Evaluating James Jones as acting GM

devilalum

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If this happened to Colangelo's team we would all be calling Memphis a bunch of crooks and idiots.

The track record of Sarver and Co. makes it hard to believe they weren't at least partially to blame.

anyway, who really cares? It's not like that trade was a huge deal. One non-producing expiring contract for a few smaller non-producing contracts.

It seems to me we should be packaging players and or picks with Ariza to get a player that can make a difference, instead of doing all of this to save a couple million bucks.

It seems like the Griz are taking advantage of this fact. The Suns are the latest joke. Everybody's in on it.
 

Mainstreet

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If this happened to Colangelo's team we would all be calling Memphis a bunch of crooks and idiots.

The track record of Sarver and Co. makes it hard to believe they weren't at least partially to blame.

anyway, who really cares? It's not like that trade was a huge deal. One non-producing expiring contract for a few smaller non-producing contracts.

It seems to me we should be packaging players and or picks with Ariza to get a player that can make a difference, instead of doing all of this to save a couple million bucks.

I agree with most of this. Who knows, maybe the Ariza trade comes out better or even leads to another trade.
 

Dan H

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I wouldn't say he's incompetent, but he couldn't get laid in a Nevada brothel with a duffel bag full of 100 dollar bills.
 

JerkFace

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This trade is a no-win for the perception of Jones as a competent GM. Jones didn’t want Oubre originally, so even if he works out it will be in spite of Jones’ “evaluation” of him.
 

SirStefan32

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This trade is a no-win for the perception of Jones as a competent GM. Jones didn’t want Oubre originally, so even if he works out it will be in spite of Jones’ “evaluation” of him.

That may not be true. He may have wanted Dilon Brooks more than Oubre, but there is no indication he didn't want Oubre.
 

SirStefan32

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I agree. While the Suns were not at fault, now that we have all the facts, it still sucks to be involved in that debacle.
 
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JCSunsfan

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This trade is a no-win for the perception of Jones as a competent GM. Jones didn’t want Oubre originally, so even if he works out it will be in spite of Jones’ “evaluation” of him.
Naw. You evaluate a GM based upon what he actually did, not what he wanted to do.
 

Ouchie-Z-Clown

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Naw. You evaluate a GM based upon what he actually did, not what he wanted to do.
I disagree. If you know what he wanted to do, even if not able to accomplish it you know what he values and how he values it. For instance if he didn’t complete a deal because he wa shooting for the moon you appreciate him trying to win a deal but you also might have insight into the fact that he’s not realistic with his expectations which could mean he’ll never be able to consummate a trade. Conversely if a deal doesn’t go through, and it was a potentially awful deal for the team you know that given the opportunity he’s willing and capable of destroying the team. Ignore evidence at your own peril.
 

SweetD

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At this point I put Jones at a C-, the buyout of Chandler was terrible. Allowing LA to maintain cap flexibility and not give up any assets. I am glad Saver blocked any trade to LA for Ariza if they where not willing to include any of the players listed.
 

AzStevenCal

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Not much to go on right now so I would probably just give him a C and wait for it to move up or down when he actually does a few things.
 

Cheesebeef

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Not much to go on right now so I would probably just give him a C and wait for it to move up or down when he actually does a few things.

agreed. we also don't know how much of a true GM he is if reports are right that Sarver is nixing trades to certain teams or talking to owners above Jones' head.
 

AzStevenCal

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agreed. we also don't know how much of a true GM he is if reports are right that Sarver is nixing trades to certain teams or talking to owners above Jones' head.

True. I hear a lot of good things about Jones but none of it really has anything to do with whether he is ready to do this job on his own. And since we know we don't want him doing it with Sarver's help, at this point I'm willing to hope for a Griffin hiring.
 
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1Sun

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True. I hear a lot of good things about Jones but none of it really has anything to do with whether he is ready to do this job on his own. And since know we don't want him doing it with Sarver's help, at this point I'm willing to hope for a Griffin hiring.

I'll take any remotely competent GM if it gets Sarver more out of the way. Griffin is fine. I'll even take Bryan Colangelo back.
 

BC867

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I'll take any remotely competent GM if it gets Sarver more out of the way. Griffin is fine. I'll even take Bryan Colangelo back.
From a D-minus to a ... D-minus. No thanks. Even without his wife's tweets.
 

Yuma

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agreed. we also don't know how much of a true GM he is if reports are right that Sarver is nixing trades to certain teams or talking to owners above Jones' head.
This happened all the time in the old school NBA. Teams would refuse to trade with their rivals. That's why a lot of trades went east coast/west coast. Collangelo tried not to trade to rivals either.
 

AzStevenCal

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This happened all the time in the old school NBA. Teams would refuse to trade with their rivals. That's why a lot of trades went east coast/west coast. Collangelo tried not to trade to rivals either.

I think that has more to do with old school scheduling than old school basketball. We play 30 games a season now against the East and that has reduced the rivalries inside divisions and conferences as we face teams like the Lakers fewer times than we used to.
 

HeHasRosen

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Im not sure why everyone is saying Sarver blocked trades to LA?? He did no such thing. They were engaged in talks again after the Brooks trade fell through. LA wasn't willing to trade any "young core" players aka Lonzo ball imo. That's exactly what should have happened. Majority of the board feared him gifting Ariza to his boy Lebron. If anything LA should have been on board since we basically did them a solid with Chandler. He made the right move.

Also who is to say Brooks wouldn't have turned out to be a great player for us. There's a reason Memphis changed their minds in the middle of the night. Which is what happened imo. Luckily for them it was easy to do with the image this team has at the moment. We got bait and switched and still caught all the heat
 
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JCSunsfan

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This happened all the time in the old school NBA. Teams would refuse to trade with their rivals. That's why a lot of trades went east coast/west coast. Collangelo tried not to trade to rivals either.
There has been a lot of talk league-wide about James Jones just helping his buddy LeBron. I have no doubt Sarver has heard it. I remember him saying once that he regularly reads hoopsype. Maybe he did not want that accusation again. Or maybe once he read it and found out that LeBron had actually called James Jones, and Sarver was not happy about it.

I have given up being worried about Sarver's interference. It just is. It is now more interesting to see what he does and speculate why. I am not a Sarver fan, but if my owner hates the Lakers, I am ok with it.
 
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