-season deal in years.
Bottom line: For the first time in his lengthy front-office career, Baylor will have to work within the restraints of a capped-out roster to fill out a playoff-worthy rotation that desperately needs a point guard.
20 Danny Ferry, Cleveland Cavaliers
Pluses: Ferry enjoyed a pretty active initial offseason in 2005, showing no hesitation in utilizing the cap space he inherited. You'll notice we haven't mentioned any of the players in question in this section, as they've all more or less flamed out. Ferry did find '07 Eastern Conference finals hero Daniel Gibson in the second round of last year's draft, and his Cavaliers did make the Finals this past season, but it's become obvious that this was due more to LeBron James' brilliance and the uninspiring competition Cleveland had to face on its way to the NBA's premier event.
Minuses: That summer of 2005. Signing Larry Hughes (who would have been an All-Star in '04-05 had injuries not curtailed his season), shooter Damon Jones (fresh off a three straight career years) and all-around contributor Donyell Marshall seemed like an absolute knockout for Ferry. Alas, they've all fallen off the face of the earth since then, most importantly Hughes, who is lost in coach Mike Brown's slow-down offense. The Cavs' offense was pathetic all season, and that has to fall on the shoulders of the coach whom Ferry appears ready to reward with a contract extension.
Bottom line: This is a challenging time for Ferry. The team is capped out, has no tradeable assets beyond the flighty Sasha Pavlovic (Ferry wouldn't dare sign-and-trade fellow restricted free agent Anderson Varejao, a fan favorite) and no real maneuverability to bring help for James.
21 Larry Bird, Indiana Pacers
Pluses: Though it's hard to tell where Donnie Walsh's influence ends and Bird's decisions begin, Walsh spent the overwhelming majority of his career being heralded as the Eastern Conference's version of Jerry West, while Bird has overseen some pretty iffy transactions since taking over as Pacers boss in 2003. Outside of picking up two solid mid-first-round prospects in Shawne Williams and Danny Granger and making two solid coaching hires in Rick Carlisle and Jim O'Brien, Bird hasn't really done much to distinguish himself.
Minuses: To avoid the luxury tax after the 2002-03 season, Bird hung on to Al Harrington and instead dealt Brad Miller to Sacramento for pennies on the dollar. Harrington offered his usual solid play the next year, but Miller had back-to-back career years with the Kings. The obsession with Harrington continued: In July 2004, Indiana traded him to Atlanta for a much-needed shooting guard in Stephen Jackson, only to reacquire Harrington in a sign-and-trade deal with Atlanta last August. Finally healthy but mediocre in '06-07, the Pacers sent Jackson and Harrington to Golden State for Mike Dunleavy, Troy Murphy and Ike Diogu. Dunleavy and Murphy are horrid defenders and inefficient offensive contributors with two of the worst contracts in basketball. Diogu can play, but you get the feeling the Pacers don't know what they have in him.
Bottom line: Bird should have blown it up in the summer of 2006, but he overrated his own talent and now the team is stuck in the doldrums -- capped out and struggling to survive in the NBA's toughest division. The young talent will actually make things worse: Bird's acquisitions are good enough to want to extend their respective rookie contracts, but they'll only worsen the overall salary-cap picture. Bird needs to take a torch to this mess.
22 Danny Ainge, Boston Celtics
Pluses: Without the luxury of a single lottery pick, Ainge has put together one of the better young rosters in basketball. Al Jefferson and Gerald Green are potential franchise cornerstones given the right bit of coaching (though Green's lack of development in his second year was worrying). Lightly regarded lower-rung picks like Leon Powe, Rajon Rando, Ryan Gomes, Kendrick Perkins, Delonte West and Tony Allen aren't just showing promise because they get big minutes -- these guys can play.
Minuses: Why no lottery picks? Because Ainge has refused to submit to a wholesale rebuilding effort, choosing instead to bring in guys like Raef LaFrentz, Wally Szczerbiak and Gary Payton to keep the C's on the fringe of the playoff picture and the payroll ridiculously high. And last year, Ainge gave up a shot to draft eventual Rookie of the Year Brandon Roy for Sebastian Telfair, who wore out his welcome in 10 months with the Celtics. Meanwhile, Ainge bid against himself in giving Brian Scalabrine a ludicrous five-year, $15 million contract, and his insistence on retaining Doc Rivers as coach makes little sense on any level.
