Winger? That's a bummer. I wanted Weaver, but apparently he wasn't in the running. Therefore, Winger looked like the only one among the four names we've seen who looks like he's PBO material. We may be at a point where no one worth his salt wants to work for Taylor. That means we'll be relegated to 2nd/3rd tier candidates. Just like watching a train wreck in slow motion, I see the Wolves ending up with Billups.
Winger? That's a bummer. I wanted Weaver, but apparently he wasn't in the running. Therefore, Winger looked like the only one among the four names we've seen who looks like he's PBO material. We may be at a point where no one worth his salt wants to work for Taylor. That means we'll be relegated to 2nd/3rd tier candidates. Just like watching a train wreck in slow motion, I see the Wolves ending up with Billups.
With Winger taking himself out of the running, it looks like the Wolves are down to four finalists - Billups, Langdon, Rosas and Booth.
I've read enough about Rosas to know I wouldn't pick him. He's spent 17 years with the Rockets organization without any particular achievement tied directly to him. He went the Mavs briefly before returning to the Rockets. There's something odd there. Apparently he was instrumental in the signing of Dwight Howard. Yuck. That's all I need to know.
As I've mentioned in other posts, hiring Billups would be a bad move. He has no front office experience at all, no scouting experience and no business experience. What more do you need to know to realize he'd be a bad choice?
Langdon and Booth strike me as the best of the remaining 4 candidates. At least both of them have had NBA front office executive and scouting experience. If it were me and had to choose from this list of four then, without knowing more, I'd choose Langdon. He has 3 years as the #2 executive in the Nets' front office during which time the team has experienced an impressive turn-around. Importantly, he's been in charge of the Nets scouting operations as the Nets have climbed out of the depths largely through savvy acquisitions of young players. He's previously worked as a scout in the highly successful Spurs organization. In addition to his NBA front office experience, Langdon has been serving as GM of the G-League's Long Island Nets. In that capacity, he was named G League Executive of the Year. He's 42 years old with a rich and diverse basketball background as a former Duke standout who played in Europe for years and eventually gained valuable experience as an NBA scout and executive.
The following is an excerpt about Trajan Langdon from an article written 2 years about GM candidates:
"Trajan Langdon, Brooklyn Nets assistant general manager
When execs muse about the intangibles that make an effective general manager, they frequently cite range of experience as a helpful ingredient. In this event, Langdon has nearly every base covered. He played at college basketball's royal academy in Duke, then in the NBA before venturing overseas, including a long stint with CSKA Moscow under Ettore Messina (and Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov). Upon retirement, he joined the Spurs as a scout before serving in Cleveland's front office.
Marks made Langdon his first hire, which speaks volumes about his potential as an executive and his eye for talent. Former players bring a specialized set of skills and experiences to the executive suites, where the job isn't only talent evaluation but talent management. Be it college divas, journeymen or international products, Langdon has shared locker rooms with them all.
League insiders say Langdon needs a few seasons in Brooklyn during what promises to be a painstaking rebuild, but will eventually receive some serious looks from owners intrigued by a managerial prospect with a playing career and some Spurs shine."
The last paragraph of the article is particularly interesting. It refers to insiders saying Langdon needs a few seasons in Brooklyn before he's ready to be a head guy somewhere. Well, that paragraph was written slightly over 2 years ago. And since the article, the Nets have made great strides, with Langdon as the organization's #2 exec, in climbing from the depths as one of the League's worst franchises. Maybe he's ready. If the Wingers and Weavers of the League don't want to come here, then we'll need to reach a bit for a younger, less proven guy. Well, Langdon is young but he's built an impressive track record so far as an NBA executive and scout on top of his extensive and diverse playing career.
Of the remaining candidates, I'd probably take Langdon. He's made his rounds and I like what the nets have done. The nets aren't the nets if they didnt get a developmental guy in Atkinson. I dont really see langdon taking a green Saunders. I'm guessing that Langdon knows the value of development which I think is sorely need here.
Imo, taylor is going to hire Billups as pobo and keep layden on as gm to help him out with "office" duties.
Winger was the guy I was most interested in of the guys that were being interviewed. Ballmer May have offered a bunch of cash and they were already likely losing Redden to the Pels with Griffin. I think these FO guy want to run their own team but if you get paid well to be the number 2 guy with a good organization that ain't a bad gig. If things go well you are going to get a look at some point. Maybe a little more green made his feeling he wasn't quite ready more of a reality than going for a #1 gig...and there could have been other issues. Let's see how things play out. They may even add some more names.
monsterpile wrote:Winger was the guy I was most interested in of the guys that were being interviewed. Ballmer May have offered a bunch of cash and they were already likely losing Redden to the Pels with Griffin. I think these FO guy want to run their own team but if you get paid well to be the number 2 guy with a good organization that ain't a bad gig. If things go well you are going to get a look at some point. Maybe a little more green made his feeling he wasn't quite ready more of a reality than going for a #1 gig...and there could have been other issues. Let's see how things play out. They may even add some more names.
Or you'd just rather stay in LA and wait for something better than the worst organization in your sport in the polar opposite climate.
