<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (NetIncome @ Jan 17 2008, 09:59 PM)
<{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>The hypocrisy here makes me tingle.
Thorn has his strengths and weaknesses.
--Other than Mutombo for KVH and McCollough, he has not made a bad trade. His good trades have been spectacular...Kidd, Carter and Jefferson for Marbury, Aaron and Eric Williams and Eddie Griffin. His salary dumps have worked out quite well (those who think he lucked into Nachbar should note that he could have traded Marc Jackson and a first rounder which turned out to be Boone to the Bobcats for salary relief). So have his short term deals: Cliff Robinson and Mikki Moore for three second round picks, the first two of which were used to take players who aren't even in the league anymore.
--His draft record has to be among the best of the NBA, particularly lately. People who praise the development of Boone (#23) and Sean Williams (#17) and hope for the return of Nenad Krstic (#24) and Marcus Williams (#22) ought to realize where those players come from. Right now, Boone and Sean Williams look like steals of their respective drafts. Marcus Williams, in spite of his problems, is still 22 and was second in assists among backup point guards last year. That's not even mentioning Kenyon Martin and Richard Jefferson who he picked when "fans" were angling for Darius Miles and Eddie Griffin, one now an invalid, the other dead. He made a couple of bad picks in Planinic and to a lesser degree in Wright and a slew of poor second round picks, but I would suggest you ask, "compared to who" the next time you criticize his second round picks.
--He knows when to dump players. Martin, Kerry Kittles, Lucious Harris were all fan favorites and not one of them did anything close to what they did with the Nets. Vaughn left because he saw that the Nets were going to give Marcus Williams more time. He went to San Antonio. Who wouldn't? Those who keep raving about Anthony Johnson should note that 1) Thorn twice picked him out of obscurity to give him a shot and 2) read what D'Alessandro and others have written about what a constant complainer he is. As for Hassan Adams, he was cut by the Cavs and then the only gig he could find overseas was with a second rank team in a second rank European league.
--He has a dreadful record with free agent signings, whether pushed by Kidd to sign Mourning, or signing Mercer, McInnis, Magloire or the horrors who made up the team in 2004-05. (He should not be permitted to sign any more free agents whose names begin with M.) Early on, he had better luck, picking up McCollough and Aaron Williams. I have said, as has Dumpy, he should think about signing younger players rather than retreads. Suffice it to say it is his weakness...and it's a big one.
BUT the bottom line is this, and it cannot be denied: Over the last six years, only four teams have made to the playoffs every year: the Mavs, Pistons, Spurs and Nets. Only three teams have made it to the second round five times in that period: the Pistons, Spurs and Nets. Only four teams have made it to the Finals twice in that period: the Spurs, Pistons, Lakers and Nets. Last year, which would be eight months ago, the Nets were in the second round, meaning the NBA's version of the Elite Eight. "Fans" here can complain that is a record of mediocrity. The assertion is laughable. There are about 25 teams who would accept that level of mediocrity with pleasure, thank you very much. That is what GM's do: put their teams in contention. It's up to players and coaches to do the rest.
Before Thorn walked in the door of this franchise, it was the biggest joke in professional sports. THAT is a fact. Now, there is a higher standard. Good. Thorn is 66 years old. Kiki Vandeweghe (he of the Skita and Nene picks over Amare and the $150 million in contracts given KMart and Nene) will likely replace him. If Vandeweghe approximates Thorn's level of success, that would be great. But he will have an impossible time duplicating it. He has a higher starting point.
Always happy to return sanity to the board.
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Glad to have it back. Repped in spirit.
The end game is the championship, not the second round, but Thorn has done a great job in turning around the franchise and putting us in a position to win. He hasn't excelled in his FA signings, but to concentrate on this one fault and not the other benefits he's done for the franchise is short-sighted, and innaccurate.
