Rod Thorn Retiring on July 15, Jerry Colangelo a Top Candidate to Replace Him
by Net Income on Jun 26, 2010 3:31 AM EDT
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PrintRod Thorn, who took the Nets from oblivion to the NBA Finals and back again, will step down as President of Basketball Operations on July 15, according to multiple reports.
Al Iannazzone reports that Jerry Colangelo, the former owner of the Suns and president of USA Basketball, is the leading candidate to replace Thorn and will be offered a three-year contract worth $12-15 million by Mikhail Prokhorov. Jerry West's name has also been mentioned.
Most reports are that the decision to retire is Thorn's alone and that it has nothing to do with Prokhorov, who had offered Thorn a lucrative package to stay in the job--$8 million over two years, according to one Nets insider. Thorn's family has been pressuring him to step down. He recently turned 69.
"They've given Rod everything he could want," a league executive said of the Russian ownership. "This is entirely his decision."
Mitch Lawrence of the Daily News has a different story. He reports that Thorn is either unhappy with the team's new hierarchy or with the contract he was offered. Thorn's current contract, which expires Wednesday, pays him $5.5 million.
Team insiders said the negotiations between Thorn and Prokhorov have been ongoing for several months, with Thorn declining to commit to staying on despite Prokhorov's entreaties. The two met most recently on Wednesday when Prokhorov stopped in East Rutherford on his way to Washington for the summit between President Obama and Russian President Medvedev.
Dave D'Alessandro can't see Thorn, who will help hire his replacement, endorsing Colangelo, because Thorn wasn't happy how the managing director of USA Basketball answered questions about the Nets job when his name first came up around the All-Star break. In fact, according to D'Alessandro, Thorn chewed Colangelo out about it over the phone.
If Colangelo is not the replacement, there apparently are a lot of other candidates. D'Alessandro identifies Steve Kerr, Danny Ferry, Bobby Marks and Toronto's Maurizio Gherardini. In a report naming the Nets as one of the first teams to visit LeBron James on July 1, Adrian Wojnarowski adds currently employed GMs Sam Presti, Jeff Bower and R.C. Buford. Meanwhile, Marc Stein says that West will get a call.
Andrei Vatutin, the president of CSKA Moscow and a candidate for an assistant GM job, appears to be out of the picture. He will head up a new Russian basketball league.
- Sources: Rod Thorn to step down as New Jersey Nets president - Chris Broussard - ESPN New York
- Rod Thorn stepping down July 15, reportedly unhappy with contract offer - Mitch Lawrence - New York Daily News
- Sources: Nets' president Rod Thorn to retire - Al Iannazzone - The Record
- Nets GM Rod Thorn has decided to retire - Dave D'Alessandro - Star-Ledger
- The Jerry Colangelo Option - Dave D'Alessandro - Nets Blast
- Nets president Thorn to retire - Fred Kerber - New York Post
- Thorn stepping down as Nets' president - Ken Berger - CBS Sports
- AP Source: Thorn leaving Nets as president-GM - Tom Canavan - AP
- Thorn Plans to Step Down as Nets’ President - Harvey Araton - New York Times
- Colangelo Leading Candidate For Thorn’s Job - Al Iannazzone - In the 'Zzone
- Nets only sure who's leaving: Thorn - Marc Stein - ESPN
- Sources: Nets President Rod Thorn to step down next month - Chris Mannix - Sports Illustrated
- Thorn-y situation for Mikhail Prokhorov as club president unexpectedly steps down - Ball in Europe
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Pritchard
"...where they don't play with a shot clock." - C. Sager
by kv on Jun 25, 2010 7:14 PM EDT reply actions 19 recs
there's a reason why portland fans love him..
and ownership hates him…hmmm
what reason?
I want Jerry Manuel fired now, not three years from now. That is my stance.- John Peterson
Prtichard!
Good luck to Thorn!
" I'm really excited to take the worst team in the league and turn it to be the best in the league." --Mikhail Prokhorov.
Or maybe some Russian guy we never heard of…
"...where they don't play with a shot clock." - C. Sager
by kv on Jun 25, 2010 7:21 PM EDT up reply actions
you guys are dealing with this news pretty well
This team lost the lotto…won’t get lebron…and just lost their captain of the ship.
This off season is not going too well…
by netsball on Jun 25, 2010 7:24 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Time to bring in Pritchard.
Sign Pritchard!!!
I’m not willing to throw in the towel on this off season, but losing RT hurts.
by nynjlawyer on Jun 25, 2010 7:33 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Your right, we should all just stop watching basketball.
This season is going great, get off your Debby Downer pills.
"Debby Downer pills"
great line. I got a dumpster load of “fans” I’d like to use that one on.
we have a young core
filled two big needs int he draft and have cap room to add or take on expiring contracts.
I want Jerry Manuel fired now, not three years from now. That is my stance.- John Peterson
TWO WORDS
Andrey Vatutin.
" I'm really excited to take the worst team in the league and turn it to be the best in the league." --Mikhail Prokhorov.
Thorn picked Favors...
There were rumors of him stepping down well before the draft to spend time with him family
not to sound like a broken record
but I think Kevin Pritchard is the solution also. He took a Jail Blazers team and turned them into solid, perennial playoff contenders (that would be better if not for a string of injuries that always seem to hit them)
It could be kiki. That wouldn’t be a bad thing. He wasn’t great as a coach but as an executive he is very good. Look at the position the Nets are in vs many other teams trying to rebuild.
by Ryan243 on Jun 25, 2010 7:34 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Bad Timing
No matter your opinion of Rod Thorn, he is well respected around the NBA. That said, the timing of this will certainly hurt our pursuit of free agents.
by nynjlawyer on Jun 25, 2010 7:31 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
Agreed.
