smackeddog wrote:Nalod wrote:via berman:n a shocking shakeup of the Knicks front office, Steve Mills is back and Glen Grunwald is out. Or at least demoted.
Mills, the former Garden president who hired Isiah Thomas, has been named the team’s president and general manager. Mills replaces Glen Grunwald, who will remain with the organization as an “advisor.”
“I am pleased to be able to welcome Steve back to the Knicks,” Knicks owner James Dolan said in a statement. “He is a well-respected sports executive with a strong background in basketball, as well as a familiarity with NBA operations and our company. We look forward to his leadership and believe he is the right person to help us reach our ultimate goal of winning an NBA Championship.”
“We are grateful for Glen’s many years of valuable service and pleased that he will remain with the organization,” Dolan added.
Mills also has a good relationship with Knicks assistant GM Allan Houston, who figures to have more power entrusted in him with Grunwald in the background.
The timing of the switch is curious. Dolan apparently was not pleased with the Knicks’ second-round playoff exit or the summer overhaul that have some predicting the Knicks as the fifth-best team in the East. However, Grunwald finished third in NBA Executive of the Year balloting after building a team that won its first Atlantic Division title since the 1990s and was the second seed in the East at 54-28.
Grunwald was close with coach Mike Woodson, his former college teammate at Indiana. Grunwald’s demotion does not bode well for Woodson, who is in the final guaranteed season of his contract. There is a team option for next season.
When the Knicks named Grunwald permanent GM after the 2011-12 season, it was noteworthy he didn’t get the title of president, as Donnie Walsh and Isiah Thomas had previously. Dolan also didn’t like Grunwald talking to the press and kept him mostly out of the spotlight. The Knicks may feel Mills has more cachet and more prestigious influence on several levels.“I want to thank Jim for this opportunity to return to the Knicks in this important position,” Mills said in a statement. “It is an honor and a privilege to work for such a storied franchise and I look forward to doing whatever it takes to make the Knicks a successful franchise and a team that fans can be proud of, both now and in the future.”
A 30-year veteran of the sports world, Mills had been in the running for the executive director of the Players Association. He has been a familiar face at the Garden, showing up for games since he left six years ago.
Prior to his first move to The Garden, Mills played an integral role in the development of the league office, where he held several positions, including his last role as senior vice president, basketball and player development.
Phew- that's reassuring. At first I thought Dolan had fired him for disagreeing with him, but I'm relieved to find out it's the even more serious crime of talking to the media. So the job description for Knicks GM:
a) Agree with everything Dolan says: trade Shump for slighting him, get rid of Lin for slighting him, etc, etc
b) Don't talk to the media even at media events arranged by MSG
c) Experience not necessary.
d) Job performance assessment will not be based on actual job performance, but rather how much Dolan likes you as a person.
e) as long as you meet the above criteria you will have a job for the rest of your life (no, really!)
Well Alan was being groomed the successor to Walsh and took charge of the affiliate team to further his experience. Not really mad at this move.
the fact that you can't even have an unrelated thread without some tool here bringing him up make me think that rational minds are few and far between. Bunch of emotionally weak, angst riddled people. I mean, how many times can you argue the same shyt
9/26/2013 2:09 PM
