[The Athletic] Kings request permission to interview candidates for head of basketball operations
- Thread starter LPKingsFan
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Well, he's someone with a spotty record and his last go around in trying to rebuild the Pistons was an unmitigated disaster. Problem is the list assembled makes him look like Jerry West in comparison simply due to his experience and success in a brief duration of that experience. Like? Not really the word for it. The questions are intent and whether BS games being played behind the scenes. Like when Dumars first came in and the noise was no this will have no conflict with Vlades leadership, and then it did. It did exactly the way you would think it would too under Vivek, with more games. Instead of just biting the bullet it was one of these chipping away at the power structure slowly compromises. Vlade at least said F it, I'm out of here. Viveks tenures worst moments have come at the feet of indecision or too many cooks in the kitchen with different factions moving in different directions. With Vlade for better or worse there was someone that pointed the way and went there. I really, really hope this doesn't return to the same political garbage the lead to things like Malone being shown the door in favor of Pete Freaking D'Allesandro. If Dumars is the one who Vivek is rolling with good, roll with him. No more games. Pick a direction and move in it.
Here is the scary thing, or sad, or depressing, whatever way you want to put it. Every once and awhile there is a quote or interview with Vivek himself that indicates he knows more about basketball than some of the people he's hired to run his ops. Let that sink in. It's only a matter of time before one of them is running the front office, hahaha!
The constant in this narrative is Vivek. Dumars has stayed quiet and out of the spotlight. I forgot he was even around until Vivek asked him to advise Vlade, who obviously needed the help. Now Dumars is back to helping Vivek understand basketball. The fact that some expect Dumars to be making a power play and he's not is what has people pulling their hair out over him.
I think we should step back and acknowledge that while 2018-2019 was a promising season, Dumars wasn't involved in it and he came on board late June, 2.5 months after Joerger was relieved and Walton was brought on. It's not really a huge leap to conclude that after last year's massive regression Vlade was going to get reigned in. Vivek has shown his belief in having a strong #2 in our front office. We can argue how good/bad that is, it certainly works for some teams while folks like Petrie may want nothing to do with it. I think the key is having two folks that can work well together who aren't complete morons.
He's not? Who knows. This is a messy situation regardless. It's like not blaming a mistress when the mistress knows they are fooling around with a married person. In the end the crap smears on everyone involved regardless of who is more to blame than others. There has to be a true power structure created. Potential GM's aren't stupid, they know what went down with the Vlade situation and if they are being sold a bill of goods about the strength of their position then they might just be being sold the same bill of goods some of the Kings free agent pickups were about their role when they were signed. Vivek from day 1 consistently mires himself in muck. If Dumars is the dude, then good, let him be the dude. No strings. But on the flipside they have to be honest with these potential GM's about the possibilities. They weren't with their free agents and we've seen what happened there more than a few times.
I don't disagree with being straight up with the applicants. But it is no secret what happened to Vlade or Pete. The applicants know what they're getting into. The fact that Dumars is in the interview process and people still want the job means that it's not as big an issue for them as we're making it out to be. Or the applicants are willing to take the risk.
Here's the part about D'Alessandro (pay wall):
"...Firing Malone, which D’Alessandro took the hit for publicly but multiple sources said was Ranadive’s call, planted a seed of distrust between players and management that players from that time never truly recovered from..."
https://theathletic.com/1999044/202...chaos-in-the-kings-front-office/?redirected=1
"...Firing Malone, which D’Alessandro took the hit for publicly but multiple sources said was Ranadive’s call, planted a seed of distrust between players and management that players from that time never truly recovered from..."
https://theathletic.com/1999044/202...chaos-in-the-kings-front-office/?redirected=1
Whatever truth there is to the above, PDA was hired two weeks after Malone and there were rumblings the entirety of their tenure together that Malone was not PDA's guy. If he was, I'm sure PDA could have lobbied for him. But then they were hired closely together in Denver (though he's now in Orlando).
Listening to CD's show. They just broke the news that Dumars is now the new Chief Strategy Officer, which has oversight over business and basketball.
Basically, I think we should just accept that as long as Vivek is in control, the FO will always be segmented. As designed, McNair basically will have to answer to 1A (Vivek), 1B (Dumars), and 1C (Aneel). With 1A having super majority voting powers.
Basically, I think we should just accept that as long as Vivek is in control, the FO will always be segmented. As designed, McNair basically will have to answer to 1A (Vivek), 1B (Dumars), and 1C (Aneel). With 1A having super majority voting powers.
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Nothing indicates that, but the super, duper optimistic side of me says maybe Dumars becomes a counterweight to Matina?
Look, to be fair, I believe a number of organizations are structured this way now with multiple special advisors surrounding NBA owners. Jerry West in LA (GSW before that and LAL before that), Michael Finley and Marion in Dallas...
Look, to be fair, I believe a number of organizations are structured this way now with multiple special advisors surrounding NBA owners. Jerry West in LA (GSW before that and LAL before that), Michael Finley and Marion in Dallas...
Mark Medina: The Sacramento Kings officially named Joe Dumars as the “Chief Strategy Officer.” Kings said in statement that Dumars will “help drive strategy across the organization’s entire portfolio of activities, including business, basketball, new ventures, entertainment and real estate.”
3 mins ago – via Twitter MarkG_Medin
Well sounds like to me Vivek with Dumars in his ear will be meddling in every aspect of the Kings!
Good luck Monte dealing with these two clowns
Also:
33 mins ago – via Jason Jones and Sam Amick @ The Athletic
Fox made strides under Walton, but Hield was frustrated and sources said he would consider asking to be traded this offseason after he was moved to the role of sixth man under Walton, a move Divac supported.
Monte already has a fire on his desk LOL
3 mins ago – via Twitter MarkG_Medin
Well sounds like to me Vivek with Dumars in his ear will be meddling in every aspect of the Kings!
Good luck Monte dealing with these two clowns
Also:
33 mins ago – via Jason Jones and Sam Amick @ The Athletic
Fox made strides under Walton, but Hield was frustrated and sources said he would consider asking to be traded this offseason after he was moved to the role of sixth man under Walton, a move Divac supported.
Monte already has a fire on his desk LOL
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