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  • Jeff Weltman the new #2

    According to Peter Vecsey, Jeff Weltman will take over as the new Assistant GM for the Raptors following the draft:

    "@PeterVecsey1: Jeff Weltman will remain w Bucks until after draft, then join Raptors as 2d in command under Masai Ujiri, it has been learned/confirmed"
    http://twitter.com/m_shantz

  • #2
    Great choice by Ujiri. I like it.

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    • #3
      Can someone tell me what's so good about him?

      say for example, a Jeff. Vs. Ed comparison?

      Comment


      • #4
        This is from a Pheonix Suns article when they were considering Weltman as a possible GM candidate at the end of April 2013.
        So if the Suns hired Weltman, what would they be getting?

        First and formost, it appears Weltman is leaps and bounds ahead of his predecessor in dealing with the media. As Michael Schwartz and I discussed last week, one of Blanks’ biggest downfalls was his dealings with people, especially the media. Weltman, in contrast, is plenty fine with sitting down with a blog such as this one. He did a two-part series with SB Nation’s BrewHoop.com, which gave a striking clarity to his philosophies.

        In the second part of the series, Weltman discusses the value of analytics, but he hardly treads negatively on coaches who don’t use them on a day-to-day basis — a good sign considering the Suns have dealt with enough cross-job-description meddling of late. And if you were wondering what he was doing in the span between his 2006 departure from the Nuggets and his return to the league with the Pistons, check out his archive writing Scouts Inc. pieces for ESPN Insider.

        The downsides of bringing on Weltman first begin with his experience. He’s never held a true decision-making position, but at the same time it’s hard to argue he’d be entering that in Phoenix. He’s also never been in a position to truly comb the NBA market for outright stars in the small market of Milwaukee. Monta Ellis might have been the biggest coup, and Weltman’s ability to think big could be a question mark coming into a decent market for NBA stars — or so we’re told.

        Yet, the talent evaluation strengths can’t be overstated. The Clippers had some nice pieces, as Hill noted, and the Bucks had decent later lottery picks such as Brandon Jennings, Larry Sanders and John Henson. The Tobias Harris selection two years ago is looking like quite the gem as well — then again, it’s important to ask why the Bucks traded him only to tick off free-agent-to-be J.J. Redick.

        It’s all quite complex, again considering any Weltman work required Hammond’s signature. In short, Weltman is a more finely-tuned personality than Blanks, has the resume where he won’t likely come in immediately looking for more power and has the characteristic Babby is looking for.

        Comment


        • #5
          drunkmunky wrote: View Post
          Can someone tell me what's so good about him?

          say for example, a Jeff. Vs. Ed comparison?
          Press release when hired with Bucks in 2008:

          MILWAUKEE -- The Milwaukee Bucks have named Jeff Weltman to the position of Assistant General Manager, General Manager John Hammond announced today. Weltman comes to the Bucks after spending the 2007-08 season with the Detroit Pistons where he worked along side Hammond as the director of basketball administration.

          “Jeff is a hard-working and respected NBA front office executive,” said Hammond. “He has a keen eye for talent, a tireless work ethic and a strong knowledge of the league’s salary cap structure. I value his input and look forward to continuing our relationship in Milwaukee.”

          Weltman spent one season in Detroit and was responsible for coordinating the team’s draft preparation, scouting efforts, scouting schedules, and free agent visits. He joined the Pistons after spending five seasons as the assistant general manager with the Denver Nuggets where he helped develop the Nuggets into a team that ended an eight-year play-off drought in 2003-04 and won 49 games in 2004-05.

          “I’m excited to join the Milwaukee Bucks organization and grateful to Senator Kohl and John Hammond for the opportunity,” said Weltman.

          The 43-year-old began his NBA career in 1988 as a video coordinator with the Los Angeles Clippers. He quickly rose through the organization’s ranks and served as the club’s Director of Player Personnel from 1994-2001. He worked closely with Hammond during the 1990-93 and 2000-01 seasons when the Bucks General Manager was an assistant coach for the Clippers (under Larry Brown from ’90-93 and under Alvin Gentry from ’00-01). In all, the New York native owns 19 years of NBA experience.