Bottom line: Ainge has never offered a cogent plan for the team he has run since 2003. We appreciate his fine efforts in the draft and refusal to fall in love with the remnants of a team that made the conference finals in '02. But he has more than mitigated his strong touch in certain areas with an ever-changing plan of attack that could either have Boston trading its assets for an All-Star this summer or adding more inexperience by grabbing a youngster from the Chinese Basketball Association with the fifth pick.
23 Mitch Kupchak, Los Angeles Lakers
Pluses: Did a solid job in the summer of 2003, finding two contributors at No. 24 (Brian Cook) and No. 32 (Luke Walton) in the draft, while getting out of the way as Shaquille O'Neal leaned on Gary Payton and Karl Malone to come to the Lakers and aid in a potential championship run. Persuaded owner Jerry Buss to bring back Phil Jackson in 2005 after letting Jackson walk following the 2003-04 season.
Minuses: Despite two rings as the standalone boss in L.A., Kupchak hasn't made many solid moves. He's shown a lack of understanding for how his coach's triangle offense works by adding misfits like Isaiah Rider, Mitch Richmond, Slava Medvedenko and Kwame Brown. Save for 2003, he couldn't cash in on all the semi-stars who would have loved to play alongside Shaq and Kobe Bryant and for Jackson. The O'Neal trade, while needed, set the Lakers back mainly because they actually took on more salary than O'Neal would have cost them -- O'Neal's Lakers contract would have come off the books in 2006, while Brian Grant's deal (acquired for Shaq) won't come off the ledger until this summer. Trading Caron Butler for Brown seems almost comical at this point, and Kupchak's moves have so frustrated Bryant that his pleas for a trade have actually fallen on sympathetic ears.
Bottom line: Any addition of a superstar will cost them at least Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum, making any move a lateral one at best. The Lakers don't appear willing to make the right move -- trading Bryant for a series of talented, low-cost parts -- and it's hard to see just how this team is going to improve should it hold serve.
24 Otis Smith, Orlando Magic
Pluses: Smith's first trade-deadline deals as Magic GM were winners: He dumped Steve Francis' salary, attitude and overrated production on the Knicks for an expiring contract (Penny Hardaway) and prospect Trevor Ariza; and he grabbed Darko Milicic and Carlos Arroyo from the Pistons for Kelvin Cato's expiring contract and the 15th pick in this year's draft. Smith also drafted two shooters from the college ranks, J.J. Redick and Travis Diener, who should help aid Dwight Howard's development should they ever get minutes.
Minuses: The coach controls the minutes, and in 2005 Smith picked Brian Hill to run the show. Hill's offenses were laughably predictable. Howard has shown little development offensively while Milicic needlessly lost minutes to Tony Battie. The Magic played defense mainly because the rotation players didn't know any other way, but they were haplessly turnover prone and easily the worst 2007 playoff participant. Smith drafted well with the college types, but he failed to get a good read on '05 lottery selection Fran Vasquez, wasting the 11th pick on a player who has professed to having little desire to join the NBA.
Bottom line: With a host of cap room to work with this summer and a strong defensive coach who knows his way around an offense in Stan Van Gundy, this summer should make or break the Magic for the next half decade.
25 Isiah Thomas, New York Knicks
Pluses: Isiah knows how to draft. With one notable exception (begging boss Donnie Walsh to grab Fred Jones for the Isiah-coached Pacers in 2002), Thomas' selections have been knockouts regardless of his team or its position in the draft order. His crowning achievement came in the '05 and '06 drafts, when he turned lower first-round picks into David Lee (one of the game's more underrated talents) and Renaldo Balkman, a productive hustler who wasn't even a part of the second round of many observers' mock drafts.
Minuses: Everything else. He had a run of deals seemingly lifted from a worst-case scenario fiction column you'd read on some NBA fan message board. He bid against himself in throwing two eventual lottery selections and heaps of second-round picks (ones that Isiah has proved capable of using to draft rotation players) toward Chicago for the right to overpay Eddy Curry. He acquired overpaid and under-inspired players from Stephon Marbury to Jalen Rose to Maurice Taylor to Steve Francis to Anfernee Hardaway to Tim Thomas. Thomas sacrificed expiring deals for these players as well as for Jamal Crawford, who hasn't improved a lick despite his youth (check out the per-minute stats). He gave Jerome James and Jared Jeffries a combined $60 million in consecutive summers, and somehow thought Larry Brown would work as a coach for this lot. Had Thomas just had the good sense to rebuild after Scott Layden's time running the Knicks, the team would have been well under the salary cap last season. Instead, it paid $200 million (after the luxury taxes kick in) for 33 victories.
