The good news

[Gaddabout]

If, as expected, Lon Babby is brought in, he will operate as president and, I guess, either CEO or CFO of the organization. However, the Suns will still hire a GM who will be the primary contact for NBA organizations and handle normal GM responsibilities.

I've been told this plan is not meant to deflect criticism that Sarver is too involved with day-to-day operations -- Sarver could care less about that. However, it could and probably will have the by-product of giving the front office more independence from Sarver and Babby will be Sarver's direct connection rather than the GM. Consider it sort of a buffer, and Babby is the ideal personality to run interference and keep people happy. It's more of a baseball-type operation than NBA, but it can work.

Long term, this is probably a good plan under a Sarver-led ownership. In the short term, it means less power for the GM position and will be less attractive. I don't know how that will pan out. The challenge is finding a good person who can also work with Babby. I think the D-Backs can tell anyone that you can't have a GM who doesn't play well with others in that kind of scenario.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

If, as expected, Lon Babby is brought in, he will operate as president and, I guess, either CEO or CFO of the organization. However, the Suns will still hire a GM who will be the primary contact for NBA organizations and handle normal GM responsibilities.

I've been told this plan is not meant to deflect criticism that Sarver is too involved with day-to-day operations -- Sarver could care less about that. However, it could and probably will have the by-product of giving the front office more independence from Sarver and Babby will be Sarver's direct connection rather than the GM. Consider it sort of a buffer, and Babby is the ideal personality to run interference and keep people happy. It's more of a baseball-type operation than NBA, but it can work.

Long term, this is probably a good plan under a Sarver-led ownership. In the short term, it means less power for the GM position and will be less attractive. I don't know how that will pan out. The challenge is finding a good person who can also work with Babby. I think the D-Backs can tell anyone that you can't have a GM who doesn't play well with others in that kind of scenario.

nice to see the words "good news" come outta your computer. you've been pretty dead-on with your thoughts about the pending doom. would be nice to see someone with their finger on the pulse of this organization also be right about potential positives...

 

[Gaddabout]

nice to see the words "good news" come outta your computer. you've been pretty dead-on with your thoughts about the pending doom. would be nice to see someone with their finger on the pulse of this organization also be right about potential positives...

Any change in management style is a step forward, IMO, although I could be cynical and suggest adding another layer of management makes the team slower and less likely to pull the trigger on anything big. This style of management works well in San Antonio, though, because the FO has a vision and everyone follows out to a 'T' every year. They put an emphasis in long-term player development, scouting, and a commitment to finding people who fit the coach's philosophy rather than tossing a bunch of 'players' on the court and hoping it works.

Sarver idolizes the Spurs and, no doubt, he's doing his best to copy their magic.

 

[joshstmarie]

Sarver idolizes the Spurs and, no doubt, he's doing his best to copy their magic.

Good, that means a trade for a rebounding PF should be in the works.

 

[82CardsGrad]

If, as expected, Lon Babby is brought in, he will operate as president and, I guess, either CEO or CFO of the organization. However, the Suns will still hire a GM who will be the primary contact for NBA organizations and handle normal GM responsibilities.

I've been told this plan is not meant to deflect criticism that Sarver is too involved with day-to-day operations -- Sarver could care less about that. However, it could and probably will have the by-product of giving the front office more independence from Sarver and Babby will be Sarver's direct connection rather than the GM. Consider it sort of a buffer, and Babby is the ideal personality to run interference and keep people happy. It's more of a baseball-type operation than NBA, but it can work.

Long term, this is probably a good plan under a Sarver-led ownership. In the short term, it means less power for the GM position and will be less attractive. I don't know how that will pan out. The challenge is finding a good person who can also work with Babby. I think the D-Backs can tell anyone that you can't have a GM who doesn't play well with others in that kind of scenario.

Good News = N.T.

 

[Gaddabout]

Good, that means a trade for a rebounding PF should be in the works.

If you pay attention to the Spurs you know they don't do a lot of trading, especially when it involves primary pieces. They draft them. SA-style management is about patience. Think if of it more Japanese in business style than American. You don't waste draft picks. You draft overseas and let them stay in Europe for three years. You draft for talent and not on needs. If you have a player you like, you don't wait until their contract is up to negotiate a long-term deal. You place a higher priority on skill over athleticism.

I'm OK with this if they can commit to it. It probably means some growing pains over the next three years but it could payoff with a stronger organization.

 

[SunsTzu]

You draft for talent and not on needs.

