How important is the owner in the NBA? We know a bad owner can really fuck things up (Donald Sterling), and some owners really invest themselves in a team in a usually positive way (Mark Cuban) but, in general, does the owner influence the team? Obviously I'm envious of what San Antonio has going on, not just because they stole Aldridge, but because they've been good forever, and also they're trying new things like promoting Becky Hammon. Is that because the owner is good, or just because he doesn't meddle? Is Paul Allen a help or a hindrance? It used to be that his money got us places - the Whitsitt years, for example, but then came the rash of bad GMs and quick firings. Is he a meddler? Is the fact that he's kind of a shy oddball offputting or does it not matter?
I think that when you own not one, not two, but 3 professional sports teams, that all seem to do pretty well for them selves in recent years is usually a pretty good sign as to how good of an owner you might be
I can't fault Uncle Paul. If I magically came into a billion and bought the Bucks (for instance), I would probably throw myself pretty hard into the running of the team (not quite Jerry Jones-style, but maybe like Cuban). All those "I'm glad you're not my GM" quotes would come true. I'd want to build a team around a specific style, or ethos or value set.
For one thing, I'd experiment pretty heavily in the D-League. I sent KP a point paper once about how he could maximize PA's cash flow by using it on things that were non-salary based: 2nd-round picks, a basketball academy for Undrafted FAs, experimenting with technology-based analysis to identify trends and correlation (or non-correlation), bringing in coaches, saving rosters spots to "reward" D-Leaguers with "vet minimum" cash as a bonus, etc. Some of those things are overcome by events, some by the new CBA, but there's still a lot of room for creativity. For instance, I have no earthly idea why Phil Jackson does not have a D-League team right now that's a) training up 5 smart coaching candidates and paying them a living wage to become the absolute effing experts in the triangle offense, b) signing a lot of Undrafted FAs and veteran waiver-wire guys to D-league contracts to build up a pool of guys "qualified" to play in the triangle offense (this could be another "basketball academy" thing) hoping that a couple may qualify, c) start recruiting non-college eligible guys with talent.... Plenty of places to go with it.
The Spurs owner is sooo good that he managed to rig the draft and pick Tim Duncan. Because the Spurs won so many titles before Duncan got there. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I think ownership is EXTREMELY important. I think teams that have multiple owners, rather than an individual owner, tend to be worse. I'd be interested to see what teams have individual owners, and what teams are owned by ownership groups. I don't know why, but I've long had the idea that more Eastern Conference teams are owned by ownership groups, where more WC are owned by individuals...and this is my explanation for why the east sucks and the west is the best. But I haven't done any research to know if that's actually true! Regardless, I think ownership is very important.
Is Paul Allen a meddler? My gut reaction based only on the limited information that has been made public is. No, he is not a meddler, actually just the opposite. He takes a keen interest in the team, and will ask the GM a lot of questions. However, his questions are to learn more about the GMs ideas, and gauge the GM’s confidence in his ideas. If PA believes the GM is very confident in an idea, he will go along with almost anything, to a fault. See the jail Blazers era. If PA was a meddler, how do you explain this scenario? We all know PA loves the draft and takes a lot of interest in it. It has been rumored that some of the picks were his, Patty Mills comes to mind. However, Patty was a very late second round pick and not a gamble. At least once, PA had the opportunity to completely take over a draft, but backed away. I am referring to when he fired Kevin Prichard, and then let KP run the draft. That was weird. PA could have taken over and run that draft. He probably already studied all of the scouting reports on the players, and was aware of any trade possibilities KP knew about. But he did not meddle in the job KP was doing, even after he fired him. PA believed in what KP was doing because KP believed in it. This is all circumstantial, and debatable. But over the years, I have come to like Paul Allen, and respect his handling of the Blazers, as well as his quit generosity through his foundation.
Totally different than 3-10 millionaires trying to each make sure their interests are met. BTW - whenever the Blazers end up going up for sale I would LOVE for the citizens of Portland to buy the franchise, a la Green Bay.
God. Wouldnt that be great. The league would have to assist though. NFL has a hand in the Green Bay deal. Doubt Silver would be up for it.
Actually no. The NFL passed bylaws that made turning a franchise into a publicly held company "illegal." If anything the NFL would love to reverse Green Bay's unique position because for one thing, the Packers have to open up their books every year and the public gets to see exactly how much money they make from revenue sharing (which by default makes every team's cut visible).
I think of the Pritchard years as when his money greased the wheels for trades--taking on one bad contract to get one good player, adding $3 million, etc. Because NBA teams other than the Knicks might hire that new expertise and make the Knicks lose even more?
Owners are billionaires with basketball teams as toys. Of you were a billionaire, wouldn't you play with your toy? I sure would.
Paul Allen is a good owner. He is learning to let basketball people do their jobs. He participates in the process but now hires actual professionals to do the jobs well. Top down. Hope it continues. No more Hat guy, nor Vulcanomics.
You talk like Canzano. An owner will have advisers. He will be more guided by economics than the GM. I don't know what meddling means, other than constantly erecting obstacles to the GM getting things done, which Allen has never done, right from the start.
I'd bet he spends as much time playing the guitar as anything else..when you have Paul Allen money, you have front row seats to everything we're lucky to have an owner like him
