Voisin: Ranadive interview

[rainmaker]

Do we know if Gay will be starting at PF next year with JT backing him up

Rudy at the 4 in stretches is fine, depending on matchups. Rudy as our starting PF says we aren't sniffing the playoffs and our FO screwed the pooch yet again.

And Fegan is on the phone.

Simply cannot start Rudy at the 4 in the West if you're serious about the playoffs.....or have a clue on how to build a legit playoff team.

 

[Kingster]

I never said it was random chance. I don't believe that either. Quite the opposite in fact. But what I do believe is that there is pretty much no way to predict how good anyone will be as a GM until they actually do the job. If anyone can point me to any actual future predictors of success for a GM I'd love to see them.

How many Kings fans were briefly excited about the prospect of Phil Jackson taking the Sacramento job? How many thought Danny Ferry was building a powerhouse in Atlanta? The guy I wanted was Sam Hinkie but I'm not sure I could stomach the kind of seasons Philly has had the last two years.

If Vlade just gets everyone on the same page and focused on the same goals that would be a huge upgrade and that's exactly where his strengths lie. But whether he makes the right personnel moves (draft, free agents, trades) to acquire talent and build a cohesive roster I'll just have to wait and see.

I wish there was an experienced NBA GM with a track record of success available to be hired but I'm struggling to think who that would be. I WOULD love to see Petrie brought back in as a consultant but I have no idea how likely that would be or if he'd even consider it.

If there are no predicting indicators for the success of a GM hire, then it is random chance. Then toss the chips in the air and hope for the best. Why would you want an NBA GM with a track record of success when you say, what I do believe is that there is pretty much no way to predict how good anyone will be as a GM until they actually do the job?
That makes no sense whatsoever.

 

[Kingster]

I think you should rename yourself Mr. Positive. I always feel better after one of your posts...

Oh, I guess I could blather on about having faith in Vivek's instincts and Vlade's imaginary GM skills, blah, blah, blah, and we could all feel the warmth of the Kool-Aid going down.

 

[Kingster]

I thought there was going to be another person hired in the Front Office? Am I mistaken or was this floated in the media? I expected some wise sage to be brought in to advise Vlade akin to Jerry West's role with GSW???

No, you are correct. It wasn't floated by the media as a possible occurrence, it was pronounced by Napier in detail - Vlade would be hiring someone equal or above him in the hierarchy. (And there's no freaking way Napier imagines that stuff on air unless he's getting it from the horse's mouth). Subsequently, the narrative took a sharp turn from what you mention to Vlade wanting to keep PDA and then effectively taking over the GM duties for himself (sans the salary cap computations and contract negotiations). It was when this turn occurred that I, for one, had enough.

 

[gunks]

Meh. I don't think keeping PDA around in a lesser role is all that bad.

PDA's skill at the number crunching is what got him noticed as a GM candidate (and eventual GM) in the first place. It's a demotion back down to a job that he was actually good at.

I think Vlade is going to look towards Karl for advice and input(when he feels like he needs any) on talent evaluation and roster needs, which is a good thing, because we would finally have a coach and FO on the same page.

That our FO is still flip flopping on what they say and do is irksome, but it's a learning process, and ditching Mully and PDA as decision makers is a good start in the evolution of our FO.

I totally get the fear in the unknown. The Vlade hire was obviously a fan appeasement move, and he can really crash and burn. But then again, he might be great.

We don't know what's going to happen. And if next year is another catastrophic failure, I think a lot of us might be done as fans.

But in the meanwhile, I'm going to try and stay optimistic.

 

[funkykingston]

If there are no predicting indicators for the success of a GM hire, then it is random chance. Then toss the chips in the air and hope for the best. Why would you want an NBA GM with a track record of success when you say, what I do believe is that there is pretty much no way to predict how good anyone will be as a GM until they actually do the job?
That makes no sense whatsoever.

I think you're being purposely obtuse on this point. The decisions a GM makes in who to draft, which trades to make (or not make), how to spend money on free agents are not at all random chance events. They are decisions. Decisions made by that particular GM that either improve the team or don't. Not being able to say whether or not Vlade is a good GM is different from the pseudo nihilistic approach of "who cares who is in charge it's all completely random". Vlade Divac is in charge.

