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Cushy job GM's get off easy compared to head coachesPosted: Friday March 07, 2003 1:41 PM
Click here to send a question to Jack McCallum's mailbag. Before I dip into the mailbag, let me touch on something regarding Tuesday's column. Many of you alerted me to the fact that Kobe Bryant announced he would not play for the Charlotte Hornets, thus alleviating that franchise of any responsibility for unloading him to the Los Angeles Lakers. That situation is not exactly unprecedented in the NBA. Go back to Danny Ferry in 1989. (Remember when he was good enough, or was supposed to be good enough, to demand that he not be drafted by the Clippers?) Anyway, as I recall, the Hornets were aware of Bryant's reluctance to join them, as he already had a list of the teams he would play for. Charlotte probably shouldn't have risked the 13th pick of the 1996 draft on him and should've gotten more when they traded him. But, to a certain extent, yes, the Hornets did have a gun to their heads when they made the move, just one of many that helped the East become least. How is it that some of these GMs -- like Jim Paxson in Cleveland and Wes Unseld in Washington -- keep their jobs, when it's their trades that have made their teams so bad? Especially Unseld, he shipped Rasheed Wallace, Chris Webber and Juwan Howard off like he was punishing them for being young, rich and immature before they even had a chance to grow and develop. What an idiot! The least he could've gotten for Webber was Eddie Jones and Elden Campbell, instead of "Senior Citizen" Mitch Richmond!
Well, Dwayne, regarding Unseld, he really does not have that much power now. Michael Jordan has most of the power and Wes will have none when M.J. returns to the front office next year. Regarding the other GMs who mysteriously keep their jobs while coaches get moved around like checker pieces, I'd say this: It is often the GM who talks to the owner and gets to plead his case while the coach is out coaching. It is the GM who gets to say, "You know so and so isn't doing his job and here's why I'm doing mine. Unseld, remember, is extremely, extremely close to Wizards owner Abe Pollin, who remembers Unseld as a Hall of Fame player, not as a GM out of his element. I'm not saying this is the case with Pax or with, say, Pete Babcock, who has kept his job with the Atlanta Hawks despite putting together bad teams. But just remember that the conduit between the owner and the team is usually the GM. The Wizards have all this young talent (Juan Dixon, Jared Jeffries, Larry Hughes, Kwame Brown), but those guys hardly ever play. Instead, Washington keeps trotting out Jerry Stackhouse, Christian Laettner and Tyrone Lue. Why don't the Wizards play the youngsters and give them a chance to develop? I'm sick of their talented players going to other teams and doing well, i.e. Chris Webber, Rasheed Wallace, Ben Wallace and Rip Hamilton.
I have a question of my own: If you become King of England will you be King Harry III, which doesn't sound right, or King William III, who they may have had already? Anyway, your question, believe it or not, is pretty simple: Because the Wizards want desperately to claim that eighth and final playoff spot in the East, and the two old-schoolers running the team, Jordan and coach Doug Collins, believe with all their heart and soul that the vets, not the youngsters, are the only ones who can deliver the postseason berth. Before you go off too much about that age-first trend, though, I hope you don't think Stackhouse shouldn't be in the rotation. He needs minutes and he needs touches. Without him and Jordan, Washington would be terrible, and I wonder what will happen to it next year when M.J. isn't there. We'll see then if the youngsters are ready. After reading your column on East vs. West, I was wondering if you gave any credence to the theory of Bob Ryan of The Boston Globe. He says that except for New York, no team in the northeast will ever be dominant again because of the weather, while some of the Western teams and Florida franchises will be able to sell themselves more to free agents who like sun, surf and golf.
Jeff, I love to give credence to Bob, who I call "The Commissioner" because he's been around for so long. All I know is that it wasn't too long ago that Boston, Detroit and Chicago, three cities with horribly bad weather, were the preferred destinations of many college players and free agents. I would still like to think that, more than anything, players want to come to teams where they can win championships. Perhaps we'll know the answer to your question soon. Will Jason Kidd stay in New Jersey or come to warm-weather, wide-open San Antonio? Amare Stoudemire, Kenyon Martin and Elton Brand are three of the rising stars at power forward in the NBA. If you were putting together a team right now, which player would you take?
