If Jerry West is such a genius, why did he allow us to keep the 15 pick last year? It was his choice if he wanted it or not? I know he didn't need Nachbar, but come on. At the lottery, he told Franchise not to worry that the Rox would be in the playoffs next year. That means that he believed the best possible pick he could get from us next year would be the 15, in an arguably less talented draft. Not that I am not thanking him, but what gives?
I guess that is cool with be, but I like carrol dawson so I hope he isn't trying to hone in on a new job
I don't think it was HIS choice...I think the Rockets had the option on whether to give it to them or not. The Rockets new that it was a deep draft and next years draft would be weak so they took the player and ran with it. Chris
actually, it was only lottery protected. the number 15 pick is the first pick outside the lottery. It was the Grizzlies choice.
You got it wrong. The Rockets pick (#1) was lottery protected, the #15 pick was Toronto's, not the Rockets. If the Rockets were to substitute another pick for their own it had to be 13 or higher.
but West still could have taken the pick if he had wanted it. The Toronto point is moot, that is why I didn't bring it up.
I don't think he could have taken that pick (#15) unless that was negotiated with us. We could use the #1 and #15 pick if we wanted to and there was nothing he could do to get either one of them unless we wanted him to. I think West did a mighty fine job smokescreening that he was interested in Dunleavy so Gooden fell into his lap though (dumbasses in GS). Gooden was the best player to be both of immediate and long term impact, although Wagner looks to have would have been a decent pick up for him too.
The deal was that if we got a top-13 pick, it would have gone to Memphis automatically. Since we got #15, it was not automatic. West could have consented to accepting the #15, but it would only go under mutual consent -- that is, the Rockets would have to agree as well. If the Rockets never offered than Memphis could not have accepted. And perhaps they never did offer because they thought they would be much better this season (not a chance I would have taken I don't think).
Wasn't Jerry West down on Yao Ming and didn't think much of him and also said he didn't think Ming was a good shot-blocker? In fact there were a bunch of people in the Main Forum agreeing with West in the respect that Ming wasn't a good shot-blocker and pointing out his stats only a few weeks into the season and saying West was right. Well, Ming is averaging 22 minutes a game and is averaging 1.5 bpg. If he played 40 to 44 minutes he would statistically average 3 bpg, and right now he is changing other team's offenses. Dallas, Seattle, Los Angeles and Philly completely changed their offense when Ming came in. So I wouldn't call West the ultimate genius.
Jerry West gets far too much credit for the Lakers...he brought in Shaq....big deal. What GM wouldn't have tried to get Shaq? DaDakota
strategy my friend. If the word goes out on the street that one of the best GMs think Ming is going to be a bust, dont you think other GMs will take notice and at least think twice? What West says and thinks carries a lot of weight. In reality, I bet he was drooling for Ming to drop to the 4 spot. Who cares what most the people in the main forum think. i'd say 70 percent of the posters, post on emotion, not knowledge and are easliy swayed by the latest fad to be complaining about.
Sure MD may end up being decent, but if GS could re-draft do you think they would pass on Gooden, Wagner, Stoudamire and maybe even Nene or Caron for MD? They only reason they would still pick MD is because their heads are in the sand or due to pig-headed pride. The guy can't even generate much PT on one of the overall worst teams in the league, a team desperate for shooting, and a team desperate for a productive 3--all things he was supposed to help rather immediately as a polished prospect. Further, MD is older than all the above guys except Butler, has a pro ball dad, and played more years of pro-style ball in college where you expect an easier transition to the pros than the others. I thought those taking MD with anything less than a mid/late lotto totally misjudged his talent relative to the quite numerous low-lotto talents--and the early returns look like I was right on.
Never get what Jerry West SAYS and what Jerry West BELIEVES confused. He is the master of the smokescreen before the draft. I believe he is the one who said he wouldn't draft a high schooler, despite, at that time, having identified Kobe Bryant as his target in the 96 draft. Then getting him for Vlade Divac, at the sime time getting a player he thought was excellent and clearing salary to make a run at Shaq.
I saw Jerry West interviewed last year when he had just taken the Memphis job. I think it was on The Jim Rome Show. He said that after working out Kobe Bryant, he told Dr. Buss that Kobe was the best player in that entire draft class. It was an insightful stroke of genius to grab him with the 13th pick in a pre-arranged deal with Charlotte.
West is the best (Rice trade not withstanding), but imperfect. It is easier to fill in around key/core players than to build from scratch (right, Logo; right Rudy? of course, right). If I had been West and if I had the choice I would have rolled the dice for a lottery over a #15 pick. The Rox may still have to be lucky or to gel like !!! to give a lower than #15 pick...
