So many fans think this guy is head and shoulders above everyone, like he's some sort of GM 'genius'. He's hardly. He always gets credit for two things. Bringing Shaq to Los Angeles and trading for Kobe Bryant. I give him all the credit for the Kobe Bryant trade, huge steal, great move. But outside of that, he's simply average at best. Bringing Shaquille O'Neal to Los Angeles had more to do with being the Los Angeles Lakers than Jerry West being there....I mean, it's fricken Los Angeles, obviously thats the giant market Shaq wanted. Over the last 10 years Jerry West's drafts have been pathetic. Mind you, he didn't have the highest picks, but most of his picks were poor. I think if you label a GM a 'genius' he should at least have a great drafting record, he's clearly not a masterfull talent evaluater. I just don't get it.
I agree BCB, but Kobe just wants that feeling that the front office is on the same page as him, and right now he's not getting that with Mitch Kupchak.West is a solid GM, but there are guys out there I'd take before him, specifically RC Buford.
Agree, he hasn't really done anything special with the Grizz since being there. I mean this is a gm who overpaid Brian Cardinal. Also, drafted Troy Bell. His drafts have been less than stellar.
Hes not overrated. Hes done alotve stuff for Memphis people dont realize. First off, Memphis wasnt a very good team at first, but he didnt change the entire team...he brought in the perfect coach. Hube Brown. We went from a lottery team, to a 50 win team. HUGE turnaround. Then we drafted Drew Gooden...who by mid-season was traded for one of the Grizzlies most valuable players, Mike Miller. Then, he got Mike Fratello(a pretty good coach) to become our coach. Then there was the huge trade where pretty much we traded Jason Williams and James Posey for Eddie Jones(whos huge expiring we are going to use this off-season) and Raul Lopez(if he ever decides to come back to NBA, hes Memphis Grizzlies property). Then he drafted Hakim Warrick, got Alexander Johnson and Lawrence Roberts(two solid players...AJ IMO is a starter) in the 2nd rnd, then signed Tarence Kinsey as a free agent rookie who might turnout to be a steal. Then theres the trading Battier for Stro and Rudy...and Rudy might turnout to be a star. Hes done a pretty good job IMO. And thats just Memphis. Ill let the Laker fans take it from here.Oh, he traded Tsakalidas for Padgett. Not that big of a deal? We got a 2mill cap exception which may be the difference between us and another team trying to sign a free agent.btw, he didnt draft Troy Bell..he traded for him and Jones with Perkins and Banks..none of them have been nothing special. And all GMs make mistakes like the Brian Cardinal thing...ugh..
Sorry Austin, but your really reaching there. His drafting has been 'bleh' and his trades have been good and bad, but nothing really impressive. He's just an average GM, his 'genius' has been completely overrated....it's ridiculous.
Just cause people say your a great GM, dont expect to look at his career and see "he drafted 19 allstars, won 12 championships, ect.". I agree Wests drafts havent been the greatest..but drafting isnt what its all about. Its hiring coaches, signing players, trading players, etc. Jerry West has been awesome at all of those.And I forgot to mention he signed Damon Stoudamire. Just a small free agent sign...but with the small free agent signing Memphis was a top 5 team in the 05-06 season...until Damon went down with that injury. He knows how to tweak teams...that takes a good GM.Hes not a average GM...and compared to alotve other GMs..he is a genius.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (austingriz @ May 28 2007, 02:14 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Hes not a average GM...and compared to alotve other GMs..he is a genius.</div> Billy King, Billy Knight....
