[McMahon] Rockets hiring Chris Wallace, former Grizzlies and Celtics GM

So merely a worker ant.

 

Gar and Chris are two survivors that will take down anyone to keep employed. I want to say that neither of them played the game at a high level either. So they would be more in line with Morey or Stone than a lot of "basketball people" fans are calling for.

Every since TF bought the team the GM(s) have been trying to beef up the basketball operations side of the organization. I heard they were going to be interested if they kept their pick months ago, but I also heard the same thing after being eliminated by the Lakers and Warriors... so I had little faith.

Some of the guys they have talked to under Stone are less than appealing .... Scott Layden? Ernie Grunfeld?

 

If Thabeet would have slipped passed Wallace, you guys are telling me that other teams would have (wisely) passed on Thabeet?

 

What was Wallace's role if any, in helping to retain Zach Randolph, Marc Gasol , Conley, Allen? @ Nook

 

That sounds awful.

 

Yeah, it would require hiring them to be Executive Vice President of the team and they would arguably be more powerful than Stone.... and there is no way that he is going to champion any of them for the job when it threatens his own.

A team like the Clippers or Nets or Knicks that has endless funds should throw a huge amount of money at Nelson and let him just be in charge of international scouting.... let Nelson live in Europe and then just draft whatever prospect he starts fawning over.

 

He deserves some credit for signing players like Conley and Allen and others. His tenure as GM in Memphis wasn't a total disaster as he traded for or resigned a lot of the guys that became the core for those competitive teams. He is also responsible for getting Gasol on Memphis, he insisted on him being in the Pau deal.

 

It is the reality of the Rockets thus far.

As @Deuce has said before, we need to hope that it is all the growing pains of a new and inexperienced owner. One way of looking at the recent moves is that TF is now open to spending money on the basketball operations side of the equation after spending years believing that he could just shift from the promotions side to fill the void.

 

Thanks. I hope he won't be really scouting in the real sense. I'm really starting to doubt the wisdom of this hire.

PS: Grit and grind sounds like Evan Mobley is a near done deal. Some input from Wallace will be needed. Whether Evan Mobley has enough grit and grind is a different issue. That's just a guess.

 

This move is very disappointing and maybe many more to come. Tillman’s gone f&$k this up.

 

Thanks again. Your knowledge and input is much appreciated.

 

Maybe.... but it at least shows that the owner will at least be willing to spend money on the basketball operations side, after refusing to for a number of years.

Also, if the Rockets priority was experience in a scouting director (which they have publicly said) then the choices were limited. Stone wasn't going to want anyone that could potentially challenge his position in the organization, and most successful former scouting directors or executives would not be interested in a job with limited growth and authority like the Rockets offer.

So that leaves the Foreman, Layden, Grunfeld and Mills of the world as candidates.

 

https://images.app.goo.gl/o31qYVRTm2ngUfLa8

 

Sometimes, it is better to be lucky than good. Had the Houston Rockets not gotten the # 1 pick in the 1984 draft, Portland or Chicago would have selected Hakeem Olajuwon with the number 1 pick. Hakeem was a generational talent, and in the 80's teams were building through the center position. No error in drafting Hakeem, but Jordan proved to be worlds beyond what most scouts thought he'd become!

Michael Jordan was drafted after one hall of fame, and a bust.... You hear more people harp on Houston than you hear criticize Portland for passing on Jordan.

Thabeet was being touted as a Mutumbo defensive juggernaut. I'd almost venture to ask, if Golden State had Thabeet higher than they had Stephen Curry? Sometimes, a team is better lucky than good!!!

 

I'm not against the hiring, but Stone is still culpable for this pick. If he drafts Mobley and he ends up being another bust big, while Green kills it, then he should be fired.

 

On the side note, I didn't know Chuck Hayes in employed with us

 

lol at hiring him so we know who not to take, his track record is certainly horrendous.

