Highlights from Take Dat Wit You Pod -- Dameris and Followill
Updates on General Situation
Pres and GM
Brian and Mark consider it "almost certain" that Finley will be one of the two new executives and that an outsider will be the other.
They think Fin is likely to be the new President. A new position of General Manager will be created. The General Manager will presumably report to the President, as opposed to being an equal voice.
No experienced GM or President worth his salt is going to want to come here to fill the President position and have to worry about having to run everything by Mark, etc., so Finley makes the most sense for that position, as he is already comfortable with Mark having control. He has been groomed for the role for the last several years, and is respected in the locker room.
Equally, no experienced GM is going to come here as a lateral move to work for Finley and Mark, so the likely new GM will be an up-and-coming guy who is an assistant somewhere else and would like to move up. Maybe a Shane Battier type. Someone who is very smart, well regarded in the front office ranks, analytics-driven, with older guys blocking his path in his current organization. The GM will do things like develop strategy, have useful connections, make day-to-day calls, run the draft, run the scouting department, etc. Doesn't have to be a cap expert -- Donnie wasn't. Might add some recruiting skills in terms of free agents.
Coach
Getting a new coach is a smaller hole to fill than the management positions. Anyone could see Luka's frustrations with Rick, and the situation had gotten untenable. It is probably just as well to have a new voice, despite everyone's respect for Rick.
Followill thinks the new guy will be Mosley. They will have to work out all the issues with Mark if they try for an experienced head coach, while Mosley is already used to that. Luka also likes him. If it isn't Mosley, Jamahl might still stay here as the defensive coordinator if he doesn't get a HC opportunity and they give him a nice raise. If it is Mosley, they will need to hire some more seasoned assistants to fill in where Moze is lacking experience. They think Barea is likely. Maybe even Jet, who, however, thinks he is ready to be the head coach.
Dirk
What is Dirk's role, really? Undefined, and not full-time, but Dirk is taking it seriously. Will give the team his reading of the league, the locker room, Luka, etc. Not necessarily going to be just a pretty face.
Luka
Issues have been raised as to Luka's coach-ability. He is a volatile guy, impetuous, and runs hot. Probably will be outbursts from time to time. But he is coachable, in their view. He will need to be managed with a firm hand, and it would be a mistake to allow him to ride roughshod over his colleagues. Probably, different guys will need to take him in hand and talk to him from time to time -- maybe Dirk, the sports psychologist, Finley, Barea, for example.
Mosley actually has a good manner as far as conveying tough messages in a palatable way. And someone like Casey Smith might serve as a guy who can just sit and listen while he rants. Luka is not a bad kid, just very emotional, and Mosley can probably mostly deal with that.
Rick
Would have been nice to get a draft pick for him, but not that big a deal one way or another. Unknown what all the negotiations were, and Mark wants to look like a nice guy in the deal.
https://www.patreon.com/mavspod/posts
Updates on General Situation
Pres and GM
Brian and Mark consider it "almost certain" that Finley will be one of the two new executives and that an outsider will be the other.
They think Fin is likely to be the new President. A new position of General Manager will be created. The General Manager will presumably report to the President, as opposed to being an equal voice.
No experienced GM or President worth his salt is going to want to come here to fill the President position and have to worry about having to run everything by Mark, etc., so Finley makes the most sense for that position, as he is already comfortable with Mark having control. He has been groomed for the role for the last several years, and is respected in the locker room.
Equally, no experienced GM is going to come here as a lateral move to work for Finley and Mark, so the likely new GM will be an up-and-coming guy who is an assistant somewhere else and would like to move up. Maybe a Shane Battier type. Someone who is very smart, well regarded in the front office ranks, analytics-driven, with older guys blocking his path in his current organization. The GM will do things like develop strategy, have useful connections, make day-to-day calls, run the draft, run the scouting department, etc. Doesn't have to be a cap expert -- Donnie wasn't. Might add some recruiting skills in terms of free agents.
Coach
Getting a new coach is a smaller hole to fill than the management positions. Anyone could see Luka's frustrations with Rick, and the situation had gotten untenable. It is probably just as well to have a new voice, despite everyone's respect for Rick.
Followill thinks the new guy will be Mosley. They will have to work out all the issues with Mark if they try for an experienced head coach, while Mosley is already used to that. Luka also likes him. If it isn't Mosley, Jamahl might still stay here as the defensive coordinator if he doesn't get a HC opportunity and they give him a nice raise. If it is Mosley, they will need to hire some more seasoned assistants to fill in where Moze is lacking experience. They think Barea is likely. Maybe even Jet, who, however, thinks he is ready to be the head coach.
Dirk
What is Dirk's role, really? Undefined, and not full-time, but Dirk is taking it seriously. Will give the team his reading of the league, the locker room, Luka, etc. Not necessarily going to be just a pretty face.
Luka
Issues have been raised as to Luka's coach-ability. He is a volatile guy, impetuous, and runs hot. Probably will be outbursts from time to time. But he is coachable, in their view. He will need to be managed with a firm hand, and it would be a mistake to allow him to ride roughshod over his colleagues. Probably, different guys will need to take him in hand and talk to him from time to time -- maybe Dirk, the sports psychologist, Finley, Barea, for example.
Mosley actually has a good manner as far as conveying tough messages in a palatable way. And someone like Casey Smith might serve as a guy who can just sit and listen while he rants. Luka is not a bad kid, just very emotional, and Mosley can probably mostly deal with that.
Rick
Would have been nice to get a draft pick for him, but not that big a deal one way or another. Unknown what all the negotiations were, and Mark wants to look like a nice guy in the deal.
https://www.patreon.com/mavspod/posts