[Shams] The Sacramento Kings are hiring Houston Rockets assistant GM Monte McNair as new head of basketball operations, sources tell me and @sam_amick

#31
problem is that we are not getting those type of players here. So he’s most likely going to have to draft well and hit on non blockbuster deals
It's about maximizing what you're given. That's all analytics is at the end of the day: maximizing your assets in the best possible way. People freak out over Hinkie's process, but I guarantee if the Sixers had Kevin Durant, he would have built that team drastically different.
 
#32
Or, they don't draft at all. Their use of their first round picks around Harden has been to put current NBA talent around him while they have a title window open with Harden in his prime. That 2018 team easily could have been a title team had they not run into a historically great Warriors team.

And while the Westbrook trade reeks of ownership interference, their general plan has been the correct one. When you have a top 5 player on your team in his prime, the goal should be to up your championship odds and not wait for a rookie to develop. Unfortunately the Westbrook trade backfired pretty heavily and they're going to be hurting to try and improve their team going forward.
I don’t know if they have any insider knowledge, but Ryen Rusillo and Bill Simmons all but said today on their podcast that the Westbrook trade was made by Harden going to ownership, not Morey.
 
#33
It's about maximizing what you're given. That's all analytics is at the end of the day: maximizing your assets in the best possible way. People freak out over Hinkie's process, but I guarantee if the Sixers had Kevin Durant, he would have built that team drastically different.
Agree...and in this case he’s going to have to maximize what he’s given by following the above, because Sacramento will not be trading for stars/superstars like other teams.
 

dude12

Hall of Famer
#34
Who really knows. Seems like a smart guy, that has worked his way up from the bottom, a lot of experience in a front office. Like them or hate them, the rockets have been a successful team for a long time. Nit picking the individual moves misses the point.
I’m just pointing out that if we compare say Simon and Booth who came up through the system as scouts and were important to the Heat and Nuggets as the talent identifiers, its just my opinion that the Kings have to be great through the draft and acquiring talent in that avenue. I’m just not seeing that with our guys history. I don’t doubt his analytical acumen. Its Just a different path Mcnair has to follow with this franchise Compared to what Houston has accomplished.
 
#35
I don’t know if they have any insider knowledge, but Ryen Rusillo and Bill Simmons all but said today on their podcast that the Westbrook trade was made by Harden going to ownership, not Morey.
Yeah that makes sense. Harden goes to an owner who like interfering in the first place who then puts pressure on the Houston Fo to make a trade they wouldn't have done.
 

dude12

Hall of Famer
#37
Looking back at the link and the Rockets moves, granted they are and Have been in a completely different place than Sac, they hardly have any picks but they did draft Melton and dealt him and Ryan Anderson to get rid of the Anderson contract. There is a whole bunch of guys like Hartenstien, and Tyler Ennis and others who have gone no where.
 
#38
I really hope this isn’t the kings trying to be too cute and going against the obvious choice. Everyone (well almost) thought it was going to be Gupta or at least it should be Gupta like everyone thought they knew who would or should be the #2 pick. Look how that turned out :mad:
 
#39
I really hope this isn’t the kings trying to be too cute and going against the obvious choice. Everyone (well almost) thought it was going to be Gupta or at least it should be Gupta like everyone thought they knew who would or should be the #2 pick. Look how that turned out :mad:
I submit that these are entirely different decisions in terms of information that is publicly available. Fans can watch hours of footage to scout draft prospects as a hobby. We have much less at our disposal when “scouting” GM candidates. Not to say this is the right move, but do we really know enough to say one way or the other?
 
#40
I submit that these are entirely different decisions in terms of information that is publicly available. Fans can watch hours of footage to scout draft prospects as a hobby. We have much less at our disposal when “scouting” GM candidates. Not to say this is the right move, but do we really know enough to say one way or the other?
Assuming that news doesn’t come out that Gupta backed out and we went with the second choice and we just chose McNair over Gupta. Only way we find out is if Gupta gets a gm job elsewhere and makes that team a contender while we stay at the bottom of the west. We may never know. But all we can hope is that we made the right choice and the kings benefit in the end. That’s what I was hoping with bagley...sigh
 
#43
All of the Gupta supporters who didn't even know who the hell he was 1 month ago crack me up. He was the front runner according to the media, and he didnt get the job. Maybe he declined the offer, and maybe he was bested by Mcnair. I personally dont really care why. All i care about is that the correct choice was made. The following years will decide whether or not that comes to fruition..
 

Tetsujin

The Game Thread Dude
#44
All of the Gupta supporters who didn't even know who the hell he was 1 month ago crack me up. He was the front runner according to the media, and he didnt get the job. Maybe he declined the offer, and maybe he was bested by Mcnair. I personally dont really care why. All i care about is that the correct choice was made. The following years will decide whether or not that comes to fruition..
Much as with the Luka debacle, it seems like people talked themselves into the guy in charge picking the candidate from the same general ethnic diaspora (whatever the hell that even means) as him regardless of any indication of any greater thought process. Unlike the Luka decision, there's not much "game tape" or whatever for the average fan to go off of but, like the Luka decision, fans would probably be best served waiting and seeing rather than having an ultra-strong opinion one way or the other.
 

