The argument also requires a strong draft, which Presti had. after WB, Love was the very next selection. after Harden were two pure PGs that Presti likely wasn't going to take given the development of WB. But Curry was considered a combo guard like Harden, just shorter. Also, if I remember correctly, the salary rules made it hard for Rubio's buyout to allow selected him higher, no? So Rubio might not have even been an option It's not a reach to say he had Love and Curry on his draft board after WB and Harden.
People just hate to give credit when credit is due. Remember when Thomas Robinson or MKG were basically safe picks locked to be at least starter level, with potential for being all-stars? Presti "could" have picked Curry, Love, etc, but they weren't even considered to be "locks" at the time. Love was considered by some to be too slow and unathletic to be dominant in the NBA. Curry was the same. Too thin and fragile. Ibaka should have made the all-star team one of these years. Reggie Jackson, Steven Adams, and Mitch McGary all have potential to be just below all-star level (or maybe even all-star level). Name another GM that has done this.
Presti is great but ESPN looked at this a while ago and found that Isiah Thomas was the best drafter ever - no joke! http://m.espn.go.com/nba/story?storyId=10726956
Yeah he's a great drafter. If Harden had stayed, Presti would have built a dynasty solely through the NBA Draft.
Lmao @ Westbrook being the consensus BPA and Presti being a terrible gm. I swear some of y'all refuse to give credit to anyone that's not affiliated with the rockets
Go back and read any draft evaluation of Westbrook if you think he was some kind of reach. By using rmedia mock drafts (some of which were laughably inaccurate ) you're saying that PrestI is smart because he had the foresight to not draft who a bunch of dumb writers playing guessing games thought he wanted to draft. If this same group of people hadn't decided that "yeah the need a center so BROOK LOPEZ" then Westbrook or whoever becomes their pick in the mocks...big deal. Russell Westbrook was recognized as a top 5 talent, basically the next tier after Rose and Beasley - maybe the media didn't believe he was the BPA, fine, but if he really was a diamond that only genius PrestI recognized l, why didn't he trade down and still get him? Answer, because he couldn't have. PrestI was given high picks in loaded drafts, which he didn't screw up. His chances of being successful are more or less equal or more than his chance of screwing up (probably greater) Is it really that difficult to call two coin tosses in a row correctly or does that make you clairvoyant
How is he a terrible GM? Harden wouldn't take a non max offer. Owner was too cheap to pay him. Washington wouldn't give beals. GS wouldn't give up Thompson so he took what was left. In terms of results presti has more than morey.
Morey is better. How many starter quality guys has Morey drafted in the second round. One is getting max money, one averaged 20 pts a game, and one has gotten multiple above mle contracts.
That just makes the argument that he's even better a GM if he identified not just the best players in each of those drafts, but also the 2nd best option., while avoiding all the ones that would go on to be mediocre or busts. I didn't say he was a reach - you just creating strawmen now. He was clearly considered a top 10 pick, and generally after the first couple of players, the next set go in any order. You're the one that made the claim that he was the consensus BPA, but seem to be unable to provide any evidence of the claim outside of "just trust me". He didn't just pick good players - he picked MVP caliber ones. And there are far more non-MVP types than MVP types, even at the top of the draft. Kevin Love is very good - but he's not, and never has been, an MVP candidate. Derrick Rose wasn't available to him. The only other player of that caliber in the top 10 pick range in those 2 drafts was Steph Curry. So, no, it's not a coin toss to pick the absolute best guy twice in a row . It's 1 out of 4 or 5 choices, at best, for each year.
Since Love was actually taken after WB, we can say that everybody takes Love after WB. So what's the big deal. In two drafts, he did what everyone would have done landing either Durant/WB or Durant/Love. I'm not trying to dismiss Presti, just tone down the GOAT stuff a little bit.
No. I dont remember it. I dont doubt it happened - but thats what happens to weak draftS. Remember when Presti traded Harden for Jeremy Lamb? Bad rookie evals from weak drafts hurt. But pretend Sam the draft genius was picking high in the lotto n 2012? Does he end up with Lillard, probably the best guy after Davis? Or more likely he ends up with the field. Instead he ends up drafting high the year that Kevin Freaking Durant is the consolation prize or when beasts like Love and Curry can't crack the top 3. So basically they are not all stars, and you think they will be one day so...credit? Who has drafted a bunch of role players who some random internet guy claims have all star potential? All of them.
A tad defensive Major as usual. Fine, he wasn't consensus best available player, if your consensus consists of Chad Fords and the like. You win, take my sword, amigo. But had he ended up with Love or Curry he would still be considered successful. Hes in an idiot proif spot each time. It is very much a function of random chance to pick at the top of the draft in 3 consecutive seasons in which multiple HOF players happen to be available well past the first 2 picks. It's incredibly unusual in fact. But that's the position he was in, and he didnt mess it up by picking the few busts. Good for him? Have you ever read any Kurt Vonnegut, Major? I suggest you take a look at "The Sirens of Titan" If you can skip the parts that you likely consider boring unnecessary humor, there's some germane points there.
I kind of agree that not screwing up three consecutive high picks is a pretty good accomplishment. I mean, look that the draft history. It is littered with lots of high drafted busts. To be able to pick the best player available three times in a roll is not something to sneer at. But I wouldn't say he's a genius or "the best ever" or anything like that. There is a lot of luck involved in the draft. Morey is good (probably the best) at picking in the second round. But the first time he got his hands on multiple first rounders, he picked Lamb and White before Jones. The irony, of course, is that he used Lamb as part of the deal to get Presti's Harden. BTW, being able to draft well is only part of being a good GM. Isiah Thomas actually had pretty good track record in the draft. But he's a terrible GM.
