Look, you probably have doubts about the validity of this article. Millions of dollars are spent yearly on GMs, and you’re telling me some random 17-year-old on the internet is about to tell me the secrets to tanking?
I’m what you call a realist, so I understand trades in the NBA that sacrifice flash and superstars for the future. For that, I’m unique, as most fans are concerned with winning and superstars. They think that the big name wearing their jersey will carry them, and they fail to evaluate circumstances. Are the Pistons a contender? No, not at all. Yet, if they traded Blake Griffin tomorrow, thousands would be furious about it. Ignoring those people, which actual GMs can’t, I have created this list. Welcome to Success in the NBA 101.
1. Players Entering the Back End of Their Careers Need to Be Gone or Avoided
Loyalty is great, but you’re going to tell me wallowing in the glory days of a past superstar three years after their prime and still giving them max contracts is the answer? Being honest about a players value seems taboo to some people, but understanding value is very important. The Chicago Bulls played it out perfectly. The front office understood that Jimmy Butler was still in his prime with value to other teams. However, they also knew they weren’t capable of giving him a surrounding cast to be competitive.
So, they trade him to get young players and join the line of teams tanking (though I think this trade will speed up the process). Awareness is extremely underrated.
2. Trust What Players Tell You In Their Careers
In life, things aren’t often different from how they present themselves. If a dog walks up to you, rarely does that dog then unmask to be a cat. That same rule applies to players and their attitude towards wanting to win. Talent only goes so far in a league where you have players like Lebron James working as hard as they do.
Banking on your team’s culture being able to change a player is hilarious given that players are adults. Carmelo Anthony obviously doesn’t care much about his legacy in terms of winning rings/making playoff runs. He’s married to La La Anthony and is making more money than my family will make in generations. He doesn’t need to care in his eyes. As a GM, if you want to win then you have to accept players for what they present themselves as.
3. Big Contracts Are Evil
The NBA has always been about creating talented rosters of superstars and good role players. However, in a league where max contracts seem to be just thrown at players, prioritization of certain players isn’t a bad idea. Understanding your players, and possible future players, position on their contract size is important. Letting CP3 snatch a max deal from you, making you let some key guys go is mocking any chance at not only a future but a present.
In no way does it make sense to sink money into a player unless everyone else is a bargain. Now, I’m not saying don’t give max contracts, as you might as well spend your cap space to the players working hard. Just don’t sink your future in the hands of one player. That doesn’t win you championships.
4. Trust The Scouts
Unless you draft someone purely to make a trade with another team, and you feel the player you’re trading will be lesser than expected, then please stick to your draft pick. GMs and front offices always seem to panic when their draft picks don’t pan out in two years. The fan base starts making the entirely too long hashtags trying to fire the front office (#FireGarPax was pretty great after the Butler trade). It turns into an utter mess.
Then the true problems start happening, when your once drafted player is doing great things on another team. Victor Oladipo stands as a glorious example. Young players can’t dominate a league they know little about. Either surround them with talent, Jayson Tatum (he’s only 20 you know) or just let him make the mistakes and weather the storm of hate driven hashtags.
6. Get LeBron
He deserves his own number for making this Lakers team competitive these last couple games.
5. Good Coaches Elsewhere Aren’t Good Coaches Everywhere
In the NFL, coaching style is very important and accentuated when evaluating new head coaches. Whether it be defensive packages or offensive style, it’s known that coaches don’t work everywhere. In the NBA, it doesn’t seem to be thought of as highly by GMs, which leads to hires that stagnate progress. David Fizdale’s recent firing/hiring proves that point. His want to change the successful Memphis “grit-n-grind” play-style caused fission between him and Marc Gasol. Coaches preferred play-styles should be a top priority, along with coaches ability to manage egos.
I’m not trying to accuse GMs of having an easy job that I could do (OK, maybe, a little). It’s just obvious that teams make the same mistakes over and over again without much progress. It’s time for someone to put these rules on paper.
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