Thorn was respected, a “piece” of the Nets. This hurts.
by No Sleep Till Brooklyn on Jun 25, 2010 7:35 PM EDT up reply actions
NOOOOOOOOO
I don’t believe this. Avery wouldnt’ve taken the job without Rod. And I think Rod would have come public with this.
If it is true, he’s screwing us over big time. Instability in the front office is not something LeBron wants (or any free agent for that matter). This is stinky.
by corky_romano4life on Jun 25, 2010 7:36 PM EDT reply actions
How is this instabiliity?
Rod is retiring. He’s a great person in the front office, but it’s not like the Nets won’t be able to run without him, especially fi we could get Pritchard, who’s a great GM.
Yeah he would it was about the Owner
But I don’t think Thorn would leave us cut and dry, I bet CDR knew this was going to happen.
Timing
Right after the draft, and right after Pritchard gets canned?
Let’s go get the guy from Portland.
Coincidence? I think NOT!
" I'm really excited to take the worst team in the league and turn it to be the best in the league." --Mikhail Prokhorov.
they both got fired?
how do you know all these details?
by corky_romano4life on Jun 25, 2010 7:44 PM EDT up reply actions
Pritchard has a way of rubbing bosses and others the wrong way, over time
But the guy builds teams.
"...where they don't play with a shot clock." - C. Sager
by kv on Jun 25, 2010 7:49 PM EDT up reply actions
true. He pissed one billionaire off, why not another.
It will take years before Pritchard exhausts his welcome, and by then there will be a team.
"...where they don't play with a shot clock." - C. Sager
by kv on Jun 25, 2010 7:58 PM EDT up reply actions
yup
even i am an a55 at work because i know i get the job done.. who cares, its not a popularity contest, he gets the job done and a great job.
He was
one player away from building a dynasty at Portland. All he had to do was be right on Oden (and who in the world thought Oden wasn’t the second coming of Bill Russell) and the NBA would be a different landscape.
For the record, I believe I read that Pritchard has been chasing Chris Paul for a very long time.
"...where they don't play with a shot clock." - C. Sager
by kv on Jun 25, 2010 8:03 PM EDT up reply actions
Oden
isnt even really his fault, if Oden was actually healthy and actually played it would of paid off well. I mean guy knows how to draft, he traded for Roy, and LMA on draft nights. Drafted Batum and Oden. Signed Miller and traded for Camby. Jesus this guy is good
lol he traded telfair to the celtics for Roy
the celtics are going to be so screwed now that they have to actually build a team instead of being handed hall of famers.
I want Jerry Manuel fired now, not three years from now. That is my stance.- John Peterson
They talked about it during the NBA Draft.
Tom Penn was acting as ESPN’s cap analyst. Also, you can find all this stuff on the Web.
And i was just kidding last night when I said that Rod just sign Pritchard to a 3yrs/$9M deal.
He is the right guy to replace Thorn.
LOL on 1050
Hollinger had no idea why THorn is stepping down he says might have been a contract thing, Proky doesn’t like Thorn smh these people know nothing.
yet they make it seem
that they’re Godly. especially brousard ugh i HATE HIM
by corky_romano4life on Jun 25, 2010 7:41 PM EDT up reply actions
SMH I don't know
Funny when he was talking about the draft he seemed a little off as well, said Favors might be Bosh or somebody else I don’t remember who he said. But the only think Bosh and Favors have in common is they both play PF, Favors was bigger than Bosh is now in highschool.
Yeah that 2 but they have totally different
Games, one is soft and shoots jumpers, the other one is stronger and has a jumper but seems to do his work around the rim more.
wrong again
Proky wanted him on board, and this is completely Thorn decision spending more time with his family.
Horrible timing.
I think Thorn was a bit overrated during his spell here (great at trades but his drafts were only OK and his F/A signings were at times atrocious) but he’s still one of the sharpest minds in the NBA and was a very important piece during this transition time. Can’t see LBJ coming here with added instability.
Hopefully the old Pritchard/Penn team comes in from Portland on the next flight to Newark.
he was fired
so he has no years left on his contract
I want Jerry Manuel fired now, not three years from now. That is my stance.- John Peterson
Last night I posted, half jokingly, that Nets should replace Thorn with Pritchard because Rod was acting funny in recent weeks..
culminated by not spending any of Proky’s money – as though they had a communication problem.
And also giving away CDR too easily.
That sucks...
but gotta respect his personal time. He’s given a lot to the organization, and I for one will miss him. All the best to you Rod!
What about their VP of Pres Operations
I think his name is Marks?
by corky_romano4life on Jun 25, 2010 7:46 PM EDT reply actions
Bobby Marks = Tom Penn
Bobby Marks is Thorn’s capologist. Same thing what Tom Penn was to Pritchard.
Hit #2 of the offseason
First the draft lottery, now this! I know Thorn hasn’t led us to anything special lately but anyone in basketball goes by this guy. I’m happy he’s thinking about himself but still helping us out for a couple of weeks but we have to get moving fast. I wish Rod the best and thanks for helping this team in his decade of service.
by Greg Brzozowski on Jun 25, 2010 7:47 PM EDT reply actions
Disagree.