 

“Director of Scouting”

Spoiler

BOSTON CELTICS (2001-2003)
SIGNED:
-Milt Palacio
-Erick Strickland
-Omar Cook
-J.R. Bremer
-Bruno Šundov
-Rubén Wolkowyski
-Mikki Moore
-Grant Long
-Bimbo Coles

TRADE:
-Jérôme Moïso to the Philadelphia for Roshown McLeod & a 2003 1st round pick
-Randy Brown, Joe Johnson, Milt Palacio & a 2002 1st round pick to Phoenix for Tony Delk & Rodney Rogers
-Kenny Anderson, Joseph Forte & Vitaly Potapenko to Seattle for Vin Baker & Shammond Williams
-Shammond Williams, cash & a 2003 2nd round pick to Denver for Mark Blount & Mark Bryant

DRAFT:
2001
1-10 Joe Johnson
1-11 Kedrick Brown
1-21 Joseph Forte

2002
2-50 Darius Songaila

MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES (2007-2012)

SIGNED:
Darko Milicic
Andre Brown
Casey Jacobsen
Kasib Powell
Jeremy Richardson
Bobby Jones
Darius Miles
Hamed Haddadi
Quinton Ross
Marcus Williams
Trey Gilder
Allen Iverson
Jamaal Tinsley
Tony Allen
Acie Law
Damien Wilkins
Josh Davis
Jason Williams
Rodney Carney
Leon Powe
Mikki Moore
Brian Skinner
Walter Sharpe
Jeremy Pargo
Dante Cunningham
Gilbert Arenas
Lester Hudson
Jerryd Bayless
D.J. Kennedy
Ronald Dupree
Jerome Jordan
Kyle Weaver
Ronald Murray

TRADE:
-2010 1st round pick to Washington for Juan Carlos Navarro
-Pau Gasol & a 2010 2nd round pick to Los Angeles for Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton, Marc Gasol, Aaron McKie, a 2008 1st round pick & a 2010 1st round pick
-Stromile Swift to New Jersey for Jason Collins

-3 team trade:
To MEM: Malick Badiane(HOU), Marcus Vinicius(NO)
To HOU: Sergei Lishouk(MEM), Bobby Jackson(NO), Adam Haluska(NO), 2008 2nd round pick(NO)
To NO: Mike James(HOU), Bonzi Wells(HOU)

-3 team trade:
To MEM: Darrell Arthur(POR)
To HOU: Donté Greene(MEM), 2009 2nd round pick(MEM), Joey Dorsey(POR)
To POR: Nicolas Batum(HOU)

-Brian Cardinal, Jason Collins, Kevin Love & Mike Miller to Minnesota for Greg Buckner, Marko Jarić, O.J. Mayo & Antoine Walker

-3 team trade:
To MEM: 2010 1st round pick(WAS)
To WAS: Javaris Crittenton(MEM), Mike James(NO)
To NO: 2015 2nd round pick(MEM), Antonio Daniels(WAS)

-2011 2nd round pick to Houston for Steve Francis, cash & a 2009 2nd round pick
-2012 2nd round pick to Miami for Shaun Livingston & cash
-2013 2nd round pick to Los Angeles for Chris Mihm

-3 team trade:
To MEM: Adonal Foyle, Mike Wilks, 2009 1st round pick
To HOU: Kyle Lowry(MEM), Brian Cook(ORL)
To ORL: Rafer Alston(HOU)

-Darko Miličić to New York for Quentin Richardson & cash

-4 team trade:
To MEM: Jerry Stackhouse(DAL), cash(DAL), 2016 2nd round pick(TOR)
To DAL: Greg Buckner(MEM), Kris Humphries(TOR), Nathan Jawai(TOR), Shawn Marion(TOR)
To ORL: cash(DAL), cash(TOR)
To TOR: Devean George(DAL), Antoine Wright(DAL), Hedo Türkoğlu(ORL)

-Quentin Richardson to LA Clippers for Zach Randolph
-2016 2nd round pick to Denver for Steven Hunter, cash & a 2010 1st round pick
-2011 1st round pick to Utah for Ronnie Brewer
-Sold player rights to Dominique Jones to Dallas
-DeMarre Carroll, Hasheem Thabeet & a 2013 1st round pick to Houston for Shane Battier & Ish Smith
-Greivis Vásquez to New Orleans for Quincy Pondexter

-3 team trade
To MEM: Marreese Speights
To PHI: 2012 2nd round pick(MEM), 2013 2nd round pick(NO)
To NO: Xavier Henry(MEM)

-Sam Young to Philadelphia for Ricky Sánchez
-Dante Cunningham to Minnesota for Wayne Ellington
-Jeremy Pargo, cash & a 2014 2nd round pick to Cleveland for D.J. Kennedy

DRAFT:
2007
1-4 Mike Conley

2008
1-5 Kevin Love(traded for O.J. Mayo)
1-28 Donté Greene

2009
1-2 Hasheem Thabeet
1-27 DeMarre Carroll
2-36 Sam Young

2010
1-12 Xavier Henry
1-25 Dominique Jones
1-28 Greivis Vásquez

2011
2-49 Josh Selby

2012
1-25 Tony Wroten

MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES (2014-2019)