Bottom line: Assuming the Knicks try to at least extend a few of the players they have currently performing under rookie contracts, the team won't be under the salary cap until 2010. Isiah could get lucky pairing one of his big contracts with any number of his young prospects for a star, but it's hard to see said star doing much while having to work with two prominent members of a '03-04 Bulls team (Curry and Crawford) that lost 59 games. The best that could happen for Knicks fans is if owner James Dolan continues to insist that Thomas not add to the payroll outside of extending the rookie deals. Apparently, relieving Thomas of his duties is out of the question.
26 Billy King, Philadelphia 76ers
Pluses: Larry Brown was essentially running the show from 1997 until 2003. It was King's job to talk Brown out of wanting to either quit or trade his entire roster about twice a week during that six-year span. Working from '03 on, it was nice to see King grab Kyle Korver in the second round that year, nab Andre Iguodala with the 8th pick in '04 and dump Glenn Robinson on the New Orleans Hornets for Jamal Mashburn's insured expiring contract in February '05. King did well in dumping Allen Iverson for draft picks plus Andre Miller, though we don't understand rebuilding with a 31-year-old point guard making eight figures at the helm.
Minuses: Even without Brown calling the shots, he's pointlessly extended the deals of solid but subpar guys like Eric Snow, Greg Buckner and Kenny Thomas, and bid against himself to secure Korver for more than he was worth. He was set to extend Willie Green to an outrageous deal in 2005 before Green tore his ACL in a pickup game, only to hand Green (8.8 points on 8.8 field goal attempts in 19.7 minutes for his career) a five-year deal a year later. Traded for a diminished Chris Webber in February '05 and watched as Webber took the air out of his team's offense and handicapped his team's defense for nearly two seasons. Employed four head coaches between June '03 and May '05. Wasted Iverson's prime.
Bottom line: The Sixers are rebuilding, which is good, but King isn't the man for the job. The Sixers have the 12th, 21st and 30th picks in the draft, but that's not exactly an awe-inspiring lot. Lottery teams rarely trade down for several picks as happens in the NFL. The 76ers are on track to be under the cap in 2008, but not by much.
27 Chris Wallace, Memphis Grizzlies
Pluses: Gregarious, willing to hash out deals, has every contact you would want and boasts an intricate knowledge of the European leagues.
Minuses: Most of Wallace's early moves with the Celtics were heavily influenced by then-president Rick Pitino, so we're throwing out his pre-2001 résumé. That said, Grizzlies fans have to be nervous over his recent hiring. With three first-round picks in '01, Wallace got one right (Joe Johnson at No. 10) and two wrong (Kedrick Brown at No. 11 and Joe Forte at No. 21). He then compounded the issue by sending Johnson to Phoenix in February '02 for Rodney Rogers, Tony Delk and the 22nd pick in that year's draft. Rogers and Delk helped the Celtics make the conference finals in a pathetic East and promptly left town the following summer -- which is when the Celtics acquired Vin Baker, whose contract is just coming off the books now. By the end of '02-03, the Celtics were so desperate for front-office help that they hired Danny Ainge.
Bottom line: You have to be a little dubious about Wallace's chances, even though the Grizzlies will have about $8 million in cap room this offseason after signing the fourth pick in the draft. With financial issues for the Memphis ownership and Pau Gasol's on-again, off-again trade demands, Wallace will have his work cut out for him.
28 Billy Knight, Atlanta Hawks
Pluses: Knight fired coach Terry Stotts, which always helps, and saw enough of Zaza Pachulia in limited minutes to go after him during the summer of 2005. He'd also seen enough of Al Harrington by the summer of '06 to send him to the Indiana Pacers for the 11th pick in this year's draft. Taking Josh Smith 17th overall in '04 was a steal.
Minuses: Any rip job on Knight comes with the mention that he's been working under borderline untenable ownership issues since taking full control of the Hawks in April 2003. That said, Knight is the biggest reason why the Hawks can't get out of the lottery. For starters, Knight continually suggests that he's often after the best player available in the draft, which would be an admirable philosophy if he actually selected the best players available. Instead, the Hawks have gone with Josh Childress (instead of Luol Deng, Andre Iguodala or Al Jefferson), Marvin Williams (instead of Chris Paul or Deron Williams) and Shelden Williams (instead of Brandon Roy, Randy Foye or Rudy Gay) in three consecutive drafts. He also sent two first-round picks and Boris Diaw to Phoenix for the right to pay Joe Johnson.