Any FA is still going to want to know who is making the moves.
by No Sleep Till Brooklyn on Jun 25, 2010 7:52 PM EDT up reply actions
He will be there until the 15th
I’m sure we will have someone by then, or knowledge of what were doing moving forward.
Thorn will be missed
He helped give the Nets a name in the NBA.
I am glad he has helped stay on as new Ownership has taken over
RT clearly wanted Avery, it was his decision to draft Favors…
I wonder if he’ll play a role in free agency and the naming of a new GM/Basketball Ops VP before July 15th…
Does Bobby Marks get the bump?
Give it up for Rod
-Say man when I was growing up we wanted a Jacuzzi, we had to fart in the tub.
by NetLogic on Jun 25, 2010 7:49 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Give it up for Rod
another good thing about him was his years working directly for the NBA front office, director of disipline among other jobs, so he knows the ropes.
"Dominique James" "Damion Jones"
Why doesn’t anyone get his name right ?
lol!
Damion James and Dominique Jones :)
by jasperjarrod on Jun 25, 2010 7:53 PM EDT up reply actions
Seriously though.
In every radio interview, I hear the host say his name wrong. Even Adam Silver announced his name “Damion Jones” last night.
YES PLEASE GET PRITCHARD
I want Jerry Manuel fired now, not three years from now. That is my stance.- John Peterson
Isn't that gonna take some time?
Or maybe the Nets have been über quiet about the whole thing and have known all along that Pritchard would come in. Maybe that’s why he asked to leave Portland but agreed to do the draft? But who knows…
by corky_romano4life on Jun 25, 2010 7:54 PM EDT up reply actions
Thanks Rod
This is huge news. With the exception of the past season, I have been a big fan of Rod, and wish him and his family all the best. He came to the Nets when we were a joke and made this franchise respectable. He had difficult ownership situations and never complained, staying the course until our future was secure. It is a good time to hand over the reins and bring in fresh blood committed to seeing our transformation through. It would have been nice to let Rod’s replacement hire the coach, but hopefully AJ can work well with the new guy. End of an era, beginning of a new one.
CHARLES barkley!
hahahaah.
yo wtf is going on with the Nets this week??!! we are gonig backwards all of a sudden. The reason avery signed on was because of Thorn.
Now we know why CDr was so effusive with his thanks for Thorn. Classy goodbye from CDr.
Barkley would be classic.
Trade for Danny Ganger thats a turble idea, larry bird is knucklehead
by shea23 on Jun 25, 2010 8:47 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
AL is basically saying
Like he wrote Rod will stick around during free agency, everybody pretty much knew it was going to happen, this is why I think a contingency plan has to have been in place.
wait so Rod is still going to handle free agency?
meh I’m not sure I’m excited about his “throw everything at Lebron” plan
I want Jerry Manuel fired now, not three years from now. That is my stance.- John Peterson
Neither is he
Maybe that’s a factor in his thinking.
Yup
I’m pretty sure he will not leave us dry, but I think this means were not trading Favors, just a thought.
I sure hope that's what it means
I want Jerry Manuel fired now, not three years from now. That is my stance.- John Peterson
Never were.
Unless it means we get James.
You do not trade Favors for Rudy Gay.
by No Sleep Till Brooklyn on Jun 25, 2010 8:10 PM EDT up reply actions
i think the idea was
trading Favors or Boozer or Amar’e to entice James.
I want Jerry Manuel fired now, not three years from now. That is my stance.- John Peterson
Hire World-Wide Wes for GM
If it gets us LeBron, why not? OK, lots of reasons, but it would shake the NBA to its core.
That’s not allowed. Even if it was, I think the fact we didn’t wait for Phil Jackson pretty much killed any shot we had of getting him.
by diehardNFFLbarnone on Jun 25, 2010 8:46 PM EDT up reply actions
AGAIN ugh
AL CORRECTED HIM ahahhahaha great
by corky_romano4life on Jun 25, 2010 8:00 PM EDT up reply actions
I got an idea
J E R R Y C O L A N G E L O
by corky_romano4life on Jun 25, 2010 8:04 PM EDT reply actions
Everyone forgot
about him. But those rumors were HOT a few months back. Keep in mind that Proky must know this. They have a plan. I’m not worried.
by corky_romano4life on Jun 25, 2010 8:06 PM EDT up reply actions
Looks like Lebron's World Tour isn't going to happen
Report is that the Knicks are pissed because they had an elaborate plan in place, from Brussaurd.
That's better for the Nets
Because now they can prove that their basketball wise more ready for LeBron than the Knicks. No distractions.
by corky_romano4life on Jun 25, 2010 8:05 PM EDT up reply actions
They are going to end up with Boozer and Arenas LOL
"...where they don't play with a shot clock." - C. Sager
by kv on Jun 25, 2010 8:06 PM EDT up reply actions
That's a classic Knick move
STARTING LINEUP:
Arenas
Chandler
Galinari
Boozer
Curry.
DLeague Champs
by corky_romano4life on Jun 25, 2010 8:07 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
You got me cracking up.
"...where they don't play with a shot clock." - C. Sager
by kv on Jun 25, 2010 8:08 PM EDT up reply actions
It honestly could turn out that way.
