Actually, I don't think Gabriel's a very good GM at all - he's in the bottom half of the league if you ask me.
Pray tell, why? He's only the architect of the current free agent process, one that has been largely successful for the Magic. He's also the one that showed that if you bring in the right players, no matter their talent, you can win ballgames - another theory that has been used throughout the NBA. His only fault? The draft. But, that alone cannot put him in the bottom half of the league's GMs.
Other than throwing max money at players who WANTED to be in Orlando even if it meant spiting their former team, what has he done? Gabriel became GM in April of 96 - after Shaq, Penny and Armstrong were acquired. The current FA process has been largely successful? Is that why fans are staying away from the TD Waterhouse? You can't keep decimating your roster hoping for better days down the road and fans have less and less to associate themselves with when the roster is so unstable. First Round Picks 1996: Brian Evans 1997: Johnny Taylor 1998: Mike Doleac, Keon Clark, Matt Harpring 1999: No 1st rounder but trade Ho Grant for Corey Maggette (basically) 2000: Mike Miller, Keyon Dooling, Courtney Alexander 2001: Steven Hunter, Jerryl Sasser 2002: Curtish Borchardt - traded for Ryan Humphrey - Brian Evans was traded with Rony Seikaly for Yinka Dare and David Benoit - Johnny Taylor was traded with Keon Clark for a future 1st rounder - Mike Doleac was eventually traded for Brendan Haywood who was eventually traded for Laron Profit who they originally drafted in the second round - only to waive him again - Keon Clark ended up in Denver (see above) whose pick ended up being Jerryl Sasser - Matt Harpring was traded for Andrew DeClerqc who now rides the pine - Corey Maggette was traded with Keyon Dooling for a future 1st round pick which still hasn't been used due to lottery protection - Courtney Alexander was traded for a future 1st rounder which I believe ended up being Ryan Humphrey - Hunter and Sasser are still around and "developing" into role players - Borchart was more of a legit C than Humprhey who is barely 6'8" Waived players like Jeff McInnis, Chauncey Billups, and Ron Mercer.... Traded players like Bo Outlaw for little in return... There is a great deal of "promise" for the future thru draft picks and FA money but with dwindling attendance and financial losses every year - I would think that some sort of stabilty would have been a better plan. Hopefullu next summer he can trade all those 1st round picks for decent players because the Magic DO NOT have the capspace to make a run at Duncan or any other player wanting more than about $8 mil per. OK - maybe the "bottom half of the league" was extreme. He is in the top half, but I don't believe he belongs at #7 where he's rated now. He's hovering somewhere between 10 - 13.
This is the single most important point that a GM must keep in mind when tinkering with his lineup. See Portland.
don't dismiss the art of recruiting in the NBA. Gabriel is a virtual genius at this. He had to make these guys feel wanted and needed on Orlando (same as college coaches and high school recruits). The moment that free agency opened in 2000, Gabriel had two private jets gassed up and engines revving at midnight to bring Grant Hill and Tim Duncan to Orlando for a weekend of wining and dining. Every single Orlando Magic employee (all the way to the janitors) were forced to sport Magic jerseys with "Duncan - 21" and "Hill - 33" inscribed on them. The two men, and their families, were put up in $500/night suites at the hotel in Disney World (i don't know the name). If throwing wads of money at a guy was the only factor to coerce a free agent to go to a new town, why didn't Jerry Krause sign any of the big name FA's??
as for West, he is hands down the best GM in the league. On his watch, the Lakers acquired Byron Scott, A.C. Green, Mychal Thompson, Michael Cooper, Sam Perkins, Vlade Divac It was West who gambled big, trading half his team to Vancouver and Charlotte to have enough cap room to entice O'Neal from Orlando. It was West who believed in Kobe Bryant when most around the league thought Bryant would be a good, but not great, talent. How many other GMs would trade an established center (Divac) for a green 18 year old? It was West who drafted Eddie Jones and Nick Van Exel Lakers W/L records in the years b/t their 2 championship eras: 1998-1999 31-19 .620 1997-1998 61-21 .744 1996-1997 56-26 .683 1995-1996 53-29 .646 1994-1995 48-34 .585 1993-1994 33-49 .402 1992-1993 39-43 .476 average winning percentage: .593 only 2 nonwinning seasons, an amazing statistic. There is no way he doesn't deserve to be ranked as the top GM in the league, especially considering the extended time period he has had to work with in L.A.
Chicago is more of a metropolis than is Orlando. Sure warm weather had a hand, but do you really think that's why Chicago was spurned by so many and Orlando wasn't? Jerry Krause and his people/GM skills compared to Gabriel's skills weren't in play? When I choose a new job in a new town, weather is usually the last factor... Usually I care more about who I will be working for and who I will be working with and what kind of people they are (intelligence wise, etc.) But, hey, that's just me.
Hmm...... let me see. Earn 80 million, work with idiots, and freeze my nads off or Earn 80 million, work with idiots, and go to disney world once a week. Hmm...... I guess some people have a little less to think about when it comes to getting a job than you do. People like Grant Hill and Tim Duncan.
Krause = idiot, agreed Gabriel = idiot, not agreed. Please back up your belief (if in fact it is and I am not misreading) so we have something to discuss.
Players rarely work with the GM once they are acquired. I am talking about the Orlando players/coaches/staff/anybodybecause everybodyisprettymuchanidiotiftheyarenotrockets. Look, I have nothing against Gabriel. I am just saying there is alot more to where a player chooses to play than the GM's ass kissing ability. These guys have their asses kissed 24-7. It isn't new for them. Most of the time, like Shaq and Kobe going to LA, it has to do with some sentimental or personal reason, unless it is entirely financial. Let's not give any GM too much credit. NBA GM is one job that many of us here at the BBS could handle well enough. If we lived in LA we would be called the greatest GM alive. That's the way the cookie crumbles.
alright. I'm done. After reading the two aforementioned quotes, I'm satisfied that debating with you would be a serious waste of time. Thank goodness for the "ignore" function. Good day.
Tracy McGrady os FROM the Orlando area and made it pretty clear that no other team had a chance of signing him - he WANTED TO GO HOME. As for Grant Hill - you do realize he is married to pop singer Tamia, right? Orlando happens to be teeny-bop-band central right now and moving there killed multiple birds with one stone. Also, had Hill known that Duncan would return to San Antonio - I am not so sure his decision would have been so easy. Let's face it - Florida has very low taxes, very nice weather and happens to be where many players make their offseason homes (including Hill and TMac). Recruiting is much easier when you're already at the top of the list when all other variables (winning, family, endorsements) are eliminated. You also forget that the NBA changed recruiting rules after the Duncan and Hill fiascos. You can no longer do the private jet, $500 hotel, free trips to Disney World thing and rightfully so - bribing players in this way should not be allowed. If Duncan does/did go to Orlando - you can bet it has something to do with wanting to be close to home (Virgin Islands), living in a smaller market and staying in a warm weather city. He has publicly stated these criteria are very important to him. I'm willing to bet that IF he leaves the Spurs that he ends up in Miami. The fact remains that Gabriel has some built in advantages over other GMs - you can't refute that. I don't think landing McGrady was all that hard when you look back at it and Gabriel is simply copying what was done in LA. How good a GM do you have to be to copy someone else's blueprint?
Hey drapg I am so sorry I am not intelligent enough to debate with you. Maybe some day I can attain your level of sportswriting greatness, until then, may you always ignore me for fear that my uncultured writing style might hinder the development of your homoerotic penthrusting.
