Smitty

[KB21]

3 hours ago, hazer said:

Smitty was a Hawks All-star, a Spurs champion, a world/olympic champion on Team USA, a great 3-pt shooter, an NBA analyst, and a bright guy. If Billups is getting an interview, Smitty damn sure should too...

I had forgotten that he played for the Spurs.  That also means he and Mike Budenholzer know each other very well.

Doesn't he realize that he and Grant Hill in the offices at the same time will confuse the crap out of people?

[sturt]

2 hours ago, Dolfan23 said:

Do you really want the 'nice guy' to our GM? Not me I want someone who's a bulldog and won't back down when another GM calls his bluff. Watch any game where Smitty is calling it and you'll hear how easily he defers how wishy washy he is. I have nothing but respect for him just like I do Nique but I don't want either running the Hawks. If we go the former player route then I want a guy like Billups who became a great player and always made life hard on his opponent. He had to scratch and claw just to get a chance and once he got there he didn't fold under pressure. 

I'll grant it could be some indication, but I hesitate to make a full blown assessment based on that degree of evidence. Not enough to rule him out, from where I sit, and thus, I still say, he deserves the courtesy of a real interview. If he doesn't cut it, he doesn't cut it, but his point is well-taken that he and perhaps others with a history--and who legitimately have a piece of their hearts left in ATL--arguably offer just as much as a Chauncey Billups, and should receive some explicit consideration. I mean, it does sound like they've made it a point to gain some outsider perspective that right now isn't part of the war room... but some of these guys have been away from ATL for years, and still check that box as well.

[CP61]

1 hour ago, hazer said:

 

A great shooter, GM'ing in a shooter's league. Real strange...

He's not a coach. Being a good shooter and being able to recognize good shooters aren't the same thing. 

 

[sturt]

36 minutes ago, KB21 said:

I had forgotten that he played for the Spurs.  That also means he and Mike Budenholzer know each other very well.

Doesn't he realize that he and Grant Hill in the offices at the same time will confuse the crap out of people?

Grant Hill is sometimes in the office?

[Guest]

Hell no to Smitty...love the guy but he would get killed in any deal in a trade.

[KB21]

I'm not sure there is evidence that Steve Smith would get killed in a trade, nor is there evidence that Chauncey Billups wouldn't get killed in a trade.  In both cases, you would have to hire a cap guy/CBA guy/analytics guy to go along with them to help determine the proper value, what do do with contracts, when you can give extensions and such.  Basically, they would need their own Mike Zarren.  When Danny Ainge took the Celtics front office job, he had coached for 3 years but had no experience in an NBA Front Office.  

I don't think Larry Bird has any front office experience either.  Neither did Joe Dumars.  

Honestly, of the former Hawks players, Steve Smith and Shareef Abdur-Rahim were probably two of the more cerebral guys who I feel could make the transition to a front office.  We haven't talked about him, but did you know the reason SAR left the Kings front office?  There was a blow up in the draft on draft night.  Pete D'Allesandrio wanted to take Nick Stauskas, while SAR was pushing for Elfrid Payton.  After the draft, SAR and Pete had a falling out with SAR leaving.  Looking in hindsight, SAR was right to want Elfrid Payton.  Maybe he should be getting more of a look just to see how he would build a team.  Much like the other two, you would have to put a cap guy with him.

[KB21]

http://www.blackenterprise.com/lifestyle/nba-steve-smith-career-bigten-network-all-star/

Good article on Steve Smith.  

[Thomas]

8 hours ago, Spud2Nique said:

Hell no to Smitty...love the guy but he would get killed in any deal in a trade.

No doubt he is a quality person and is knowledgeable but really he is just too nice and polite for a job that requires the difficult negotiating required. Our history in trades has been so spotty don't want to possibly continue that same course. Wouldn't expect much reward from the risk taken on him so rather keep hearing him on the air, something we know he's good at. 

[Watchman]

15 hours ago, hazer said:

Steve Smith was just on Dukes & Bell saying he was interested in the Hawks GM position but hadn't been asked yet. When asked what he would do about the Sap situation, said he would've worked out an extension already and not let it get to this point, if Sap didn't accept would've moved him at the deadline. Wasn't sure he'd re-sign him at this point as things sit. Said Dwight needs to improve and is not the D8 of Magic days, but also noticed that he came to play and didn't whine nearly as much as years past and put up nimbers. Teammates didn't dog him as much as in years past either, so he considered that improved attitude. Commented that with only 2 years left, Hawks are pretty much stuck with him because they brought him in. I think with the "Needs Improvement" comment he was pointing to Dwight focusing more on the PnR. Good stuff, he gets it, love Smitty. It's a thought, but I know we've touched on some of the negatives a bit in other threads.

Well that tells you all you need to know.  A great guy, but not knowledgeable enough to be a GM.

[sturt]

I agree it doesn't make a good first impression in his first public discussion about the Hawks GM situation, but at the same time, I think that's just one of those things that when you live in a GM world, or when you're a fan like many of us, who is constantly reviewing potential roster moves... it's more at the top of your brain. That's not been Smitty's world. And to me, it's more of an oops moment than it is something that stands alone as defining how good he would be if he could get an interview and eventually hired. Those are the kinds of things you can become very grounded in if/when you actually get a phone call asking you for an interview. Of more interest to me is how a person has shown an ability to reason and an ability to assess talent. I haven't studied it, and don't intend to study it, so I don't know have a good grasp on whether Smitty shows up as well or better than Billups or Barry... but just saying that the standard is that, rather than whether he knows Factoid X, Y or Z.

 

My .02.

[KB21]

48 minutes ago, Watchman said:

Well that tells you all you need to know.  A great guy, but not knowledgeable enough to be a GM.

