Would you want Danny Ferry to be the GM on your team?
Today I saw the reports that Danny Ferry was offered the Atlanta Hawks GM position and I couldn't help but think to myself would I want him to be the GM on my team.
Danny Ferry has the front office pedigree of having worked with the Spurs twice now, hopefully he's gotten even better after his second stint with them. Ferry was the GM for the Cavs, but it seemed like he couldn't get anyone to come to Cleveland. When Cleveland had a lot of cap space the players he convinced to come were Larry Hughes (a good player at his best, but not a great fit) and Damon Jones. In his entire time in Cleveland the biggest name player he was able to acquire was an old Antawn Jamison. I can't help but think if Ferry could've brought some better players to Cleveland maybe Lebron never leaves and it would've been them lifting a championship trophy this past Thursday.
Ferry will have an opportunity to redeem himself with Atlanta, but would you want him as the GM of your team?
That's all I kept thinking too, he couldn't convince Michael Redd who was from Ohio to come play with Lebron even though it would've made things SO much easier on him.
I live near Philadelphia and I have to say I'm glad he wasn't interested in coming to Philly. If you can't sell playing with Lebron James you certainly can't sell playing with Andre Iguodala.
Rajon Rondo is by no means a polished diamond. Within the past calendar year, he has thrown a ball, and his body, at referees. He is still prone to gambling on defense and quiet tantrums until we see that he is not. A pre-season's worth of glowing Rondo scripture by no means makes the man infallible.
Nash was the face of the franchise on and off the court, so Dragic may never be able to replace what Nash meant in the hearts and minds of Phoenix fans, but that’s alright. A productive season in his first year as a full-time starter will go a long way in ushering in a new era for the rebuilding Suns.
“Realistically, our goal is to make the playoffs,” Irving said. “That’s our number one goal right now—just get more wins and continue to get better. We’re a young team in this league and young teams really don’t get a lot, so we have to fight every single night. Going forward, we’ve just got to continue to get better every day in practice and push each other.”
While Evans waits for his next contract, he continues his work with the union and NBPA Executive Director Billy Hunter. Evans is implementing new programs that will prepare players for life after basketball. Many players retire and are unable to adjust to their new lives. They’ve been away from their families for so long that they struggle in their role as husband and father. They’ve never had any business training so they make poor financial decisions. The NBPA is putting programs in place to help players get their lives together away from the court, starting while they’re in the league and continuing once they retire.
Parallels could be drawn between this season and Aldridge's rookie year in 2006, when the team was trying to crawl out of the Jail Blazers era when it was known for its off-court trouble. But the 6-foot-11 power forward says there's a difference this season.
Lillard added: ''It doesn't take long, just because I'm a willing passer, and so is he. As long as we're willing to work off each other and keep it simple - and we're not trying to force it or make it go one way or the other - I feed it to him, he's the All-Star. It's as simple as that.''
Luckily for Beasley and the rest of the Suns, aggressiveness is exactly what Dragic is known for. Quickness, speed and his ability to attack the basket are all calling cards for Dragic – something the fifth-year player plans to utilize thoroughly in Phoenix with the Suns.
Much of the cast that supported Aldridge in past seasons is now gone. Blazers starters Gerald Wallace and Marcus Camby were traded away. Brandon Roy retired, but has come back this season with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Center Joel Przybilla signed as a free agent with the Milwaukee Bucks.
''I think there's going to be some ups and downs - with any young team you have some ups and downs,'' Aldridge said. ''With me, going through it my first season, we'd win one then lose three or four. I'm not saying it's going to be a down season but it's going to be hard sometimes.''
Since then, UConn has confirmed that Calhoun will be retiring and that there will be a press conference Thursday afternoon making it official. By then, Ollie may have an agreement in place with Huskies athletic director Warde Mauel, but no such agreement had been made as of Wednesday despite reports of the contrary.
When the Houston Rockets made the decision to set their sights on rebuilding through a youth movement, one of the veteran casualties was power forward Luis Scola. Scola, of course, was drafted by the San Antonio Spurs, but wound up starting the NBA portion of his professional career in Houston after the Rockets acquired his rights via trade. It was a move that the Spurs later regretted, as Scola proved to be one of the toughest competitors at his position during his time with the Rockets. Scola loved playing in Houston, and had plans to one day retire as a Rocket, but now he’s reworking that plan as a member of the Phoenix Suns.
My biggest memory of him in Cleveland was the inability to pull off the Amare deal & settling for Jamison which lead to LeBron leaving just months later. He had the best player in the league who's a great playmaker yet he couldn't get a single top notch player to come play with him.