NEWS: Donnie out | Nico Harrison (Nike) as Pres/GM | Fin as VP | Dirk as Advisor

[VintagePejav2]

From mavsluvr’s summary of the Followill/Dameris podcast… Shane Battier is an interesting name for GM. He had been in the Heat’s front office since 2017, as VP (started as director) of analytics and player development. He just resigned several days ago, apparently. Seems he will just do consulting work for the Heat going forward - it does sound like he has an interest in a more prominent role (interviewed with Detroit in 2018).

[BigDirk41]

@"mavsluvr" thank you so much for the summary, so good.

I actually LOVE what I am hearing in all this. I think it is the best of both worlds in regard to total shakeup while still having continuity. 

My favorite parts:

1) New President being ABOVE the GM. A clear hierarchy. Thank God!

2) Fin being well liked and respected makes him perfect for that job AND he probably doesn't think of himself as a GM.

3) I actually like the idea of an up and comer in the GM spot with really fresh ideas and perspectives and trusting of the analytics. Glad this guy will get to run the draft. HUGE. 

4) The recognition that the coaching hole isn't a big one. I think the Mavs won't really lose a step with this change.

5) I have seen enough of Mosley with Luka to trust Mosley totally. Mosley is kind and listening and yet brave enough to slap Luka in the face. Great combo.

6) I LOVE the idea of JJB being an assistant there to be in Luka's ear all the time. FANTASTIC.


This is all such encouraging news to me.

I'm sorry for saying this, but do you work for Cuban or what? Nobody is going to get behind this.

[Mavsfan7]

From mavsluvr’s summary of the Followill/Dameris podcast… Shane Battier is an interesting name for GM. He had been in the Heat’s front office since 2017, as VP (started as director) of analytics and player development. He just resigned several days ago, apparently. Seems he will just do consulting work for the Heat going forward - it does sound like he has an interest in a more prominent role (interviewed with Detroit in 2018).

Interesting...wonder if he’s the favorite to land the GM roll so he went ahead and made it easier for Dallas to hire him by stepping down in his role with the Heat.

[fifteenth]

Just caught up. Man, you guys got in a roll. 

Trying to get over being disturbed by "Donnie wasn't a cap expert". How do you have that job for that many years and not make yourself a cap expert?

[KillerLeft]

Trying to get over being disturbed by "Donnie wasn't a cap expert". How do you have that job for that many years and not make yourself a cap expert?

lolololol

Such a great point. During the time Donnie has been in that job, we've all seen several people in this community become NBA cap experts, or near enough. And these are people who work other jobs that don't pay them millions.

[cow]

Just caught up. Man, you guys got in a roll. 

Trying to get over being disturbed by "Donnie wasn't a cap expert". How do you have that job for that many years and not make yourself a cap expert?

Donne: "Hey Dirk, can you take pay cut?  You see Mark decided to give Chandler a max contract."
Dirk: "We are bringing Tyson back?  That's great news!"
Donnie: "No, Chandler Parsons."
Dirk:  "Who?"

Donnie: "Hey Dirk, can you take another pay cut?  Mark is going to sign Wes Matthews and DAJ to huge contracts."
Dirk: "Isn't Wes hurt?"
Donnie: "It's fine plus we need him to sign DAJ."
----Days Later---
Dirk: "So since DAJ isn't coming, can I get my money back?"
Donnie: "Dirk, you see, we promised Wes we'd give him an even bigger contract if DAJ didn't come."
Dirk: "..."

Donnie: "Hey Dirk, can you take another pay cut?  Mark is going to give The Black Falcon a max contract."
Dirk: "I don't read comic books."
Donnie: "No, Dirk.  Harrison Barnes."
Dirk: "You mean the 6th best player on GSW?"
Donnie:  "We think he's got superstar potential."
Dirk: "..."

[Kammrath]

Trying to get over being disturbed by "Donnie wasn't a cap expert"

I was not looked on favorably a number of days ago when I suggested that Donnie may not really know basketball all that well.