Tetsujin

The Game Thread Dude
#45
Looking back at the link and the Rockets moves, granted they are and Have been in a completely different place than Sac, they hardly have any picks but they did draft Melton and dealt him and Ryan Anderson to get rid of the Anderson contract. There is a whole bunch of guys like Hartenstien, and Tyler Ennis and others who have gone no where.
At the same time, they utilized the G-League perfectly and developed guys like Harrell and House into key role players.
 
#47
I submit that these are entirely different decisions in terms of information that is publicly available. Fans can watch hours of footage to scout draft prospects as a hobby. We have much less at our disposal when “scouting” GM candidates. Not to say this is the right move, but do we really know enough to say one way or the other?
Bingo. Get a well qualified person who at least shares a vision with ownership. You hope you stike gold with these things.
 
#48
Much as with the Luka debacle, it seems like people talked themselves into the guy in charge picking the candidate from the same general ethnic diaspora (whatever the hell that even means) as him regardless of any indication of any greater thought process. Unlike the Luka decision, there's not much "game tape" or whatever for the average fan to go off of but, like the Luka decision, fans would probably be best served waiting and seeing rather than having an ultra-strong opinion one way or the other.
Correct. This is why I generally stay fairly quiet. We, as fans, have very limited access to actual valid information. I liked Luka before the draft. And I'll openly admit i liked bagley more. For this opinion, i will be called wrong. At this point, "wrong" is the correct label, however; i still think a healthy bagley is a very good player. A tall faried in his prime with a bit of added touch. The hiring of mcnair is yet another open debate, and the only thing I'm confident in is that we hired a qualified candidate.
 
#49
Looking back at the link and the Rockets moves, granted they are and Have been in a completely different place than Sac, they hardly have any picks but they did draft Melton and dealt him and Ryan Anderson to get rid of the Anderson contract. There is a whole bunch of guys like Hartenstien, and Tyler Ennis and others who have gone no where.
Yeah looking at the Rockets draft picks i not excited like I would be if we got a Toronto, Boston, Miami or Denver guy. It’s hard to make the case Houston has drafted well. But everyone deserves 3-4 years of a chance and it’s hard to believe he could do worse than Vlade. So we wait and hope.
 
#51
Yeah this is great. Have a buddy who knows McNair and some other guys through the Sloan conference, said he's really big on being in sync with the coaching staff and has spent a bunch of time around coaching to get a better understanding of what they need and their perspective.

Luke is probably fairly open to lines of communication, but McNair strikes me as the guy who wants his EXACT coach in place because he values that relationship so much. This hiring leads me to believe we might go find a new coach this offseason rather than waiting a year.
 

Tetsujin

The Game Thread Dude
#52
Yeah this is great. Have a buddy who knows McNair and some other guys through the Sloan conference, said he's really big on being in sync with the coaching staff and has spent a bunch of time around coaching to get a better understanding of what they need and their perspective.

Luke is probably fairly open to lines of communication, but McNair strikes me as the guy who wants his EXACT coach in place because he values that relationship so much. This hiring leads me to believe we might go find a new coach this offseason rather than waiting a year.
If anything, this hiring will do absolutely nothing to quell the talk of Sacramento needing/wanting to hire Mike D’Antoni.
 
#53
Pete's real downfall was he fired the best coach this Kings have had in a long time in one of the worst ways possible because he wasn't "his guy".....
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
 
#54
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
Pda please let me fire malone.

Vivek ok.

It doesnt say vivek was the one who wanted to fire him. He needed to give the ok.
 
#55
I was just about to come on and say I've never heard of Gupta in my life but seems like someone beat me to it. Don't understand the infatuation. Maybe some people keep up with other teams front offices. I don't.

Honestly I've never heard of McNair either.

No opinion of either man though they appear to favour the analytical style which I'm not a huge fan of but let's see if McNair can last more than 2 years.... Good luck sir!
 
#58
The Sacramento Kings announced today that Joe Dumars has been named Chief Strategy Officer. In this new role, he will continue to report to the owner and chairman, and help drive strategy across the organization’s entire portfolio of activities, including business, basketball, new ventures, entertainment and real estate. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

https://www.nba.com/kings/kings-name-joe-dumars-chief-strategy-officer#

 
#60
The Sacramento Kings announced today that Joe Dumars has been named Chief Strategy Officer. In this new role, he will continue to report to the owner and chairman, and help drive strategy across the organization’s entire portfolio of activities, including business, basketball, new ventures, entertainment and real estate. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

https://www.nba.com/kings/kings-name-joe-dumars-chief-strategy-officer#

Is there any elaboration on that? Are people put off by Dumars, or just the fact that someone else has some kind of influence over personnel?