There's potential problem of a new GM wanting to "put his stamp on the team" resulting in prematurely turning over the roster or pawning off players before they have chance to blossom. We saw with Pete D needing to replace the PG (Isaiah > Darren) and get his own per his magic metrics and get his own coach and drafting his "diamond in the ruff" (Ben) instead of the guy the outgoing GM recommended (Giannis!).
I think the circumstances under which Hinkie was let go and knowing his ego as far as egos in executive positions go, he's going to want to "put his stamp on the team". That could include trading away guys to say "I created this". If Vlade is around to witness what he started to build be torn down, it would be an untenable situation. The more I think about this the more I think Vivek has not.
Again, I think this whole thing has been adequately refuted via various sources on Twitter. I don't think Marc Stein is the ultimate source of reliable info. If anything, that little tidbit was posted on behalf of Hinkie's agent to maneuver a team Hinkie is actually interested in going to. It wouldn't be the first time...
Of course they are going to refute it. What else are they going to say?! There are 10 games left to go in the season. You don't hire a new GM now. The move would happen when the season ends if at all. It could be Vivek inquired and was rebuffed or perhaps need to schedule more formal discussions to gauge if hire would be in best interest of both parties.
Think about it, if all you have done is "put out feelers" and get permission, you are going to refute rumors because you do not even know if this guy is right for the job. You just know he has mostly favorable reputation. There has be compatibility on philosophy and strategy not mention contract terms. Then there is the no so delicate issue of demoting your current GM and finding out if they could even work together.
One has to wonder how these reputable sources (Stein, Woj) came about this news? Did the minority owners leak this to try to force out Vlade? I cannot imagine the Kings or Hinkie leaking this. It would put either side in bad light. It seems more likely the minority owners were none to be pleased with Boogie trade and are exercising their influence to the best they can with limited power.
So add up these variables which I think are perfectly logical and the only reason it was refuted was because the Kings had effectively no choice, not because ESPN and Woj's original tweet was false.
Okay allow me to factor in Sam Amick's role in all of this....okay done. Everything I said above still stands.I'm not talking about the Kings. I'm talking about Sam Amick.
Okay allow me to factor in Sam Amick's role in all of this....okay done. Everything I said above still stands.![]()
Vlade's drafting ability seems on point though, even if he's been getting bested on trades.
I wouldn't hate it if we kept him around.
Hinkie is going to make this team (somehow) even more painful to watch for the foreseeable future if we bring him on.
He might also draft 5 centers in a row.
Talk to me when the sixers get to the 2nd round of the playoffs. If you and I are still around. And then lets see how many of their players are Hinkie's. Hinkie's a hustler. And as long as he's wheeling and dealing and people are "believing in the process," the years will pass and he'll never have built an actual championship caliber team. But keep believing, because next year it could all turn around.You guys are absolutely insane. Hinkie would be an absolute coup for us and get a real professional running the show.
Just say no to Hinkie.
You guys are absolutely insane. Hinkie would be an absolute coup for us and get a real professional running the show.
It begins and ends with Vivek. Personally I think Vivek can't help but screw up whatever process we are in. We might get 2 years into this process of growing with draft picks and our current young guys and Vivek could change his mind AGAIN and insist on trading everything to make the playoffs ASAP again. We are all being held hostage by the whims of a basketball Dumbass.Bottom line in all of this? Either Vivek Ranadive is the one leaking all this crap to the media OR he really needs to do some serious reassessments of the people in his inner circle/close staff.
Are you guys ****ing kidding me you support this bull poopoo. Why is that fool going behind Vlades back like that when does this stop. Give him a chance damn we are screwed
Here's the thing about Hinkie ... I'm not going to call him a great GM but it's hard to find an example of a trade that he didn't come out ahead on during his tenure. MCW has done nothing since he traded him for a pick that could be top 5 this year. We're all too familiar with the bounty he extracted from us. It's not a perfect situation. Embiid has serious injury concerns and Bryan Colangelo ultimately got nothing in exchange for Nerlens Noel (seriously, he just threw away an All-Defense center for nothing) but a core of Embiid with Ben Simmons (remember him? the guy who was drawing Lebron comparisons after his first month at LSU) and Dario Saric plus the possibility of 2 top 5 picks this year in a very good draft -- that's hitting it out of the park in terms of talent acquisition. No other team in the league has a young core that matches up with that. And they still have an unprotected Sacramento pick in 2019 coming to them. All of that came from Hinkie. Technically he didn't pick Ben Simmons but he was replaced at the end of last season and they won the lottery primarily on the "strength" of the 10-72 record he orchestrated. The accusations that the Sixers gamed the system fit alongside criticism of Popovich resting his stars for big regular season games in my mind. If it's not technically against the rules it's not cheating. It's a competitive league. Finding a way to guarantee your team will be able to draft elite talent year after year is a viable strategy until they do something to change the way the draft is handled.