I think Donnie had ONE great strength that I am aware of: relationships. Don't get me wrong, that is important, but I get the feeling that he was basically unqualified for the job in maybe every other aspect.

[Kammrath]

RE: Finley and the Draft

I think there are two key things here:

1) What Finley offered wasn't scouting and eval, but organization. That makes me feel really good about him as the president of basketball operations. 

2) The new GM will run the draft. So Fin will oversee, in the sense of making sure everyone is organized and about their business, but I do NOT see Fin making any basketball decisions. I assume the GM will make the call and Cuban will stamp off on it, while Fin makes sure the GM is doing his job adequately.

[KillerLeft]

2) The new GM will run the draft. So Fin will oversee, in the sense of making sure everyone is organized and about their business, but I do NOT see Fin making any basketball decisions. I assume the GM will make the call and Cuban will stamp off on it, while Fin makes sure the GM is doing his job adequately.

If this is really how it goes, then it's about the best case scenario from here, imo. Sure, the new guy might blow, but every team runs that risk with every new hire. All I think it's reasonable to demand, as fans, is that there's a plan and a system in place. One that can be evaluated from time to time, and with someone at the top who can be held accountable, someone who can be replaced.

[hakeemfaan]

RE: Finley and the Draft

I think there are two key things here:

1) What Finley offered wasn't scouting and eval, but organization. That makes me feel really good about him as the president of basketball operations. 

2) The new GM will run the draft. So Fin will oversee, in the sense of making sure everyone is organized and about their business, but I do NOT see Fin making any basketball decisions. I assume the GM will make the call and Cuban will stamp off on it, while Fin makes sure the GM is doing his job adequately.

The Fin stuff happened before Bob.  It is all for show if he is going to get overruled. Plus the owner that you trust so much suddenly and was spouting his smartest man in the room theory long before Fin came here didn’t see any issues with no overall draft board? 

You keep repeating the same stuff over and over as if saying it enough times will start making it sound sensible. It does not. 

Saying this again.  Fin’s role is just a title in name only. Read again what you just wrote. It is is just some hodgepodge of words trying to rationalize things but it doesn’t make any sense at all as to any real value that Fin is providing. 

If Mark wants to make Bob the GM he should man up and do that. Else kick out Fin, kick out Bob, kick out Mos, and bring a GM who will bring his own coach and his own analytics guy. Folks he know cannot bypass him and go directly to the owner.

[jesusshuttlesworth82]

You keep repeating the same stuff over and over as if saying it enough times will start making it sound sensible. It does not. 

Saying this again.  Fin’s role is just a title in name only. Read again what you just wrote. It is is just some hodgepodge of words trying to rationalize things but it doesn’t make any sense at all as to any real value that Fin is providing. 

I keep trying to type a reply to it but it's such a nonsensical viewpoint that I dont even know how to argue against it.

So the two guys employed here by Mark Cuban for 30+ years were bad at their jobs.
Now we're hiring two guys that have been their underlings/mentees for a decade.
And we're not going to give them much power either.
Cuban will still be making the basketball decisions.
And this is "good news."

I guess we just need Jonah Hill to show up and save us.  (I know this seems sarcastic but this seems to be his entire viewpoint.  We just need a stats geek to whisper in Mark's ear before each decision and hope Mark listens and hope Finley is off in the crapper and we're good)

[fifteenth]

The Fin stuff happened before Bob.  It is all for show if he is going to get overruled. Plus the owner that you trust so much suddenly and was spouting his smartest man in the room theory long before Fin came here didn’t see any issues with no overall draft board? 

You keep repeating the same stuff over and over as if saying it enough times will start making it sound sensible. It does not. 

Saying this again.  Fin’s role is just a title in name only. Read again what you just wrote. It is is just some hodgepodge of words trying to rationalize things but it doesn’t make any sense at all as to any real value that Fin is providing. 

If Mark wants to make Bob the GM he should man up and do that. Else kick out Fin, kick out Bob, kick out Mos, and bring a GM who will bring his own coach and his own analytics guy. Folks he know cannot bypass him and go directly to the owner.

