Every GM has had a few "missteps". I'd give Mullin a pass on Biedrins. He had a very solid season the year before the big contract. As we all know, sometimes the draft picks and contract signings are because of the owner, not the GM.
My feeling is that there is no such thing as a perfect GM. Get a guy who knows the job and has been reasonably competent and move on; Mullin would be fine
Get a guy with a good directional plan, that's the key.....IMO anyway. Born was all over Durant and Chris Paul, so we have smart people in place. We need a GM who listens to them and is able to sell PA on moves
Haynes is garbage. I don't buy anything he says. That being said, I'd like to buy this - hope he's right. No to Mullin.
I am not a fan of the job Mullin did overall with the Warriors. During his tenure, I found myself regularly disagreeing with his moves. He had a lot of high picks to work with and the team let him spend money. So he had the ingredients and tools to make a good soup. So, I think the chef is mostly to blame. I don't want a repeat of the Nash era where I was neutral or negative about virtually every single move made by the team. It was really, really, really painful as a fan. Maybe he would be better now. Maybe he has learned a lot. He probably has. I think the team should keep looking.
Shit, I've seen all sorts of posts calling Haynes out over the last year. How am I just a hater? I guess I just happen to randomly read his stuff when he's totally wrong, because I rarely read anything from him that is true (at least when it comes to rumors/speculation). :dunno But maybe he's gotten better. I stopped reading because his stuff is terrible. And he can barely write (or nobody edits his stuff for him).
In a market like Portland it is impairative that we get a GM that knows how to draft. Mullin's drafting track record is horrible. Of all the candidates I like Bower the most.
This is a great point. Portland can usually get guys to stay once they are here, but attracting them int he first place is the tough part.
don't care much for Bower's draft record, myself. Mainly, when he acquired his big star, in Paul, he failed in the following drafts to surround him with any talent to build a winner. He followed up the Paul draft with Hilton armstrong and cedric simmons, and then julian wright. 3 picks that could have helped really solidify a winner there, instead of what they had, a brief spike and then fall.
Ya, I don't like Bower a ton. I just agree with the philosophy of getting a GM or whoever in here that can draft. As I said before, Born seems to be that guy. He needs a bigger voice, IMO
Yeah he was pretty bad with the Warriors. All of his 1st round picks basically ended up being whiffs. He traded a first for Marcus Williams which is still biting the Warriors in the ass. Signed Derek Fisher, Adonal Foyle, Dunleavy to huge contracts. Trading for Baron was obviously a good move, but not exactly brilliant on his part. Anyone would have added BD to a roster like the W's had for just Dale Davis and Speedy Claxton. The Jackson/Harrington trade worked out well but that was really a swap of crappy contracts and cashing in what little value Ike Diogu had left. I think he did learn a lot by the end of his tenure but it was too late. He was playing hard ball in negotiations with the role players instead of just paying them blindly. He worked out a decent extension for Baron (I think it was only 2 years) but management denied it, but he responded to that by signing Maggette after striking out on Gilbert Arenas and Elton Brand. I don't think he has much of a vision or long term plan. Hes overly obsessed with left handed players and was really bad drafting aside from Monta. Bringing in Nellie made him look more successful but if not for that he would have been an epic failure.
I'm not a saying Bowers draft record is great. But, it is relative to the other candidates that have been listed. Drafting guys like West, Thornton, Bass and others where he got them was good. That year with Armstrong and Simmons was a disaster.