Suns just need a couple #1 overall picks when can't miss HOF 7 footers are available and they may be able to emulate the Spurs success.

 

[Skratchy_Seal]

Whatever happened to Rick Welts? What is/was his role in the org?

 

[SunsTzu]

Whatever happened to Rick Welts? What is/was his role in the org?

Pretty sure he's still with the team. I thought his role basically had to do with marketing and business. Don't think he was ever involved with players or on-court product.

 

[joshstmarie]

Im all fine and dandy with copying the spurs drafting blueprints but RIGHT NOW, I think we have taken some huge steps twords fielding an ultra competitive team and possibly a championship contender hinging on aquiring a PF that can gobble some boards. The west is big. Oden/Aldridge/Camby - Lee/Biedrens/Udoh - Odom/Gasol/Bynum - Griffin/Kaman/Aminu - Dirk/Haywood/Dampier(Haslem?) ect.

 

[SweetD]

What about trading away Barbosa and Goran? I am sure they could have used them. The Spurs got luck with Robinson getting injuired to get Duncan.

 

[elindholm]

What about trading away Barbosa and Goran?

They traded away those picks, not the players taken with them. The Spurs had no more interest in Barbosa than the Suns did in Rondo.

 

[Gaddabout]

Suns just need a couple #1 overall picks when can't miss HOF 7 footers are available and they may be able to emulate the Spurs success.

The Spurs have done an amazing job supplementing Duncan through crafty free agent picks and downright genius drafting. The Spurs drafted the rights to Luis Scola in 2002 and sat on them for three years. They drafted the rights to Tiago Splitter in 2007 when no one else would touch him in spite of his lottery-type talent because they didn't think they could sign him. The Spurs waited it out and just announced a couple of days ago they're going to sign him and bring him in. He will immediately invigorate that front line. They had the foresight to bring in Francisco Oberto from Spain when they couldn't sign Scola, and he gave them strong minutes off the bench in a championship run.

As far as that goes, Parker was a 28th pick. Ginobli was the 57th pick. George Hill was a 26th pick who barely left the bench until last season, but they had committed to his development. Bowen was an NBA castoff who had barely played a full season with three teams over seven years before the Spurs signed him. They got DeJuan Blair with the 37th pick and he was one of the best rookies in the league last year.

That is a team you want to emulate if you're a medium-sized market like Phoenix.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

The Spurs have done an amazing job supplementing Duncan through crafty free agent picks and downright genius drafting. The Spurs drafted the rights to Luis Scola in 2002 and sat on them for three years. They drafted the rights to Tiago Splitter in 2007 when no one else would touch him in spite of his lottery-type talent because they didn't think they could sign him. The Spurs waited it out and just announced a couple of days ago they're going to sign him and bring him in. He will immediately invigorate that front line. They had the foresight to bring in Francisco Oberto from Spain when they couldn't sign Scola, and he gave them strong minutes off the bench in a championship run.

As far as that goes, Parker was a 28th pick. Ginobli was the 57th pick. George Hill was a 26th pick who barely left the bench until last season, but they had committed to his development. Bowen was an NBA castoff who had barely played a full season with three teams over seven years before the Spurs signed him. They got DeJuan Blair with the 37th pick and he was one of the best rookies in the league last year.

That is a team you want to emulate if you're a medium-sized market like Phoenix.

agreed, but it's predicated on two things:

1) the aforementioned luck of being bad enough in the right year to nab a duncan. we've never had this luck.

2) having the acumen for superior talent evaluation. the ability to sniff out the hidden or rough gems. skeptical that we have that skill (remember, the guys that identified dudley, lopez, and dragic are seemingly gone - i'd be shocked if sarver was behind that talent evaluation).

 

[Gaddabout]

2) having the acumen for superior talent evaluation. the ability to sniff out the hidden or rough gems. skeptical that we have that skill (remember, the guys that identified dudley, lopez, and dragic are seemingly gone - i'd be shocked if sarver was behind that talent evaluation).

Which is why I'll be watching what Babby does. If the GM becomes less of a public relations job and more of an inside basketball job, that gives you one more position to focus on stuff like scouting. It changes the emphasis of operations. Could be good. Could be awful. We'll just have to see.

 

[SunsTzu]

Maybe I'm mistaken but wasn't Presti the one credited for their genius European scouting? Will be interesting to see how well their current overseas products develop but it seems they have gone mostly domestic since he left in 2007.