All it takes is someone offering Lee a huge contract early (Knicks hold off hoping for Lebron), striking out on the big three, Amare goes to Miami and all that is left for the egg on the face is to sign Boozer and then take a huge risk on Arenas (who D’antoni would have wet dreams for). They would be playing Curry trying to get value on his huge last year contract. Its a mess, but it really could go that way.
"...where they don't play with a shot clock." - C. Sager
by kv on Jun 25, 2010 8:14 PM EDT up reply actions
First
Fire Pritchard.
Hollah!
Wait, did I say fire, I meant hire. My bad.
its never too early to start
I want Jerry Manuel fired now, not three years from now. That is my stance.- John Peterson
ok here is the list of successors...
1- Kevin Pirtchard and Penn
2- Jerry Colangelo
3- Steve Kerr
by danxcr on Jun 25, 2010 8:08 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
I am...
completely behind this list!
by NotSoSilentBob on Jun 25, 2010 10:36 PM EDT up reply actions
Very sad
Loved Rod, sorry to see him go. Wish him all the best and really hope we snap up KP right now he is also a geat GM.
Please no to Kerr!
The first 2 are good.
by jasperjarrod on Jun 25, 2010 8:09 PM EDT reply actions 2 recs
Kerr isn't really bad
a lot of the moves with the suns were out of his control, like the Shaq trade.
I want Jerry Manuel fired now, not three years from now. That is my stance.- John Peterson
Plus Sarver's the cheapest owner in the NBA
Under any other owner, the Suns would have had at least one championship, I swear.
yeah that's part of what I mean
he was really limited by the cheapness. Constantly giving away first round picks and quality players.
I want Jerry Manuel fired now, not three years from now. That is my stance.- John Peterson
So instead of saying he was great, one would have to say the Kerr was okay under limited circumstances. The team performed because of the great players that were already there.
"...where they don't play with a shot clock." - C. Sager
by kv on Jun 25, 2010 8:19 PM EDT up reply actions
tell me where i said he was great
I want Jerry Manuel fired now, not three years from now. That is my stance.- John Peterson
I thought it was implied
One guy says: “Here are my top three choices” (choices I assume are great).
Another guy says: “No, not Kerr!”
You say: “He’s not that bad.”
I just assumed that you thought he should remain on the top three choices for a Thorn replacement. If he isn’t great he really shouldn’t be on the Net’s list.
If you are just saying, literally, he’s not that bad, okay. He’s either “not that bad” or his “really bad”. In any case he doesn’t belong on the Net’s list.
"...where they don't play with a shot clock." - C. Sager
by kv on Jun 25, 2010 8:26 PM EDT up reply actions
Um. So what was the Steve Kerr great move?
His great move was not getting rid of Nash. Does this take a genius?
"...where they don't play with a shot clock." - C. Sager
by kv on Jun 25, 2010 8:16 PM EDT up reply actions
getting...
Frye, and Grant Hill. Drafting Robin Lopez. Getting expirings for Shaqs albatross of a contract.
Sorry, don’t see it. But if your hankering for Kerr to run the Nets, go Kerr!!!!
"...where they don't play with a shot clock." - C. Sager
by kv on Jun 25, 2010 8:27 PM EDT up reply actions
Misunderstood.
Also the guy preferred over every other person in the league, aside from the first two. Sorry, I just don’t like Kerr. Let’s just call it a difference of opinion. He did some okay things in the last year, but how he handled end of the D’antoni Era was horrible.
"...where they don't play with a shot clock." - C. Sager
by kv on Jun 25, 2010 8:34 PM EDT up reply actions
He could have been. He was constricted financially, but the sense I got was he came in like the new sheriff in town with D’Antoni, and broke a very good situation somewhat out of ego. It was a very good team right then. The right approach would have been not the two-steps back approach. He recovered what was lost, but NOT the two years on Nash’s career. Nash was the special player and likely D’Antoni was the right guy at the right moment.
"...where they don't play with a shot clock." - C. Sager
meh
I disagree it was a very good team, they played no defense and I don’t see much of any reason to believe that style of play would have gotten them a championship. It certainly hasn’t worked for any of the teams that tried to copy it.
I want Jerry Manuel fired now, not three years from now. That is my stance.- John Peterson
I’ll just say, as a Lakers fan, I was terrified of the Suns. Its was actually a misplaced stereotype that the Suns did not play defense at this time. They had two fantastic, flexible defensive players, Marion (at the time) and Bell. Bell gave Kobe nightmares. In 2006 if you recall, they beat the Lakers in the first round. In the second round a freak accident sidelined Nash for the first game, then if you remember there were the uncalled for suspensions of Amare and Diaw in game 5, basically giving the series to the Spurs. This was a very controversial series. The Spurs cake-walked to the Championship after that.
The Suns would have beaten both the Jazz and the Cavs, just as the Spurs did.
I do agree that it wasn’t a great “system” accept for the fact that it took advantage and maximized the skills of a very special player in Nash. The whole thing was perfect for Nash.
"...where they don't play with a shot clock." - C. Sager
Go Kerr!!!
"...where they don't play with a shot clock." - C. Sager
by kv on Jun 25, 2010 8:47 PM EDT up reply actions
why not to kerr?
He did an amazing job at PHX. Traded for Jason Richardson who played well for them. Shaq trade was more of Mike D` choice. He has gotten the job done. And you know what? He takes risks!
Richardson? Great? He put up numbers, he’s a number guy. He was incredibly inconsistent in the playoffs, fading in the stretch.