That being said, I'm not eager to revisit "the process" in Sacramento. There's a part of me that would prefer any organized plan over the half-measures, hole patching, and reactionary panic moves which have characterized the Sacramento front office for a decade or more but after the last two coaches clashed with the GM who didn't hire them the last thing I want to see is a new GM with a new plan sabotaging Dave Joerger's ability to command this team and basically undoing any progress we may have made in establishing a coaching foundation for success this season. It looks like we're starting to build something with this group. Buddy, Skal, WCS, and Coach Joerger are all big parts of that. You want to hire a consultant to work under Vlade and help in the negotiation process? Fine. Hinkie is not that guy. He has no reason to accept a lower-management position and I can't believe he would ever even consider it without an implied pathway to the top chair already in sight.
All you tank-masters who come out of the woodwork to pay homage to your god, Sam Hinkie, are just... so misguided. We are on the right track. Can't you just believe in our process?? Where has Hinkie ever built a championship team? Why so much confidence in a guy who has never accomplished anything but tanking and drafting high picks? Your confidence in Hinkie is severely misplaced. Please crawl back under your rock. If Vivek does hire Hinkie, he will be well past forgiveable.
That last sentence is my exact fear.It begins and ends with Vivek. Personally I think Vivek can't help but screw up whatever process we are in. We might get 2 years into this process of growing with draft picks and our current young guys and Vivek could change his mind AGAIN and insist on trading everything to make the playoffs ASAP again. We are all being held hostage by the whims of a basketball Dumbass.
Vlades fired. Vlade stays as GM. Vlade stays on and someone comes in over Vlade, it doesn't matter. The instability of our owner will eventually chase away our 1 and only asset, Dave Joeger.
All the discussion in the pregame of tonight's game indicated the Kings ARE looking to strengthen their organization. Apparently, even the NBA has interceded to make sure it happens. Certainly, the minority owners appear to have been all over Vivek to make some changes. What exactly such strengthening means is something nobody specifies The tweets above could mean Vlade could be president and some other individual GM (below him). Who knows. Personally, when I look at what Vlade has done he's done very well in the coach hire and in the draftees, but not very well in strategy and trade negotiations by mortgaging future draft picks and not getting what he should have for Cousins. He really let himself get boxed in with Cousins by waiting far too long. So if they are going to strengthen the organization, maybe they need somebody who could take control of trades and FA. Also, just from the sound of it, they could use some more scouting help.
But that doesn't mean that they aren't looking for other candidates.If Sam Amick says Hinkie isn't interested, that's good enough for me. The initial rumor looked to be from Stein anyway.
Isn't this exactly what Ken Catanella was brought in for.If someone were to be hired for the purpose of negotiating contracts and deals I can see that.
If Vivek is looking to blow up the current blow up of the team already then I just dont know what to say. There is thinking outside the box and there's worst circus around level of baffoonery.
Talk to me when the sixers get to the 2nd round of the playoffs. If you and I are still around. And then lets see how many of their players are Hinkie's. Hinkie's a hustler. And as long as he's wheeling and dealing and people are "believing in the process," the years will pass and he'll never have built an actual championship caliber team. But keep believing, because next year it could all turn around.
Frankly it wouldn't surprise me if Vivek had become infatuated with Hinkie, now that he's signed on to starting over without DMC. He could very well have convinced himself that Vlade and Hinkie can co-exist, and that Hinkie would get more value in trades because he's... well, he's Sam Hinkie! If Hinkie came in as predident of basketball ops, how long would it be before Joerger left?
I like posting here, so I won't respond with what I actually think of this nonsense.
Just because Embiid looks unfortunately broken, doesn't mean his process was wrong. And if they do get him healthy (giant ass IF, but there's still an IF to be had) he's going to be a top 10 player in the game. Saric looks like an absolute stud and an outstanding Point-forward. You get that Ben Simmons guy healthy for next year. You have a 45% chance to have 2 top 7 picks in the best draft since 2003. He found very productive players in T.J McConnel, Richaun Holmes and Robert Covington. He fleeced team after team in trades. Hinkie set this team up to actually have a chance at being a title contender, rather than our personal test of trying to win 35 games.
The best part is Hinkie would stop all the nonsense of Vivek and other outside factors try and influence team decisions. It'd be him and his staff running the show and we would finally be able to get that monkey off our back.