That's not fair to Kam. Lots of folks are saying things multiple times. I sure am. We're all processing the upheaval. 

If everyone was only allowed one version of their take and could say it only once we'd have a robust 3 or 4 posts a day across the entire forum.

[Kammrath]

Saying this again.  Fin’s role is just a title in name only. Read again what you just wrote. It is is just some hodgepodge of words trying to rationalize things but it doesn’t make any sense at all as to any real value that Fin is providing. 

If Mark wants to make Bob the GM he should man up and do that. Else kick out Fin, kick out Bob, kick out Mos, and bring a GM who will bring his own coach and his own analytics guy. Folks he know cannot bypass him and go directly to the owner.

We must be having some serious miscommunication going on.

What do you think I am saying that makes "no sense"? I have no clue what you are saying, so please help me out.

[KillerLeft]

If everyone was only allowed one version of their take and could say it only once we'd have a robust 3 or 4 posts a day across the entire forum.

Untrue. 

Every @"IamDougieFresh" Powell take is fresh. Every one brings some unique new insight that has me questioning things for days. I log on each day hoping for another, and each day I settle for reading everyone else's regurgitated musings. Sometimes I offer my own redundant thoughts.

EDIT: I guess what I'm saying doesn't actually refute your point, since my mainest man Dougie doesn't bless us often enough. Just saying.

[dirkfansince1998]

Untrue. 

Every @"IamDougieFresh" Powell take is fresh. Every one brings some unique new insight that has me questioning things for days. I log on each day hoping for another, and each day I settle for reading everyone else's regurgitated musings. Sometimes I offer my own redundant thoughts.

Burke sucks...

[Kammrath]

If this is really how it goes, then it's about the best case scenario from here, imo. Sure, the new guy might blow, but every team runs that risk with every new hire. All I think it's reasonable to demand, as fans, is that there's a plan and a system in place. One that can be evaluated from time to time, and with someone at the top who can be held accountable, someone who can be replaced.

Yeah, I agree. This is my attempt to piece together the podcast details into what I think makes sense from an organizational standpoint. 

Cuban wants the final say on stuff, but doesn't want to do day to day oversight. That is where Fin comes in. He is basically Mark's eyes and ears within the organization, making sure that everything is running as it should be. I then imagine the new GM being the real voice and power of building the team. Fin will make sure that GM does his job, Cuban will then give the final sign off on the decisions.

To me it makes a ton of sense and is streamlined while also having good checks and balances.

[KillerLeft]

To me it makes a ton of sense and is streamlined while also having good checks and balances.

It TOTALLY makes sense. It's absolutely what they should do, since Cuban isn't willing to step out of the process further. And, I agree that your conclusions are exactly what they're starting to outline for us. 

I think the resistance you're encountering is due to 20 years of resentment and (what people believe is) a collective, dawning realization that he's just not the guy we all thought he was, or that you seem to still think he is. It's not that the structure you laid out doesn't make sense, it's that many of us are finding it more and more difficult to believe it's what's actually going to happen. 

I like your version connect the dots better than my own, so I hope you're right.

---

Burke sucks...

Eat your heart out, @"IamDougieFresh"!

[Kammrath]

difficult to believe it's what's actually going to happen.

I think the KEY above all else is this:

That there is no one else in Cuban's ear, turning him against this GM that he is choosing to empower. Of course, Cuban should be privvy to all the data he wants to see, but I think it is key that he chooses a GM he will trust.

[omahen]

I am curious to see who this "outside hire" for GM might be, though. It might be a needle mover for me. I do think it will be a first time GM, which I don't like at all, but then again the prospect of building a team around Luka might be enticing enough to attract the best of the first-time GM hopefuls.

I thought podcast was clear. It will be a "nobody" as nobody respectable would want to come. And even as it is, this guy will be third in line. So not important at all. Just a voice.

[KillerLeft]

I thought podcast was clear. It will be a "nobody" as nobody respectable would want to come. And even as it is, this guy will be third in line. So not important at all. Just a voice.

Sadly, this might be pretty accurate. 

I'm still curious about who it will be.