[Shams] The Sacramento Kings are hiring Houston Rockets assistant GM Monte McNair as new head of basketball operations, sources tell me and @sam_amick
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Dunno if anyone beat me to posting this but: https://www.si.com/nba/cavaliers/nba-amico/sacramento-kings-dumars
Clarification on the Dumars thing. Sounds like none of the applicants knew if they'd call the shots/report to Vivek, or just end up a right hand man to Dumars, who would be the one actually controlling the team, so a lot dropped out (almost all of them, per the report).
Typical Vivek. That dude is such an effin moron. I don't care if he is some tech whiz, he certainly doesn't know how to not **** up every step of the way as an NBA owner.
Clarification on the Dumars thing. Sounds like none of the applicants knew if they'd call the shots/report to Vivek, or just end up a right hand man to Dumars, who would be the one actually controlling the team, so a lot dropped out (almost all of them, per the report).
Typical Vivek. That dude is such an effin moron. I don't care if he is some tech whiz, he certainly doesn't know how to not **** up every step of the way as an NBA owner.
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I hope it all works out, but I just have a bad feeling on this hire and the Dumars involvement. Not sure if McNair is the right fit. Sounds like we lost out on a lot of candidates.
Does anyone think that maybe Coach Malone and Calvin Booth had a conversation about Vivek? If I was Booth when I was talking to Vivek I would have asked him what happened in this situation. Interviews go both ways.
Does anyone think that maybe Coach Malone and Calvin Booth had a conversation about Vivek? If I was Booth when I was talking to Vivek I would have asked him what happened in this situation. Interviews go both ways.
Its just reading up on them and assessing their backgrounds and track records. I don’t know why people think that’s such a crazy concept? Personally Gupta was the only one who’s resume struck me as ready and skilled enough to be a GM. Has the most robust and varied experience.
and no none of us know who all the conceivable candidates would be. There was the Miami AGM that a lot of us liked bc he’s from a great org. I’d have loved to see someone from OKC given how well they’ve managed assets over a really long time, small market success being a bonus.
Maybe I’m overreacting but the final round of the interviews was a huge red flag. They do all the initial work with a professional consulting and executive search firm. Great! Vivek is being professional and deferential to the experts, maybe things are turning around! Then for the final round they come to Sac to interview with... Joe Dumars and Vivek’s son?! That’s a super big “this is my team” / “this is my guy” type thing, that he’s not actually giving up control or stepping back. I get a lot of people roll with that, but seems like a huge bait and switch to start the process working with sports professionals and have your final round interview with a trust fund baby with no sports experience
and no none of us know who all the conceivable candidates would be. There was the Miami AGM that a lot of us liked bc he’s from a great org. I’d have loved to see someone from OKC given how well they’ve managed assets over a really long time, small market success being a bonus.
Maybe I’m overreacting but the final round of the interviews was a huge red flag. They do all the initial work with a professional consulting and executive search firm. Great! Vivek is being professional and deferential to the experts, maybe things are turning around! Then for the final round they come to Sac to interview with... Joe Dumars and Vivek’s son?! That’s a super big “this is my team” / “this is my guy” type thing, that he’s not actually giving up control or stepping back. I get a lot of people roll with that, but seems like a huge bait and switch to start the process working with sports professionals and have your final round interview with a trust fund baby with no sports experience
I haven't compared the resumes of the finalists, but, for what it's worth, during the Amick interview, Amick stated the following:
1. Gupta was willing to work with Dumars. Gupta was flexible, because Gupta knew that this was a bit rushed for him given the traditional trajectory of folks, who become GMs. Folks as in GMs who were not ex-players. The ones that had to grind their way up. Not the Vlade types.
2. And per #1, McNair was the more qualified of the two--if the criteria was experience only.
3. McNair is bilingual--meaning he's an ex-jock, who is also a data dude. His strength was being able to bridge the gap between the two worlds (this sold me, btw).
4. Aneel was in favor of Gupta while Vivek picked McNair. Don't know who Dumars was in favor of (probably Scott Perry--I kid, sorta).
5. Without Ford, we'd have Scott Perry--my read from the Amick and Jones article. Thank gawd!
6. Jerry West and other folks were pushing Wilcox.
1. Gupta was willing to work with Dumars. Gupta was flexible, because Gupta knew that this was a bit rushed for him given the traditional trajectory of folks, who become GMs. Folks as in GMs who were not ex-players. The ones that had to grind their way up. Not the Vlade types.
2. And per #1, McNair was the more qualified of the two--if the criteria was experience only.
3. McNair is bilingual--meaning he's an ex-jock, who is also a data dude. His strength was being able to bridge the gap between the two worlds (this sold me, btw).
4. Aneel was in favor of Gupta while Vivek picked McNair. Don't know who Dumars was in favor of (probably Scott Perry--I kid, sorta).