"...where they don't play with a shot clock." - C. Sager
by kv on Jun 25, 2010 8:17 PM EDT up reply actions
JRICH
Actually played well in the playoffs. He got rid of a overweight Diaw and an aging Raja Bell for him. Got Grant Hill to sign with them and signed Channing Frye who fit their scheme. He did some good things. Drafted Robin Lopez. :)
Yeah, Richardson was GREAT against the Lakers when someone actually guarded him.
And yes, that was pretty good getting Grant Hill once Hill wised up and started on an HGH regime (but who would have guessed that, unless Kerr had a hand). Frye was good for the scheme, but by and large it was ONE thing that lead to Sun success, and that was Nash’s greatness combined with Amare’s power.
"...where they don't play with a shot clock." - C. Sager
by kv on Jun 25, 2010 8:30 PM EDT up reply actions
good for the scheme?
isnt that exactly what gms do?? Find players good for the scheme?
you’ve obviously already made up your mind on kerr and no amount of reason will matter.
I want Jerry Manuel fired now, not three years from now. That is my stance.- John Peterson
I think he handled the D’Antoni situation horribly. The Lakers were in dread fear of the Suns at this point and D’Antoni had a huge ego going. Kerr did okay eventually recovering, but when he came in he deconstructed a team that really had already climbed to the top and was at the precipice. All that was needed was for D’Antoni’s ego to be massaged and the capitalize on where the Suns ALREADY were. Nash was in his prime, and that was the moment. Kerr basically set the team way back. It recovered, with some good moves on his part, but mostly because of the ENGINE of the team that was already in place…Nash/Amare pick and roll.
I say this because I’m a Laker fan and I knew how dangerous the Suns were at the time. Its nice that the Suns had their run, but now it over. The team is way back in the pack. They will likely lose the indispensable Amare. They have young talent, but Nash is a year older and there are so many teams in the West that have improved What Kerr did was close the Suns window, or narrow it more than it had to be. With Nash they had a chance. They will become a middle of the pack team.
I do see why you like Kerr’s moves because they are very much of the kind that you often recommend for the Nets. Gathering complimentary players that play hard for acceptable salary. The problem is…this strategy does not win championships.
"...where they don't play with a shot clock." - C. Sager
by kv on Jun 25, 2010 8:55 PM EDT up reply actions
trust me
i would rather have KP and Penn or Jerry over Kerr. But Kerr deserves kind of respect because he did a good job with what he was allowed to do. And he came into the off season asking for raises for the film guys and the “small” guys and the owner told NO and told him they are not renewing his contract.
OMG. Thanks for reminding me he is out there. Now I am going to have nightmares!
I HATE Kerr, he has NO idea what he is doing. He was the worst broadcast guy in the past 10 years. He would talk and preach about things that were absolutely wrong in every way shape and form every single time he spoke. He might even have less of a clue then Tom Tolbert.
Barry for GM !!!
"...where they don't play with a shot clock." - C. Sager
by kv on Jun 25, 2010 8:20 PM EDT up reply actions
Good riddance.
Didn’t try to get non-guaranteed second rounders this season… The ridiculous contract to Najera amongst others… The countless screwed up drafts… But OMG, he drafter Jordan!!!! Hooray!!!!!! Dumping JKidd, RJ, and VC doesn’t mean sh1t… The guy was HIGHLY OVERRATED.
by JohnFromLongIsland on Jun 25, 2010 8:14 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
he's a horrible gm by himself
but he’s an awesome president when paired with a scout heavy gm. He and kiki were actually a really really good combination all things considered.
I want Jerry Manuel fired now, not three years from now. That is my stance.- John Peterson
he dumped all of them...
and got capspace… that was the point… to sell them so the team had less losses so the team can be bought…
do people really not realize kiki was gm during that time
I want Jerry Manuel fired now, not three years from now. That is my stance.- John Peterson
He was able to trade for Kidd, RJ, and VC…and gave up basically nothing of significance for all three. If things had fallen a different way, and instead of KMart being the number one pick that year, it was a guy like Tim Duncan instead, Rod would have engineered a dynasty. Not perfect, but he was pretty damn good. I’ll miss him.
This probably wasn't supposed to leak...
I wonder if this makes us change gears in free agency? And also, I wonder if they’ve already been searching for Rod’s replacement on the DL…
Whoever replaces THorn
Will never have worked for an Owner like Proky so, it would be hard to judge them that much. Except for Pritchard in Portland I guess.
Rating Thorn's Drafts
I do like Thorn but think he’s a bit overrated, especially when it comes to his draft record. My Rod Retrospective in terms of 1st Round picks:
2000) A-…..Martin (Great pick but Nets were picking first so no brainer)
2001) A…..Trades Griffin for Jefferson and Collins (Nets were picking 7th)
2002) Inc…Kristic (see 2004)
2003) D-….Planninic (he at least made the team for a few seasons)
2004) B…..Trades Krhyapa for cash. But Krstic ready to come over from Serbia.
2005) D…..Wright (especially b/c of Granger)
2006) C-…..M. Williams, Boone (surprisingly Boone keeps this from being a D-)
2007) D-…..S.Williams
2008) A……Lopez, Anderson (Lopez was a steal at 10, plus CDR at 40 was good too)
2009) B-…..T. Williams (early off court issues but could still be special)
2010) ??? Favors, D. James (Will Favors be used in a sign-n-trade for L. James? Will either have a Krstic type career altering injury? Prove to be lazy like M. Williams? Crazy like S.Williams?)