Bottom line: The Hawks are stuck with a swingman-heavy roster of young talent. If they keep their two lottery picks (third and 11th), they'll be a few million under the salary cap this summer, though we're not entirely sure if this is a good thing. Knight's two veteran signings from last summer, Speedy Claxton and Lorenzen Wright, were two of the worst rotation players in the NBA in 2006-07.
29 Michael Jordan, Charlotte Bobcats
Pluses: Interestingly, Jordan seems to employ a Jerry Krause-like willingness to go after versatile athletes with dynamic skill sets. Whether or not these players turn into sound basketball players is anyone's guess. And, as it was during his playing days, Jordan tends to take to the type of person who appears able to stand up to his domineering personality.
Minuses: Jordan's time running the Wizards -- and make no mistake, he was calling the shots during his 2001-03 run as an active player -- was an abject failure. Though he started out solidly, acquiring cap space and young prospects for the heretofore-untradable Juwan Howard in February '01, he was unable to find trading partners for aging talents like Rod Strickland and Mitch Richmond (both saw their contracts bought out, which counted against the salary cap). His selection of Kwame Brown with the first pick in the '01 draft was an outright bust. While playing, Jordan surrounded himself with players he felt comfortable working with, despite their limitations. Though some went on to solid careers (Bobby Simmons, Brian Cardinal, Larry Hughes), the bulk of his roster was filled with aging vets and North Carolina acolytes (and sometimes both). Leonard Hamilton didn't work out as coach, and Doug Collins was hamstrung by Jordan's roster.
Bottom line: Reassigned Bobcats boss Bernie Bickerstaff patiently put together one of the NBA's most potential-laden young rosters. But with Jordan having the final word in Charlotte, one can't help but worry about the team's future. Hopefully the Carolina native has learned from his time in Washington.
30 Kevin McHale, Minneosta Timberwolves
Pluses: Took Kevin Garnett's game seriously when he entered the 1995 draft. Did as well as could be reasonably expected when Stephon Marbury came out with a trade demand before the trade deadline in March '99 (Minnesota acquired Terrell Brandon and two first-round picks). Managed to pick up Sam Cassell just before a career year and Latrell Sprewell in '03-04, which resulted in a trip to the conference finals that could have been even more if Cassell hadn't gotten hurt in the playoffs. With Garnett's deal limiting his maneuverability, McHale was often able to find cheap role players (LaPhonso Ellis, Reggie Slater, Dean Garrett, Ervin Johnson, Kendall Gill) who worked well within former coach Flip Saunders' offensive schemes.
Minuses: Wasted Garnett's career. McHale has done more than that, but this is about as grievous a misdeed as we can imagine in all of pro sports. Think of all the smooth transactions that the Spurs' brain trust has made to help Tim Duncan, reverse that, add a few 6-2 shooting guards and an illegal signing, and you have McHale's time in Minnesota. More specifically: McHale burned a draft pick from the Marbury trade on Wally Szczerbiak; lost draft picks thanks to an illegal deal with Joe Smith; used first-round picks on William Avery and Ndudi Ebi; acquired a series of combo guards who can't play big minutes at the point (Mike James, Marko Jaric, Rashad McCants, Randy Foye, Troy Hudson, Shane Heal); dumped Flip Saunders; dumped Dwane Casey (the Wolves were 20-20 at the time of Casey's firing last season and finished 12-30 under Randy Wittman even with no major injuries); and refused to entertain the notion of trading Garnett until all other options were exhausted.
Bottom line: There is still hope. A Garnett deal with Boston (for Al Jefferson, assorted other youngsters and Theo Ratliff's expiring contract) would be nice, though we don't see Phoenix getting desperate enough to send Amaré Stoudemire to Minnesota for KG. Chicago is out of the picture unless McHale wants to take on Ben Wallace (we wouldn't put that past him). Meanwhile, right now the Wolves are capped out for 2007-08. They have the seventh pick in this year's draft, but they will have to relinquish a first-rounder (top 10 protected through '11) to the Clippers soon enough as part of the Jaric trade. Whether McHale will be around by then, we don't know -- owner Glen Taylor always seems ready with an excuse or 12 for his team's vice president.
If it didn’t work in Phoenix with Nash and Stoutamire... it’s just not a winning formula. It’s an entertaining formula, but not a winning one. - Derek Harper talking about D'Antoni's System
|
6/26/2007 10:09 PM