5. Without Ford, we'd have Scott Perry--my read from the Amick and Jones article. Thank gawd!
6. Jerry West and other folks were pushing Wilcox.
yeah I just finished the interview as well, lots of good info. The only other thing that really popped out to me was Amick saying there were a lot of eye rolls around the league when they heard Vivek’s son was in the interview. He said it’s not bad per se, referred to Joe Lacob, but with us it’s met with skepticism because on basketball decisions “they’ve gotten everything wrong.”
he also sort of seemed cautious about the Dumars thing in the same way - it’s a totally normal thing but just more of a potential concern w the kings the way things have gone before
Also re the bilingual thing he mentioned McNair doing a very good job working directly with coaches as well as Harden and Chris Paul on getting them to buy in to analytics concepts by really translating them into basketball applications
feeling good about mcnair based on that overall
he also sort of seemed cautious about the Dumars thing in the same way - it’s a totally normal thing but just more of a potential concern w the kings the way things have gone before
Also re the bilingual thing he mentioned McNair doing a very good job working directly with coaches as well as Harden and Chris Paul on getting them to buy in to analytics concepts by really translating them into basketball applications
feeling good about mcnair based on that overall
I'm willing to give him a fair shot, but the way it went down is usual Kangz/Vivek tomfoolery, and that's what irks me. All this hiring process has shown me is that Vivek will continue to make easily avoidable mistakes as an owner. He won't change.
Anyways. ...
I'm looking forward to this offseason to see what McNair does. As an analytics guy, I can't imagine he's too pysched on the contracts of players like Buddy and Barnes given what they actually bring to the table.
I could see him moving Bagley too. Marvin's game is probably too early 2000s for a stat-head.
Anyways. ...
I'm looking forward to this offseason to see what McNair does. As an analytics guy, I can't imagine he's too pysched on the contracts of players like Buddy and Barnes given what they actually bring to the table.
I could see him moving Bagley too. Marvin's game is probably too early 2000s for a stat-head.
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Fire, fire, fire. The smoke was legit, gee, who would have guessed. We've been around Vivek long enough to know how this process works. Hopefully now will be the first time it doesn't bring total chaos. Which BTW the only time we didn't see TOTAL chaos was with Vlade. Things were much, much worse prior to him.
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Fox can be elite at pushing the pace and getting to the hole (scoring, drawing fouls, and distributing to others). Would assume he'll rate pretty high in McNair's eyes, since he enables the team to score at the hole (the highest percentage shot) and to develop more shots on goal per game (with his speed).
Would be fun to see the Kings draft a Kira Lewis type and just go 110 miles per hour each game. If McNair goes that route.
Would be fun to see the Kings draft a Kira Lewis type and just go 110 miles per hour each game. If McNair goes that route.
The only hope is that he brings a little of that Rockets strategy. While not perfect, that is the way this roster should be playing. In the end, it's all about who is calling the shots on the sideline. Now Walton has to go and preferably they find a D'Antoni disciple to be that extension of the FO. I don't see any other easier short term fix for the roster that sits currently. If that happens I have at least a shred of hope that the players on the team will start being used towards their strengths rather than away from them. McNair isn't a golden goose but he's at least been swimming the waters that fit the parameters of what the Kings should be creating even if only to put some shine back on their assets.
The only thing I don't get about the critique between the two (and it at least seemed like we were trying to find a way to have both); is that they are both analytics guys and people favored Gupta because he was closer to Hinkie. And regardless what you think about the process, I'd rather have a sound basketball guy like Petrie institute the process than a guy like Hinkie who came up with the idea and missed as often as he got it right.
So anyways, yes, there was some "typical Vivek" here, and it sucks that he hasn't learned as quick as say the Maloofs managed to get it right early on or Cuban managed to get it right or the Warriors ownership in more recent times. However he's probably better than the owners of a lot of other middling teams.
And while Vlade is looking real bad right now, I think it also needs to be said that Vlade was an olive branch to the fanbase after whiffing so hard on the two idiots he first hired. It sucks that if Bagley doesn't pan out we missed on the kind of player you tank a full season for but I do like the direction we were moving in this go around. If Simon would have come here had Dumars not interviewed or whatever, if that's really true? I don't know but yeah, that's a big kick in the junk.
So anyways, yes, there was some "typical Vivek" here, and it sucks that he hasn't learned as quick as say the Maloofs managed to get it right early on or Cuban managed to get it right or the Warriors ownership in more recent times. However he's probably better than the owners of a lot of other middling teams.
And while Vlade is looking real bad right now, I think it also needs to be said that Vlade was an olive branch to the fanbase after whiffing so hard on the two idiots he first hired. It sucks that if Bagley doesn't pan out we missed on the kind of player you tank a full season for but I do like the direction we were moving in this go around. If Simon would have come here had Dumars not interviewed or whatever, if that's really true? I don't know but yeah, that's a big kick in the junk.
What is anything though? Championships? Maybe not. It's obvious that players like Fox have to be in a particular situation to even begin to put up a "Westbrook" type of impact. McNair could be the exact GM you want if you're a De'Aaron Fox considering Morey is the king of keeping that damn paint clear! Keeping Walton and allowing that abomination of non spread motion offense to continue then McNair better enjoy his stay, it might be a brief one because bet your *** Joe Dumars is right there to run that football into the endzone if need be. haha.