Don't know if this topic has come up before but as the Nets stand at yet another cross road in their history after losing some star players, can we trust Rod Thorn to put this team in a position to be a championship club by 2010, the year of the anticipated arrival of Lebron James? Looking at the linked list of Rod's transaction record with the Nets, there is some cause for concern in this regard. While the acquisition of Kidd, Carter, Jefferson and Martin are among Rod's finest moments there are plenty not so fine moments (can you say Mutombo or Mourning or Mercer, etc.?) on this list giving me cause for concern but then again as a long suffering Nets fan what can you expect? Here's the link: http://hoopshype.com/general_managers/rod_thorn.htm
Here's NI's report up until last year's trade deadline with grades. He usually updates this before the season as well. I find it handy. As for your question, I don't think Thorn has earned the right to build the "New Nets" because he failed to win with the old ones, but I sure am rooting for he and Kiki to do well as long as they are in charge.
As long as we don't let Thorn sign any more FAs whose name start with M we'll be fine. While the deals you mentioned weren't successes, they definitely had a LOT of promise. Discounting the last 2 seasons, Thorn has not been afraid to try. In my eyes, that's the most important factor.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Super John @ Jul 4 2008, 10:00 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Don't know if this topic has come up before but as the Nets stand at yet another cross road in their history after losing some star players, can we trust Rod Thorn to put this team in a position to be a championship club by 2010, the year of the anticipated arrival of Lebron James? Looking at the linked list of Rod's transaction record with the Nets, there is some cause for concern in this regard. While the acquisition of Kidd, Carter, Jefferson and Martin are among Rod's finest moments there are plenty not so fine moments (can you say Mutombo or Mourning or Mercer, etc.?) on this list giving me cause for concern but then again as a long suffering Nets fan what can you expect? Here's the link: http://hoopshype.com/general_managers/rod_thorn.htm</div> It has historically broken down this way: --His trades have been phenomenal. The only bad one was Mutombo. It's hard to find fault with Kidd for Marbury, RJ and Collins for Griffin, Carter for trinkets and baubles, or even KMart for three picks that turned into trinkets and baubles or Kittles for a pick and cash that turned into Cliff Robinson. It's not too early to suggest that Harris etc for Kidd was a good deal. Yi for RJ? MUCH too early. --In the draft, he has had a generally good record, considering what he had to work with. Zoran and Wright were bad picks, but RJ and Collins, Krstic, the two UConn players, Sean Williams and now hopefully the three he took last week were all good for where they were picked. --Free agency...forget it...a disaster. Aaron Williams and Big Todd were diamonds in the rough. After that, the list is just awful. Here's one way to look at his recent trades. Consider the rebuilding moves since last February as one "master trade": Kidd, Jefferson, Collins, Wright and Allen for Harris, Diop, Ager, Hassell, KVH, Swift, Yi, Anderson, Lopez, CDR, Simmons, a 2010 first round pick, $3 million in cash and a $3.3 million trade exception. Not bad...particularly if there really is a prospect of sending Diop to Dallas in a sign-and-trade. And every GM has some disasters. Dumars had the worst draft in the last 20 years, taking Milicic and Delfino when Anthony, Bosh and Wade were there at #2 and Howard was there at #25. Kiki had the second worst draft, passing on Amare twice to take Tskitishvili and Nene. Buford of San Antonio traded Barbosa and Scola for nothing. Kupchak traded Butler for Kwame Brown.
2 important moves he made was selecting Scott and Jordan(extending) as coaches, although they didnt work out here in NJ, they turn out to be couple of the better coaches in the league these days. During draft days, he has made some head scratches like selling Kyle Korver for cash, and drafting Antoine Wright over Danny Granger(both play the same position). Other than he has drafted solid. I think overall, he's one of the best gm/presidents in the league. He always get better talent back than he sends out in trades. He always drafts pretty solid. He never put the team in a financial crisis so they cant rebuild. When he does rebuild, he does it the right way. Can people who bash him name a better gm/president than Thorn, base on overall work?
consider this: Prior to thorn the nets had the infamous seacus 7 calling the shots. nuff said! oh yeah go nets
