Quote:
Originally Posted by darkhorse
Shaquille O'Neal from Orlando, Kevin Durant from OKC, and now Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. He's been doing this for decades with various teams, Lakers, Warriors and now Clippers. He's probably a better executive than he was a player, which boggles the mind. The Clippers are now the best team in the NBA and those clueless dullards currently running the Lakers got pwned by one of their own.
|
Do we know that Jerry West had a significant role in making those acquisitions happen?
I recall that Durant was pretty heavily recruited by the Warrior stars, even - as I recall - while he was still a member of OKC...
As for Leonard & George, Leo wanted to get to So Cal, close to his home. He wanted his buddy and star to join him. So if you're suggesting that Doc Rivers, Steve Balmer, and Lawrence Frank turned to Jerry and said, "We're thinking of pairing up two of the top 5 players in the NBA - one of whom is proven leader and champion - to go along with our solid young core and championship-level coach. What do you think?" And then Jerry - in all of his masterful & exalted consultantness - had the remarkable instincts to say, "Yeah, I think that's a good idea...," whereas most other front office types would've rejected the proposition. Well, if that's your contention... uh, ok....
Sure, West made some bold moves in dumping 3/5's of his starting lineup to make financial room for O'Neal, before he was certain Shaq would sign. But let's face it: West was not the GM of the Vancouver Grizzlies trying to somehow convince Shaq to buy some parkas and head north. Shaq wanted to go to glitzy LA. I give West all the props he deserves for taking the (slight) gamble, and then additional credit for handing Shaq the pen with which to sign his deal...
Was JW fortunate enough to be in a position to help influence these teams and players? Sure. But I suspect that other factors - and not "OMG, Jerry West is part of the organization! I HAVE to be a part of that!" - played a much larger role.
I reiterate that West is, IMO, a sharp exec. He's made some nice moves, some of them risky (trading Norm Nixon to get Byron Scott; acquiring Mychal Thompson; trading Vlade for Kobe). Would I want him on my staff if I owned a team? You bet. My contention is not that he's an idiot. It's that he is WAY over-credited for many of his successes. And his gaffes (which, like other GM's, he's certainly had) are often overlooked. He's over-credited for putting together Showtime, over-credited for supposedly turning around Memphis, and way over-credited for supposedly being able to pluck diamonds out of late draft positions.
One can be very good at something and also be overrated. That's West, IMO. And there's plenty of evidence to support it for anyone willing to look beyond a simple accounting of Showtime rings, and instead examine facts and context.
My prediction is that one day when West has been six feet deep for years, his idolizers will still be finding ways to give him credit for future moves...