Clippers' Draft Woes and Pistons' Ownership Uncertainty Undermine NBA Stability

Key Quotes

"give give troy weaver credit for bringing in a lot of these players he just couldn't build a basketball team around it and make it functional and there were some barriers in his way notably the guy who hired monty williams for him yeah now yeah he did go get jaylen duren which was impressive that was to have him uh who was looking like he's going to be an all star this year and cade yeah the jaden ivy picks not looking amazing at the moment but there was i wouldn't have gone there at that point at that point i guess yes that's true"

The author argues that Troy Weaver deserves credit for acquiring talent like Jalen Duren, but he failed to construct a functional team. The author points to the hiring of Monty Williams as a significant barrier to Weaver's success. This quote highlights the challenges of player acquisition versus team building and the impact of leadership decisions on organizational success.

"i i was cool with not extending him i was actually i thought that was a good decision maybe he's going to end up getting the max but it was when he was asking for more if you truly was asking for more than 30 i was cool with that decision and i think ultimately you're happy to pay that if he really evolves to that level"

The author expresses satisfaction with the decision not to extend Jalen Duren's contract at a high price point, suggesting it was a good move given the potential cost. The author indicates a willingness to pay Duren if he develops into an elite player, demonstrating a strategic approach to player contracts based on performance evolution. This quote reveals a calculated risk assessment regarding player value and future potential.

"so so good grades for that i think you just want to see now more of a more time pass and to have more confidence that tom gores isn't going to mess this up somehow they certainly are on the rise especially with other teams as we'll get to on the fall but i i have to move them out of this group though into this next group because i mean we're only two years removed from monty williams at this point and just what a complete shit show that was with gores overruling both factions to get a third guy in paying him all this money now at least at least i will give gores credit he at least was like this is a complete fucking disaster we're going to fire monty williams even though he has all this money left on his contract and bring in jb"

The author assigns good grades to the current direction of the team but emphasizes the need for more time to assess its long-term success. The author notes that despite recent positive developments, the team's trajectory is still influenced by past mismanagement, specifically referencing the Monty Williams situation and owner Tom Gores' involvement. This quote illustrates the lingering impact of previous poor decisions on an organization's perceived stability and future prospects.

"well how does the aspiration thing play into this for you good question uh to me yeah because we're considering ownership as part of this and i was i was considering ballmer as a benefit because of his willingness to spend and the facilities there and everything and but if he costs the team three first round picks then he's not a benefit anymore right so uh how how the league rules on this i think is going to be a huge thing yeah and uh it's not and let's not forget criteria like don't be they should don't be don't be yeah like like if there's justice in the world they're going to get hit with everything that they possibly can this is you and i agree this is way worse than james harden yeah right without a doubt without a doubt if if all this stuff is proven obviously"

The author questions whether owner Steve Ballmer's willingness to spend is a benefit if it leads to severe penalties, such as losing draft picks. The author suggests that the league's potential sanctions for rule violations could outweigh the advantages of a high-spending owner. This quote highlights the critical balance between financial investment and adherence to league regulations in evaluating an organization's leadership.

"i mean like if they lose those draft picks they have to be number 30 last next year how could they not be oh there there are people who are who are making the case that they that they shouldn't be 30 they there are people working really hard on that but yeah i agree with you but at least maybe there's hope that once they lose all the clippers lose their all their draft picks for the next seven years at least there's hope that the owner could like sell the team or bring in a new gm or something and then at least you have your draft picks there like if you're just talking about a group that put you in this situation violating the rules that's i i would if our criteria going back to what we said yesterday is or last week is who do we want running our team no i don't want these guys running my team after what they did with kawhi that's it's it was incredibly dumb there's it was so stupid the way they managed to get caught yeah yeah keystone cop shit right"

The author argues that the Clippers organization, facing the potential loss of draft picks for seven years due to rule violations, should be ranked last. The author expresses a desire for new leadership, such as a sale of the team or a new general manager, to restore draft assets and improve the team's direction. This quote emphasizes the severe consequences of organizational mismanagement and the importance of draft capital for future success.

"i mean they they got zubots in the trade for the lakers for mike muska two months of mike muscala how about that trade signed him to an awesome extension uh before last season uh but yeah internally they've hit on one draft pick which was shai gilgeous alexander and then the other guy they sort of hit on was terrence mann i mean they drafted him in the 50s so yeah you did you did well to get him there but they've just gotten nothing from a lot of these now granted most of these were like late first round picks but you know the the kobe browns and yana knieeterhouses of the world like they just they just haven't hit on any of those guys"

The author points out the Clippers' limited success in player development and drafting, highlighting only Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Terrence Mann as notable hits. The author contrasts these successes with numerous misses on other draft picks, suggesting a systemic issue with the organization's ability to identify and develop talent. This quote underscores the difficulty of consistent player development and the impact of draft misses on an organization's roster construction.