Overall, without knowing how Favors and James play out, I’ll give Thorn a C for his picks, with room to grow especially if T-Will continues to mature and Favors stays on to become an Amare type.
Bottom line tho, none of the previous names is a Hall of Famer. Lopez appears to be the only who will become a consistent All Star. On the other hand, no one is a Yinka Dare/Ed O’Bannon type of F.
Again “C” with room to grow for TWill, Favors and James. Thorn gets a “D” in terms of F/A signings, unless LeBron is a Net between now and the 15th. Finally, he gets an “A” in terms of trades. Kidd forever changed the franchise, K-Mart for what became Carter kept them going, and the new generation looks to be in good shape.
Let’s hope for one more bang between now and what will hopefully become the Pritchard/Penn regime.
net income made a pretty good point
that if you divide lottery and none lottery it’s not as nightmarish
I want Jerry Manuel fired now, not three years from now. That is my stance.- John Peterson
one of the best
The best in my opinion, all the best rod
Rod Thorn is a class act and was the best thing that happened to the Nets since I have been paying attention (20 years). He is a sharp mind and a great judge of talent. I wonder if his replacement is in place and I wonder if it is one of these two: Rivers or Phil Jackson. Interesting possibilities. I tend to believe the Lawrence story that Rod and the Russian are not seeing eye to eye. Rod is used to running things his way. Then again, he is 69 and owes us nothing. Thank you for Kidd! It was a great ride.
Other than getting Jason Kidd
This is the best move Thorn has made for the Nets in his time here.
i don't necessarily agree
but I lol’d
I want Jerry Manuel fired now, not three years from now. That is my stance.- John Peterson
This was his best move
with Kidd and Carter he put two HOFs on the team and tried to leverage it up into a championship. He realized that these kinds of difference makers, special players, are the ONLY path to winning it all. In the NBA you can’t Hoosier it to the ring.
"...where they don't play with a shot clock." - C. Sager
by kv on Jun 25, 2010 8:58 PM EDT up reply actions
Carter is NOT a Hall of Famer – in fact, if Rodrigue Beaubois were to retire today, he would probably get in first!
by diehardNFFLbarnone on Jun 25, 2010 9:05 PM EDT up reply actions
Carter is a borderline HOFin the Drexler mold. And if they had won a Championship that HOF status would have been likely insured. Kidd didn’t need a C, Carter did.
The Championship Team super-star rule is that a team needs at least ONE Hall of Fame player, but this involves as well borderline guys who then become HOFers because of the Championship, much in the lines of the Detroit trio.
He probably doesn’t make it even though he had HOF level talent.
"...where they don't play with a shot clock." - C. Sager
by kv on Jun 25, 2010 9:45 PM EDT up reply actions
There talking about trading Carter to the Wizards
Fro Hinrich and others I forget but check out Hoopsworld
what in the world are the wizards thinking
John Wall is going to be demanding a trade before August
I want Jerry Manuel fired now, not three years from now. That is my stance.- John Peterson
wow. Carter, Arenas, Wall? At least there would be a lot of jumping and chucking.
"...where they don't play with a shot clock." - C. Sager
The original deal was Areanas for Carter
by Newark2Brooklyn on Jun 26, 2010 12:12 PM EDT up reply actions
in that case
wtf was Orlando thinking
I want Jerry Manuel fired now, not three years from now. That is my stance.- John Peterson
Carter will be a HoF
based on his impact alone when he came to the NBA making it relevant again
he had goat talent level
I want Jerry Manuel fired now, not three years from now. That is my stance.- John Peterson
by Gina on Jun 25, 2010 11:09 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I like that, wish I had seen the Goat.
"...where they don't play with a shot clock." - C. Sager
me too
he was one of the most infuriating players ever to me. because he was capable of taking over games, and instead was content throwing up weak jumpers and playing no D.
I want Jerry Manuel fired now, not three years from now. That is my stance.- John Peterson
and I don't mean to say he would have been the greatest of all time
but he’s one of those players that when he first came out people thought, this kid is different.
but he never lived up to it.
I want Jerry Manuel fired now, not three years from now. That is my stance.- John Peterson
just watch this for 7 mintues
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSmzkJF7Ons
"...where they don't play with a shot clock." - C. Sager
I made it 2:30.
Before I hated you for posting that… VC is my favorite player because he loves the game… Probably more than he loves winning, which is his biggest fault.
by JohnFromLongIsland on Jun 26, 2010 12:06 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I made it all 7 minutes. It is truly awe-inspiring, honestly, from a sheer player/athletic perspective. After watching I went onto watch highlight reels of Dominique (who revolutionized dunking), and then back to Dr. J dunks. Carter’s display is so regular and surreal, in game, one doesn’t realize how gifted he is/was until you see it piled up one on top of the other.
"...where they don't play with a shot clock." - C. Sager
bring back the underrated kiki?
Thorn is highly overrated.
the guy from russia?
vautin is that his name?
I want Jerry Manuel fired now, not three years from now. That is my stance.- John Peterson
watch it's kevin mchale
I want Jerry Manuel fired now, not three years from now. That is my stance.- John Peterson
it's Isiah Thomas isn't it
I want Jerry Manuel fired now, not three years from now. That is my stance.- John Peterson
if that's the splash
im building a prokhy shrine
I want Jerry Manuel fired now, not three years from now. That is my stance.- John Peterson
I guess this was inevitable, but it's still sad.