You've taken the stance that hiring a first time NBA GM is a disastrous move on par with hang gliding off Mt. Whitney with no prior hang gliding experience and my point is simply that every GM was once a first time GM and that unlike hang gliding or piloting or captaining the Titanic or whatever other metaphor you want to use, there is NO specific training that will ensure that you acquire the skills to become a good GM. Either you can recognize talent or you can't. Either you know how to build a team or you don't.

Personally I wanted Ranadive to keep Petrie on, at least for a year. A new owner, taking over just before the draft with a coach already hired? It made sense to keep some continuity, especially since Petrie has seemingly always been able to work with different head coaches. Instead he hired a first time GM who wasn't on the same page as his head coach. And so far D'Alessandro's track record as a GM isn't great. Will Vlade be better? I don't know. Neither do you.

But here's the more important question - what GM with lots of NBA experience and a good track record is available as an alternative? Would you honestly rather have Chris Wallace. Chris Mullin, Mike Dunleavy or David Kahn just because they have NBA experience and Divac doesn't? Keep in mind, those were the names tossed out when the Kings were looking for a new GM along with inexperienced guys like PDA, Kenny Smith, Travis Schlenk and guys who quickly stated they had no interest in the job in Phil Jackson, R.C. Buford, and Larry Bird.

So who is the guy that you think should be in that chair instead?

 

[nebs]

I thought that was former Blazer Ruban Patterson

Yeah that was his nickname. GW was basically saying he was going to stop Kobe as he got drafted by the Kings. He wasn't being agressive about it though just saying that was his plan etc.

 

[Kingster]

I think you're being purposely obtuse on this point. The decisions a GM makes in who to draft, which trades to make (or not make), how to spend money on free agents are not at all random chance events. They are decisions. Decisions made by that particular GM that either improve the team or don't. Not being able to say whether or not Vlade is a good GM is different from the pseudo nihilistic approach of "who cares who is in charge it's all completely random". Vlade Divac is in charge.

You've taken the stance that hiring a first time NBA GM is a disastrous move on par with hang gliding off Mt. Whitney with no prior hang gliding experience and my point is simply that every GM was once a first time GM and that unlike hang gliding or piloting or captaining the Titanic or whatever other metaphor you want to use, there is NO specific training that will ensure that you acquire the skills to become a good GM. Either you can recognize talent or you can't. Either you know how to build a team or you don't.

Personally I wanted Ranadive to keep Petrie on, at least for a year. A new owner, taking over just before the draft with a coach already hired? It made sense to keep some continuity, especially since Petrie has seemingly always been able to work with different head coaches. Instead he hired a first time GM who wasn't on the same page as his head coach. And so far D'Alessandro's track record as a GM isn't great. Will Vlade be better? I don't know. Neither do you.

But here's the more important question - what GM with lots of NBA experience and a good track record is available as an alternative? Would you honestly rather have Chris Wallace. Chris Mullin, Mike Dunleavy or David Kahn just because they have NBA experience and Divac doesn't? Keep in mind, those were the names tossed out when the Kings were looking for a new GM along with inexperienced guys like PDA, Kenny Smith, Travis Schlenk and guys who quickly stated they had no interest in the job in Phil Jackson, R.C. Buford, and Larry Bird.

So who is the guy that you think should be in that chair instead?

I think you are missing the point entirely - of your own post. Your previous post is internally contradictory, which you don't seem to realize. Your first paragraph in this post is not addressed to the my point; it is off-point. In the first paragraph it's as if you have to educate my on the duties of a GM. Really? Does that in any way address the points I made in my previous post? No, no in the least. The issue is that you believe there is no way to predict whether a GM is going to be good or bad. From your own words, you say there isn't. Logical conclusions follow from such a premise, which you seem too obtuse to realize. If you can't get the first paragraph on point, there is no point to reading the rest of it.

 

[funkykingston]

So then you DO have a way to predict the job that Vlade will do as a first time GM? Based on your comparing his hire to hang gliding off Mt Whitney without any experience you are flat out stating that he'll do a very poor job. Care to explain how you know that?

Unless you can conclusively tell me whether Vlade Divac will be a good or poor GM you're proving my exact point.

And since you like to debate while claiming outright that you don't read what your opponent says, I'll just repeat my last question from my previous post in hopes that you actually do read it and answer it.

What qualified GM with NBA experience and a track record of success is available that you'd prefer?