SIGNED:
Vince Carter
Patrick Christopher
Luke Hancock
Michael Beasley
Hassan Whiteside
Kalin Lucas
Earl Clark
Tyrus Thomas
JaMychal Green
Brandan Wright
Marc Gasol
Michael Holyfield
Lazeric Jones
Dan Nwaelele
Yakhouba Diawara
Ryan Hollins
Sampson Carter
Alex Stepheson
Elliot Williams
Briante Weber
Ray McCallum
Xavier Munford
Jordan Farmar
Bryce Cotton
Chandler Parsons
James Ennis
D.J. Stephens
Troy Williams
Wayne Selden
Tony Wroten
Chris Crawford
Vince Hunter
Matt Costello
Kellen Dunham
JaKarr Sampson
Toney Douglas
Kobi Simmons
Ben McLemore
Jeremy Morgan
Tyreke Evans
Vince Hunter
Durand Scott
Myke Henry
Xavier Rathan-Mayes
Marquis Teague
MarShon Brooks
Omari Johnson
Kyle Anderson
Omri Casspi
Yuta Watanabe
Shelvin Mack
Doral Moore
Ismaila Kane
Joakim Noah
Jarnell Stokes
Julian Washburn
Bruno Caboclo
Dusty Hannahs
Tyler Zeller

TRADE:
-2016 2nd round pick to Utah for Jarnell Stokes

-3 team trade
To MEM: Jeff Green(BOS), Russ Smith(NO)
To NO: Quincy Pondexter(MEM), 2015 2nd round pick(MEM)
To BOS: Tayshaun Prince(MEM), 2020 1st round pick(MEM), Austin Rivers(NO)

-Jon Leuer to Phoenix for Andrew Harrison
-Jānis Timma to Orlando for Luke Ridnour
-Luke Ridnour to Charlotte for Matt Barnes
-Jarnell Stokes & Beno Udrih to Miami for Mario Chalmers & James Ennis

-3 team trade
To MEM: P.J. Hairston(CHA), 2018 2nd round pick(CHA), 2019 2nd round pick(CHA), Chris Andersen(MIA), 2018 2nd round pick(MIA), 2019 2nd round pick(MIA)
To CHA: Courtney Lee(MEM)
To MIA: Brian Roberts(CHA)

-Jeff Green to LA Clippers for Lance Stephenson & a 2019 1st round pick
-2019 1st round pick to Boston for Deyonta Davis & Rade Zagorac
-Cash considerations to Charlotte for Troy Daniels
-2018 2nd round pick to Houston for Dillon Brooks.
-2019 2nd round pick to Orlando for Ivan Rabb
-Troy Daniels & a 2018 2nd round pick to Phoenix for a 2018 2nd round pick
-James Ennis to Detroit for Brice Johnson & a 2022 2nd round pick
-Deyonta Davis, Ben McLemore, cash & a 2021 2nd round pick to Sacramento for Garrett Temple
-Jarell Martin & cash to Orlando for Tyler Harvey & Dakari Johnson
-MarShon Brooks, Wayne Selden, a 2019 2nd round pick & a 2020 2nd round pick to Chicago for Justin Holiday
-JaMychal Green & Garrett Temple to LA Clippers for Avery Bradley
-Marc Gasol to Toronto for C.J. Miles, Jonas Valančiūnas, Delon Wright & a 2024 2nd round pick
-Shelvin Mack to Atlanta for Tyler Dorsey

DRAFT:
2014
1-22 Jordan Adams

2015
1-25 Jarell Martin

2016
1-17 Wade Baldwin
2-57 Wang Zhelin

2018
1-4 Jaren Jackson Jr.
2-32 Jevon Carter

COACHES:
Fired David Joerger
Hired David Fizdale
Fired David Fizdale
Hired J.B. Bickerstaff
Fired J.B. Bickerstaff

 

This guy has the worst track record and scouting. Literally 98% of his moves have been trash. lol

 

Am I reading this right? I’ve never once heard or read anyone criticize the Rockets for passing on Jordan for Hakeem. If anyone has, they’re a moron.
I’d draft Hakeem again even hindsight. We’re talking about one of the 10 greatest players ever. Nobody is mocking the Rockets for that.

Portland on the other hand has almost never lived down the Sam Bowie debacle.