Which accounts are those? You link to me a direct quote from Paul Allen, Steve Patterson or Nate McMillan and I will be glad to read it. These things are a team effort. There are a BUNCH of guys involved. And there is no way possible that KP pulled off 6 trades without significant, high level involvement from other guys. KP was part of the team the years prior to 2006. In 2006 he was put in "charge" of the draft after Nash was let go. Patterson was still on board. Gabriel was on the team. It wasn't until after the 2006 draft that KP was promoted to GM and powerful figures Patterson and Gabriel were gone, so you can assume that KP was much more in control. So, it is easy to surmize that KP was more and more responsible for what happened during the drafts: 05 some; 06 more; 07+ more still. When you look at the KEY factors that contributed to the overhaul of the roster and changing the team from 20 wins to 50 wins what are essential? My take: Coaching stability and quality. I am not a big Nate booster, but I am and have been satisfied with him as a decent coach. Such a huge improvement over Cheeks. During the rebuilding process, I think the stability has been a big benefit. Brandon Roy. We got a true-blue All-Star. LaMarcus Aldridge. We got a decent big, who while not as dominating a scorer as Zach is a better team player who has a coach friendly, versatile, all-round game. Pryzbilla 2 seasons ago. We got the best season of his career out of him and had a paint protector. Miller last season. We got a PG - finally. So, who was responsible for the most important factors in winning 50 games the last two seasons? McMillian: Patterson, Vulcans, Allen Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge: The whole crew - all of them. Yes, KP too likely had a large part of this amazing team effort. Joel Pryzbilla: Nash and Patterson Andre Miller: Ummm. Do you credit KP for his 4th choice? Do you credit KP for being saved from a horrible mistake by the Toronto GM being an even bigger fool? Do you credit KP for being lucky that an unusual free agent market allowed an above average free agent PG to sit and wait by the phone? I don't. So, to may way of thinking, KP is not solely responsible for the turnaround. Was he part of it? You bet. A big part? No doubt. Did he do a fantastic job? No. Could another GM have done as well or better? I think that is possible.
Another way of looking at this: The 06-07 roster KP inherited when he was promoted to GM: * is still on roster *Broy *LaMarcus *Martell *Joel Zach Jack Ime Travis Magliore Sergio Dixon Dickau Fred Jones Raef Darius the players gone aren't worth anything except for Zach, Travis and Jack. And Zach had a bad contract. KP had other assets to work with in overhauling the roster; the "Golden Ticket" of RLEC (or pocket for cap space the next summer); Darius Miles expiring contract; '07 1st (in which team won the Oden lotto); '08 1st; '09 1st and a bunch of 2nd rounders, Paul Allen buying picks and paying traded players salaries. For Zach, Travis, Jack, RLEC/cap space, Darius expiring, lots of Allen's cash, and years of picks we now have: Oden: this is not to KP's credit that the lotto balls went our way, nor should he be blamed, imo, for not picking Durant. Camby: Good trade. Miller: Decent signing considering we dodged a bullet prior. Not the long-term cornerstone addition RLEC/cap space was supposed to net. Bayless: Jury is still out. Rudy: Wants out. Batum: Excellent Pick Cunningham; Pendergraph; Mills: not bad. Rights to Euros: Jury still out. Camby and Miller are nice vets next season for this team build around Roy, LaMarcus and Oden, that (if fully healthy) is ready to make a run. I still have high hopes that Batum could be a cornerstone caliber player. The rest is not so exciting. I have a hard time arguing that AFTER the 2006 draft is over, considering the assets the team had to work with, that the extensive drafting, trading and signings have been above average, let alone excellent. It could have been worse though. Imagine what a bad GM (which KP is not) and a miserly owner would have on the team now.
Yes, that is a tremendously underrated reason for wins falsely credited to Pritchard. Many, many wins have been pulled out in the last minute by McMillan's system revolving around Roy. Then Pritchard gets credit for having so many wins. (Although I agree with others that McMillan's system needs changes.) I guess we could get Presti (or Phil Jackson or anyone who is between contracts), if Paul Allen offered enough (Presti about $8 million per year or Jackson about $15M). I don't think Allen will, though. I think he'll do what he should--hire a cheaper promising assistant GM or Scout like Presti and Pritchard were.
