As far as the pick vs. the coach issue, using an extreme example, who wouldn't give up a #1 to have Popovich run the organization? I'd give two #1s, easy. The point is, it all depends on the quality of the coach. And while we're at it, it all depends on the quality of the GM. How in the world can anybody still have confidence in PDA if we believe him when he said that he was the one that fired Malone? If he or Mullin had a smidgeon of influence in that ultimate decision, they should be gone. The Malone firing is one of the worst decisions I've ever seen a sports organization make. This org needs to fire PDA, fire Mullin, fire Corbin, and get a whole new FO that has the wisdom and experience to give us some real cause for excitement. It's not about "taking responsibility" with PDA and Mullin. It's about accountability. "Taking responsibility" are just words that politicians mouth to avoid the consequences. Accountability is suffering the consequences for one's actions .
If Vivek brings in some real brains with credibility, the #1 pick is totally secondary. If he just gets a decent coach, then that #1 becomes much more important. But if the guy is just decent, we won't have to worry about losing that #1 pick. We'll still be in the bottom 10.