I'd choose Brand in a heartbeat. I like his guts, his commitment, his double-double game and his citizenship influence in the locker room. However, most people would probably take Stoudemire because his upside seems so much higher than that of the other two. It seems that the Hawks have plenty of talent on their squad. They have a couple of strong defensive players and a ton of guys who can score. So what is their problem? Looking at their roster on paper, you'd think they'd be near the top in the East.
In the beginning of the year, Ryan, I wrote (either in Sports Illustrated or on SI.com -- or maybe both places) that Atlanta would be among the most improved teams in the league. I just don't get why the Hawks haven't been better over the last few years. They've changed coaches but nothing has improved. However, if we blame the GM, Pete Babcock, then we wouldn't be saying, "Hey, they have all this talent." Perhaps that sterile environment where the Hawks play, and the lack of fan support, truly hurts them. But, man, they should be able to get to seventh or eighth place in the East. You're GM Donnie Walsh and here are your three choices to succeed Larry Bird as head coach of the Indiana Pacers: Isiah Thomas, Rick Carlisle and Byron Scott. Given what's happened in the years since Walsh made his choice, who would you pick today? Just curious because as a Pacers fan, I've asked myself this question and am not sure who I'd choose. Probably Carlisle because of the job he's done with the Pistons. But Scott and Thomas both have fared well, too.
Well, now you're going to get me in trouble with two coaches who are still in the league. (Presuming they read the Mailbag and they probably don't.) Scott doesn't seem like he'd be a good fit in Indy; I like him for that running game in Jersey. Carlisle has done a wonderful job building an underachieving team into a winner, something that mirrored his own modest NBA playing career. With the diverse personalities the Pacers have, volatile guys who need someone who knows when to back off and when to put a foot on their spine, Isiah is the best fit. I hope that doesn't sound like a mealy mouthed cop-out, but I think each of coach is in the right place ... for now. The Magic, since acquiring Drew Gooden, are playing great ball, and have put away the Nets and Mavericks. Is this just a streak of good play, or do they have a legitimate shot at coming out of the Eastern Conference when all is said and done? Have you warmed up at all to Tracy McGrady getting a more serious look as an MVP candidate?
Chris, it wasn't as if I was cold to T-Mac having a chance to win the MVP. Just because I like Kobe, Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan doesn't mean I have anything against McGrady. Look, I'm not down on the Magic. I just don't think they're going anywhere, their recent hot streak notwithstanding. But if T-Mac drags them deep into the playoffs, yes, he will have to get serious consideration for MVP. How could Mike Bibby be on the United States Olympic team? He is not even the best player on his own NBA club (Chris Webber, Peja Stojakovic, Vlade Divac and Doug Christie are better). The answer to this question is THE ANSWER. Iverson is the quickest player I have ever seen, and he should have been selected. If the staff wanted a point guard, at least they could've chosen Gary Payton or John Stoctkon. What do you think?
Sean, now why do you think the U.S coaches took Bibby and not (apparently) Iverson? They are looking for a team that meshes and has good chemistry. They don't want to worry about Iverson's combustibility. Also -- and I have no proof of this -- I think that if Iverson isn't selected (one spot remains open), it'll be a form of punishment for past transgressions, not because he isn't good enough. The U.S. team wants Garnett desperately and they'd love to get Shaq, but they feel they don't need Iverson. As for Bibby, Sean, I urge you to wait until the playoffs to see who the best player on the Kings is. Last year, by Game 7 of the Western Conference finals, it was basically Bibby vs. the Lakers. Your column regarding the demise of the East in the NBA overlooks Alonzo Mourning in Miami. His two-year illness has left the team and Pat Riley in shambles.
The column was more about terrific players once in the East who are now in the West, but you're right: I should've mentioned 'Zo. Now, what other Eastern team had him? Hmm .... Ah, it was the Hornets. Sports Illustrated senior writer Jack McCallum will answer your NBA questions every week during the season. Click here to send him a question.
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