To Rod:
Thanks for all of the memories. Thanks for the 2 NBA Finals trips and the reminder to the rest of the league that there is a professional b-ball team in NJ. I wish you weren’t constrained by Ratner (lack of) financing, but that’s water under the bridge. I wish you well in you further endeavors and hope you’re happy with your decision.
Yours Truly,
Morph
In Rod We Trust
by Morph on Jun 25, 2010 9:19 PM EDT reply actions 6 recs
I just want you to know the third "rec" came from me
Enjoy your green
-Say man when I was growing up we wanted a Jacuzzi, we had to fart in the tub.
Can Someone Give me some Info on Pritchard
like i dont nothing about him he did go get Oden and how did that pan out
he did trade randolph for nothing
i think hes good in the draft part he likes to trade alot in the draft other then that dont know much
BTW he was an assistant GM when they got roy aldridge so i dont think that counts in his resume
To understand what Pritchard did you have to remember the Portland Jailblazers
He rehabilitated the entire culture of a doomed franchise and stocked it with MVP type level talent.
"...where they don't play with a shot clock." - C. Sager
by kv on Jun 25, 2010 9:52 PM EDT up reply actions
Also...in 2006, despite being asst GM, he was given complete control over the draft
Here’s a description of some of his moves up to 2009:
“In the 2006 NBA Draft Paul Allen gave Pritchard full control and what did Pritchard do? Trade Sebastain Telfair for a Top 10 pick, land the best post player in the draft (Aldridge) and then draft Randy Foye to throw a wrench into a impending trade between Houston and Minnesota, which was Pritchard punishing Houston for backing out of a trade with Portland at the last minute. He then was able to trade Foye for the future Rookie of the Year, Brandon Roy. He ignored all the protests of John Canzano and local Portland shock jocks who were on the Adam Morrison bandwagon (How well did he work out?). He finished draft night 7 trades later with 4 first round players and a stockpile of future 2nd round picks.
His motto is “When we see a guy we like we go out and get him.” How can anyone not like that from their GM?
While handed a gift from the Basketball gods, Pritchard did not sit back in a passive state in the 2007 draft either. He made the consensus pick of Greg Oden at # 1. Despite getting offers for first ballot hall of famers and lottery picks for that top pick. Pritchard also unloaded Zach Randolph and the 71 million left on his deal, removing a “Black Hole” on the court and a “Headache” off it. Pritchard was also able to stockpile more European players in Peteri Koponen and Rudy Fernandez. He got some steals in the 2nd round landing Taurean Green and Josh McRoberts.
2008 was another success for Pritchard and his team. Kevin Pritchard wheeled and dealed his way into landing Ike Diogu and Jerryd Bayless from Indiana in return for Brandon Rush, Jarrett Jack and Josh McRoberts. Not bad seeing they used the 13th pick to land the player Pritchard believed to be the 4th best in the draft. They were also able to get Nicolas Batum through a trade. The athletic 19 year old Frenchman will add to an already large stockpile of talent in Portland.
So what does the mainstream media think of Kevin Pritchard? Well ESPN NBA Draft guru Chad Ford has given the Blazers an A- grade for the 2008 draft. That makes 3 years in a row Pritchard has earned an A or A- from Mr. Ford at ESPN.
The fact of the matter is, if he had been lucky with Oden (or at least less unlucky), Portland would have gone from one of the worst franchises in the West to one of the best, in just a few years, mostly through the draft.
"...where they don't play with a shot clock." - C. Sager
im offended people were on the morrison bandwagon
I want Jerry Manuel fired now, not three years from now. That is my stance.- John Peterson
Sure...
But it ended up not even being “people” but rather once again the Basketball mastermind Michael Jordan who was trying to live up to his Kwame Brown debacle and secure the title Worst Talent Evaluator in the history of the league.
"...where they don't play with a shot clock." - C. Sager
In Summary
Pritchard has been excellent in drafts both as an assistant GM (trading the Tyrus Thomas pick for Lamarcus Aldridge, trading Foye to the T-Wolves for Brandon Roy) and as GM (picking up Nicholas Batum and acquiring Rudy Fernandez from the Suns). People may say his loan mistake was chosing Oden over Durant but most GMs would have done that at the time. Swingmen are a dime a dozen. A good big man is rare and Oden was supposedly the next big one. He’s also credited for cleaning up the “JailBlazers” image by shipping out Zach Randolph. The main knock on him is that he’s known to be extremely arrogant which makes it tough for him to deal.
There is nobody who would have taken Durant over Oden at the time. I was huge Durant fan but even I wouldn’t have done it, especially given the Portland team and the nature of the West.
"...where they don't play with a shot clock." - C. Sager
Hollinger would have
I want Jerry Manuel fired now, not three years from now. That is my stance.- John Peterson
Its one thing to recommend a pick, and another to pick it.
As Hollinger wrote after the recent injury:
“All you second-guessers out there, just stop it. All 30 NBA general managers were prepared to take Greg Oden over Kevin Durant. All of them. There wasn’t even any question about it. One can fairly ask whether this consensus was borne more of the hope that infects every personnel evaluator upon seeing a talented 7-footer than of common sense. That said, it’s hard to single out a front office for doing what everybody else would have done too.”
"...where they don't play with a shot clock." - C. Sager
Pritchard's Drafts have gone really well except for Oden.
He seems to rob teams on draft nights all the time. Drafted Foye and turned him into Roy. Drafted Batum.
and Oden was just bad luck
I want Jerry Manuel fired now, not three years from now. That is my stance.- John Peterson
Thank God!