Your not really using Eddie for anything, considering you bought him out. Unless you're talking about cap wise. The trade talent wise, was in favor of Heat. How's that even a positive? That trade to me was West failed and thought Gooden was a bust and traded him for 6th man Mike Miller. Who is a good player but the it's a linear movement. By that notion, Mavericks did not draft Devin Harris or Dirk Nowitzki. West drafted Troy Bell. He made a draft day trade to get him, he drafted him. Technically speaking another team picked for him.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (austingriz @ May 28 2007, 02:58 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Hes not overrated. Hes done alotve stuff for Memphis people dont realize. First off, Memphis wasnt a very good team at first</div>Yet today, they stand as a 22 win team.<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>btw, he didnt draft Troy Bell..he traded for him and Jones with Perkins and Banks..none of them have been nothing special. And all GMs make mistakes like the Brian Cardinal thing...ugh..</div>Like Rok said, they had the trade worked out before hand, and both Jerry West and Danny Ainge drafted for each other. It wasn't Jerry West picking Banks on his own and then Ainge suddenly coming up with the trade idea, the trade was worked out before hand and they selected for each other.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (austingriz @ May 28 2007, 03:14 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Just cause people say your a great GM, dont expect to look at his career and see "he drafted 19 allstars, won 12 championships, ect.". I agree Wests drafts havent been the greatest..but drafting isnt what its all about. Its hiring coaches, signing players, trading players, etc. Jerry West has been awesome at all of those.And I forgot to mention he signed Damon Stoudamire. Just a small free agent sign...but with the small free agent signing Memphis was a top 5 team in the 05-06 season...until Damon went down with that injury. He knows how to tweak teams...that takes a good GM.Hes not a average GM...and compared to alotve other GMs..he is a genius.</div>Actually it's about winning. West honestly hasn't done that in Memphis, period.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (playaofthegame @ May 28 2007, 04:14 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Actually it's about winning. West honestly hasn't done that in Memphis, period.</div>In his defense, he Memphis was the 5th seed last year.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>In his defense, he Memphis was the 5th seed last year.</div>Counterpoint, Grizz have yet to win a playoff game EVER!
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Rok @ May 28 2007, 03:30 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Counterpoint, Grizz have yet to win a playoff game EVER! </div>Thanks to Dirk!
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Your not really using Eddie for anything, considering you bought him out. Unless you're talking about cap wise. The trade talent wise, was in favor of Heat.</div>Yeah, that might result in a major free agent. Other than that, Eddie Jones was extremely valuable to Memphis last season. His injury at the beginning of this season certainly didnt help Memphis either.<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>How's that even a positive?</div>Raul Lopez is a vert solid backup point guard. Alotve teams wouldnt mind having him.<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>That trade to me was West failed and thought Gooden was a bust and traded him for 6th man Mike Miller. Who is a good player but the it's a linear movement.</div>No, we didnt need a big man in that sitation cause everybody thought Stro will be traded. He wasnt, so we traded Gooden for a better Mike Miller.Memphis made the playoffs 3 straight times and a extremely difficult western conference. And btw, we didnt get swept by just anybody. We got swept be year 1: San Antonio Spurs year 2hoenix Suns year 3allas Mavericks.And dont even talk to me about this season. NO GM COULD EVER WIN WITH THAT TYPE OF SEASON. Using this season is such a cheap arguement its not even funny. I will give you the fact that Jerry West hasnt always been the best drafter...but that has alot to do with his staff his team gives to him.Nobody is a "GM genius" cause alotve it has to do with situations, luck(such as drafts, type of players you have etc.). But Jerry West isnt just a average GM. Where the hell are the Laker fans?And theres a reason why people all over the NBA organization will say hes a incredible GM...id rather take their word than some fans who think they know what what it takes to build a team.
West is a great GM. I don't care if his draft picks haven't been great or you disagree with some of his FA signings and how he decides to pay players...bottom line is he was the architect of one of only 3 teams in NBA history to complete a 3 peat, and turned around one of the NBA's worst franchises into a 50 win team (and he is leaving it with a nice core of players that he acquired through draft).
That remains to be seen. I've seen plenty of teams with cap and sit on it or waste it. I'm sorry but he's not. The guy is too frail to play in the NBA. He couldn't handle the 82 game season and that's why he's not in the pros anymore. To say you hold his rights but he's not even playing in the league or made any notice he will return, doesn't say much of a positive at all. Like I said, your so called high draft pick at 4 was a bust and West traded him. Who picked him? West and he had to trade him, and for Miller. Who I said was a decent player but he's not any better than Gooden in terms of talent to be honest. Linear movement, neither make or break a team. I could have sworn you called West a gm genius. Oh Yeah, you did, you did call him a genius.
In Los Angeles he did bring in alot of great role players and meshed that team together very well. He did a great job assembling that team. Any time a GM builds a 3 title winner, he did something right. Obviously his work in Memphis has been less than stellar. That Brian Cardinal signing was one of the worst FA moves in the past 10 years or so in the NBA.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Mobruler @ May 28 2007, 11:32 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Obviously his work in Memphis has been less than stellar. That Brian Cardinal signing was one of the worst FA moves in the past 10 years or so in the NBA.</div>The team was in the gutter and he built a team that won 50 games. Wgile they were horrible last year, he leaves the team with a ton of young talent that will be the core of a pretty damn good team in a few years.
