Gregg Polinsky is probably the Nets' least visible basketball type and with good reason: he lives and works out of Birmingham, Alabama, and his job, as director of player personnel, i.e. chief scout, some of what he does is cloak and dagger.
It's not just about quietly jetting around the country watching up to 80 prospects along with his scouting staff--and contract hires. It's getting to know the prospects' personalities. He described the process to his hometown paper, the Birmingham News, and the final product: "On some of those guys,’’ Polinsky said, ``we have information from 8-to-10 sources.’’ He says he and others he hires--including former law enforcement types--will discretely talk to coaches, trainers, academic advisers, media relations directors, teammates.
"There’s nobody better than a former teammate to know if you’re a good teammate,’’ Polinsky said, noting the interviews are not random. "We have a scripted menu that we use (when asking questions) because we feel that’s the important stuff we need to know.’’
- Scarbinsky: College programs should follow NBA's lead on background checks - Kevin Scarbinsky - Birmingham News
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NETS: Gregg Polinsky Q&A - Scouting the Draft - Ben Couch - New Jersey Nets