Whoa now!  I think we should listen to the comments before making assumptions.  I listened to the interview on my drive to my clinic this morning.  What Steve said was this.  He mentioned that he would have never let it get to this point with Paul Millsap.  He says he would have extended him a long time ago.  I don't necessarily take that as a comment that he felt he could extend the current contract because it could have very well meant that when he signed the 3 year deal after the 2014 season, he would have extended him longer at that point.  It could go either way, but I wouldn't expect him to have that firm of an understanding of the CBA just as I wouldn't expect Chauncey Billups to know the CBA that well either.  Either way, I wouldn't crucify him for the lack of knowledge of the extension process, as I wouldn't expect him to know that at this point.  That's why he would need a CBA/Cap guy.

I will say this.  Steve laid down a pretty good plan in this interview.  He stated that NBA front offices need analytics guys.  They need a cap guy.  He specifically mentioned needing a player development guy as well.  He specifically mentioned the way the Spurs do things as far as player development.  His comment was that Kawhi Leonard, Johnathan Simmons, and Tony Parker didn't come into the league as stars.  Those guys were developed. 

Another thing he mentioned was how the new GM needs to ingrain himself into the Atlanta community.  He states that the recent GMs of the Hawks have not done that, and it has effected the perception of the team locally. 

You guys should really listen to the interview.  Him being a nice guy and a good person will have no bearing on how he would manage the team. 

[Guest]

I'll say it again, if we're going the ex-player route, Malik freaking Rose has been in the front office for over a year now!  If anyone is groomed for the position, it's him.

How disrespectful would it be to make him, a guy with some familiarity with the operation, the freaking g-league GM and bring in some announcer off the street for the real GM gig!

I repeat, these interviews with Billups and Barry (if he gets a sit-down) are courtesy deals for down-the-line when them dudes get serious about front office work.

Any more breakdown of what/how Billups, Smitty or any other similar candidates would be as GM are gonna go like dis for me ...

Still haven't seen the movie, @Spud2Nique

[hazer]

11 hours ago, CP61 said:

He's not a coach. Being a good shooter and being able to recognize good shooters aren't the same thing. 

 

Who said anything about being a coach?

Edited May 23, 2017 by hazer

[hazer]

1 hour ago, KB21 said:

Whoa now!  I think we should listen to the comments before making assumptions.  I listened to the interview on my drive to my clinic this morning.  What Steve said was this.  He mentioned that he would have never let it get to this point with Paul Millsap.  He says he would have extended him a long time ago.  I don't necessarily take that as a comment that he felt he could extend the current contract because it could have very well meant that when he signed the 3 year deal after the 2014 season, he would have extended him longer at that point.  It could go either way, but I wouldn't expect him to have that firm of an understanding of the CBA just as I wouldn't expect Chauncey Billups to know the CBA that well either.  Either way, I wouldn't crucify him for the lack of knowledge of the extension process, as I wouldn't expect him to know that at this point.  That's why he would need a CBA/Cap guy.

I will say this.  Steve laid down a pretty good plan in this interview.  He stated that NBA front offices need analytics guys.  They need a cap guy.  He specifically mentioned needing a player development guy as well.  He specifically mentioned the way the Spurs do things as far as player development.  His comment was that Kawhi Leonard, Johnathan Simmons, and Tony Parker didn't come into the league as stars.  Those guys were developed. 

Another thing he mentioned was how the new GM needs to ingrain himself into the Atlanta community.  He states that the recent GMs of the Hawks have not done that, and it has effected the perception of the team locally. 

You guys should really listen to the interview.  Him being a nice guy and a good person will have no bearing on how he would manage the team. 

 

[hazer]

You don't become an NBA All-Star, Team USA World and Olympic Champion, and NBA Champion by being a nice guy and deferring. You become Jeff Teague. Some people are fierce AND kind ;)

[Guest]

1 hour ago, kg01 said:

I'll say it again, if we're going the ex-player route, Malik freaking Rose has been in the front office for over a year now!  If anyone is groomed for the position, it's him.

How disrespectful would it be to make him, a guy with some familiarity with the operation, the freaking g-league GM and bring in some announcer off the street for the real GM gig!

I repeat, these interviews with Billups and Barry (if he gets a sit-down) are courtesy deals for down-the-line when them dudes get serious about front office work.

Any more breakdown of what/how Billups, Smitty or any other similar candidates would be as GM are gonna go like dis for me ...

Still haven't seen the movie, @Spud2Nique

F*ckin fascist! Duuude watch the freakin movie you will love it. It's a top 25 all time for me.

[Guest]

@Dolfan23 ...why won't @kg01 watch the Big Lebowski? It's borderline annoying and it's effected my squawk life negatively. ...

[Admin]

4 minutes ago, Spud2Nique said:

@Dolfan23 ...why won't @kg01 watch the Big Lebowski? It's borderline annoying and it's effected my squawk life negatively. ..

Because he's out of his element!

[Admin]

38 minutes ago, hazer said:

You don't become an NBA All-Star, Team USA World and Olympic Champion, and NBA Champion by being a nice guy and deferring. You become Jeff Teague. Some people are fierce AND kind ;)

I don't see why you couldn't. Anyone on here could have gotten a ring with those Spurs teams. Team USA and Olympics are about great character and being a great player capable of playing nicely with other great players. 

Hell if we want a guy with these qualifications then see what TD is up to. Or better yet give Kobe whatever he asks for and let him be the GM. Those are guys whom I would trust to lead this team. 

[Guest]

29 minutes ago, Spud2Nique said:

F*ckin fascist! Duuude watch the freakin movie you will love it. It's a top 25 all time for me.

Ah man, I could watch it but it's far more entertaining not watching it and tormenting folks who demand that I should.