Executive of the Year...???

[Weez]

with the board getting lazy, due to whatever reasons, I realized something (long story why I'm "thinking of things on a Friday night)...no one's posted about "who should win an award" before the award's been handed out....

KG's the lock for player of the year. It's a foregone conclusion.

that being said, the major debate/choice in exec of the year (the only award remaining) will most likely come down to Dumars vs. Kiki (with a honourable mention given to: RC Burford of the Spurs, their GMand sneior VP )Pop is the VP of basketball operations...much like...) and McHale, who I assume is the "exec," though he's the "vp" of the team.

Kiki did a magnificent job of managing his team's cap space last year which allowed him a great deal of mobility this year ~ which he successfully parlayed into a surprising playoff team that gave Minny all it wanted in one of the few entertaining. Sure, his job was made easier by his primary advisary for this award, in that he was "handed" 'Melo in the draft....but let's not forget he found block and hair-do leader Chris Andersen, signed Boykins, Miller, and Barry (all FA's this offseason) and retained tons of cap room after not getting shiny new baubles that both glittered and were gold in the offseason (see not overpaying like Philly and Washington)

Dumars, not content to rest on his shiny new trophy from last year....or the manner in which he quickly tarnished it in some people's minds by quickly dispatching their newfound saviour yet oftentimes player-distant and disagreable Rick Carlisle, refused to trade last season's playoff (possible flash-in-the-pan) contributors Tashauyn Prince and Mehmet Okur (sacrificing 'Melo and risking FA uncertainty this offseason respectively) for team continuity while adding collegiate (and future NBA) Hall-of-Fame coach Larry Brown. Hawks' fans know well of his shrewd (and some might say daring) move to add the missing element. one Rasheed Wallace, to an offensively challenged team...a move that ended up moving Detroit to the top tier of the East, let alone the NBA, and balanced a once defense, grind-it-out team.

thoughts?

[cyman3]

hard to say... but i think DENVER should get it

why?

they were THE WORST TEAM (i believe) last year... picked up MELO and a some good, cheap, free agents.

they improved dramatically as a team cuz of all the offseason changes.

as for DET, the only thing thats workin for them is R Wallace. as of now, DARKO doesnt exactly help Dumars in the Executive of the Year award.

and DET, even w/o Wallace, was considered a top 3 team in the EAST. w/ Wallace, their still a top 3 team. I, personally, dont think Wallace himself will get passed BOTH pacers + nets.

[Weez]

The converse is that by taking Darko, Dumars "invested in the future" and kept together a proven group. It is doubtful that the acquisition of 'Melo would have been as smooth...and it certainly would have prohibited their maneuvering for Rasheed at the deadline. Darko, who turns 19 next month (recall, a ruling was required to get him into the draft at all, due to his birthdate not falling until after the draft entry deadline but prior to the actual draft), remains unproven. One might go so far as to speculate how a shooter, who requires the ball as 'Melo does, would fit into a team with the combustible yet much matured (under Brown) Billups and the mid-range specialist Rip Hamilton (who is another player "under the radar ~ not known for his athleticism, dunks, or overwhelming ability to score in the lane, he led the Pistons in scoring this year at 17.6ppg in 78 with 45.5% despite taking only 68 3pt attempts! and getting to the line ~ 4.3 times per game....this from your shooting guard). Playing your cards right to get Brown, retain team morale and rolls, while winning and attempting to plan for the future...there's something to be said for that too.

Sidenote: Continuing that theme ~ while GM is generally a thankless job unless you land a major FA, Donnie Walsh deserves huge credit for what he's been able to do in Indy....a plan that many others have tried and most I can think of have failed miserably (see Knicks, Suns, Hawks.....)

For the Record ~ Sura had 43 3pta's during his 18 game stint in the ATL....

[Diesel]

I think it should go to.....

Kevin McHale.

Let's be honest. He built the best in the west and he used:

Marc Jackson and Terrell Brandon to do it. He has had no 1st round draft pick in the last 3 years and yet he took a broken down PG and a C that couldn't rebound and he built a winner. I have to give him respect.

Dumars and Kiki have had draft picks and capspace... It's not hard to do a major rebuild with that. McHale has been capped out, with players that don't hold much value... I mean other than KG and Wally, what did they have and he has managed to build a team that's hard to beat...

[Diesel]

I'm joking but I'm serious...

Knight has engineered deals that have made 2 teams possible NBA Finalist...

He helped engineer the TB/BD trade... IN that trade, he made Minn better by getting them Spreewell and Cassell.

Knight also engineered a deal that made Detroit Ultimately better. Detroit might be the Finalist for the East. If the NBA Finals comes down to Minn vs. Det.. There's no doubt that Knight stands in need of the executive of the year award...

and who knows...

Next year, it could be the Knicks vs. the Trailblazers... That would be KNight executive of the year Part 2.

[Wretch]

[cyman3]

haha... never thought of it like that...

in that case, yea- Knight should win it...

esp if WOLVES and PISTONS are in the finals... hahah