This guy is the most overrated GM in sports! Senile! HOW DO WE GET TO THIS FREE AGENT CLASS AND NOT HAVE ENOUGH CAP ROOM FOR TWO MAX PLAYERS!
Good Riddance!!!
How can you be a Nets fan and knock this guy?
He’s brought us two of the greatest years of this franchise’s sad history. You can’t possibly knock Thorn.
by imdkidd on Jun 25, 2010 10:04 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
2 good trades...
Doesn’t make a great GM.
Bloated contracts, poor draft picks, and dead trade deadlines are what stick out to me.
Drafting Jordan isn’t a brilliant move worth riding out for 20+ years. The guy was overrated. Getting JKidd, VC, and Devin was great. But outside that… Najera, Milicic, MWill, Boone, Magliore, SWill, and not buying non-guaranteed seconds this year… Is how I will remember lame duck Thorn.
by JohnFromLongIsland on Jun 26, 2010 12:12 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions 1 recs
well we don't know if the choice was his as far as seconds
and some of those moves were with Kiki as gm.
And I’d say the trades to get rid of Kidd, and VC were really good.
I want Jerry Manuel fired now, not three years from now. That is my stance.- John Peterson
He was mediocrity at its purest.
Brilliant with a couple of moves, amazingly stupid with others.
by Paul G B on Jun 26, 2010 3:55 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
lol if many other people share supernetsfans opinion of him
then he’s actually underrated
I want Jerry Manuel fired now, not three years from now. That is my stance.- John Peterson
Jerry West or Jerry Colangelo...
I would be stoked if it was Pritchard, but I think it’s gonna be one of them.
Really West? He’s a thousand years old. I love West, but he’s not coming East.
"...where they don't play with a shot clock." - C. Sager
by kv on Jun 25, 2010 9:53 PM EDT up reply actions
LOL West would be a shocker...
It has to be Colangelo, because Proky wants a guy with the same respect and prestige that Colanglo demands. Like kv stated months before the rumors were all about Jerry coming on board as president of operations / gm. He puts the USA teams together. And has ties with everybody. I would love for him if it is not KP and penn
OR maybe its just Penn by himself
If West comes over here
he’ll gift wrapped Lopez and Favors to the Lakers
Wesley Johnson's Pants for GM!
Sorry, I had to say it…
wait, who was that guy who drafted the 7-foot French guy, Prescott?
"...where they don't play with a shot clock." - C. Sager
yeah, that's him. Genius.
"...where they don't play with a shot clock." - C. Sager
did they say why?
I want Jerry Manuel fired now, not three years from now. That is my stance.- John Peterson
Pritchard or bust. We need someone that is going to make us appealing! Thorn had that aura about him. Its going to be hard to replace.
Van gundy for GM!!
In all seriousness imagine proky picks his boy Pippen??? I know it wouldnt happen but his name still holds weight. He prob knows less than i do about running a team though.
I'm am really worried if Dave D's article is right.
If Thorn gets to pick his successor, I really can’t see it being Pritchard or Colangelo. This would leave Bobby Marks, probably a Stefanski clone I’m guessing but I don’t know. If Proky is doing the hiring, Colangelo, Pritchard or Gherardini?
yeah I'm not excited about Thorn picking someone
I want Jerry Manuel fired now, not three years from now. That is my stance.- John Peterson
Good luck, Rod
No wisecracks, the man had a rough year in his personal life and I wish him the best.
No matter what I think about this particular draft and the current state of this organization, when he still had his fastball Rod Thorn was as good a basketball man as there was in the NBA, taking the laughing stock of the league and making them relevant again for the first time since Dr. J, with a great run even if we fell short of the brass ring.
Thank You, Rod, and I wish you well in retirement.
Dobermite
by Dobermite on Jun 25, 2010 10:26 PM EDT reply actions 3 recs
Is Rod UNHAPPY with his contract or is he living because his FAMILY asked him too?
Very different situations… we need some kind of clarification ASAP!
" I'm really excited to take the worst team in the league and turn it to be the best in the league." --Mikhail Prokhorov.
meh I don't think we need any clarification
it’s his business.
I want Jerry Manuel fired now, not three years from now. That is my stance.- John Peterson
Wait a minute
If Rod Thorn wants more money to stay, I got 3 words
Pay the man.
If he gets Lebron and keeps Favors although we are thisclose to a title and imo we are one year of Favors’ development and a home run trade from Rod away from a dynasty. However, if we don’t get Lebron the turnaround could take a few years and Rod is not interest long term. What this man did for this organization, he deserves to leave us a dynasty to crown his legacy as one of the best ever.
what?
he’s already drastically overpayed compared to the rest of the league. It makes no sense to overpay him even more.
I want Jerry Manuel fired now, not three years from now. That is my stance.- John Peterson
KP or J Colangelo
The US connection gives JC a tool to help recruit, though KP can point to the loads of talent that are oozing out from Portland. I wouldn’t mind either
Pritchard..
ok so even if i speak for myself, what is so great about Pritchard? he is praised as a god on this site and what has he done thats so great? I’ll admit I’m not too familiar with him and I wouldn’t be able to answer that. Obviously, he just got FIRED from a team. I feel that half the people on this site have jumped on his bandwagon just because of the hype. What has this guy actually done? Im sure he’s good but some clarification would be appreciated