          Weltman graduated from Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio in 1987. He and his wife, Alexis, have twin daughters, Lucy and J.J., who will turn three years old this May.

          http://www.nba.com/bucks/news/weltman_080418.html

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          • #6
            drunkmunky wrote: View Post
            Can someone tell me what's so good about him?

            say for example, a Jeff. Vs. Ed comparison?
            Honestly, I would keep Stefanski, but Ujiri wanted to change everything, bring new staff and I couldn't agree more.

            But Weltman is great one, he's worth to be GM, he should be a GM, so I'm happy that we were able to land him as an assistant.

            Comment


            • #7
              I find it comforting that Jeff Weltman has more basketball say than Bryan Colangelo. That puts me to sleep at night. Heck, a water bottle at the ACC has more of a say than BC at this point.
              “The saving of our world from pending doom will come, not through the complacent adjustment of the conforming majority, but through the creative maladjustment of a nonconforming minority.” - Martin Luther King

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              • #8
                drunkmunky wrote: View Post
                Can someone tell me what's so good about him?

                say for example, a Jeff. Vs. Ed comparison?
                It's only fair that some Ed Stefanski poop is put out here. I kid because I am sure he probably did some good in NJ before things soured there....but here is a piece from Philly after he was fired there...

                The five reasons Ed Stefanski is out as the Sixers' GM
                By Stuart London | Posted: Saturday, October 29, 2011 7:31 am
                Ed Stefanski being relieved of his duties as the 76ers general manager was the Joshua Harris ownership group's first order of business.
                And, while it was met with general approval among Sixers fans (and outright glee by many), my first thought was this: It didn't have to be this way.
                When Stefanski replaced the unpopular Billy King as president of the franchise four years ago, it seemed like the perfect marriage.
                He had helped the New Jersey Nets make the NBA finals twice as an assistant to Rod Thorn. He was a local boy having played at Monsignor Bonner and Penn and done Big 5 basketball telecasts for a number of years.
                He knew the passion of the local basketball fan and we liked him and wanted him to succeed. When his wife talked about how she was so glad he did not have to drive all the way to North Jersey to work anymore - we were glad too.
                So how did such a popular choice get demoted a year ago and dropped like a sack of potatoes at the first opportunity?
                Choices. It's all about the choices.
                There was no one move that sank Stefanski's reign in Philly, but a series of basketball choices. Some were his fault, others not. Since he is a Big 5 guy, here are five major reasons Stefanski is no longer here.
                1. He hired Eddie Jordan as coach.
                There is probably a better than 50-50 chance Stefanski would still have his job if he had not decided to hire his old pal from the New Jersey Nets.
                There was great optimism for the team at the time. It had just taken the Orlando Magic to six tough games in the 2009 playoffs. The team took a bad loss in Game 6 despite the Magic not having Dwight Howard and it ended interim coach Tony DiLeo's time on the bench. But it looked like Stefanski's Sixers had turned the corner.
                In looking for a coach, Stefanski kept telling the media that Jordan, who had been let go earlier in the season as head coach of the Washington Wizards but had been a Nets assistant when Stefanski was there, was not the favorite and that he would do "due diligence" in finding the best coach.
                Doug Collins' agent called Stefanski to let him know he was interested. He did not get an interview.
                Eventually, seven people did get interviews for the job, including Tom Thibodeaux, then a Boston Celtics assistant and, now, the newly named NBA Coach of the Year after he guided the Chicago Bulls to its best season since Jordan was there.
                The Sixers were a young team that loved the fast break but definitely needed some tightening up on the defensive end.
                In the end, as we know, Stefanski picked Jordan, a coach known for having a disciplined offense. His Wizards teams were not known for being defensive standouts. A round peg was put in a square whole.
                What had looked like a future contender went 27-55 the following year. Stefanski made the right choice and pulled the plug on Jordan.
                A couple of months after that, his old Nets boss Rod Thorn became team president. Stefanski because just the general manager.
                2. He never addressed the point guard problem.
                The Sixers had a slick veteran point guard in Andre Miller but his contract was up and he was in his early 30s.
                Having shelled out big bucks for Elton Brand and Andre Iguodala in the past two seasons, Stefanski decided not to offer a big contract to Miller. The Sixers hoped no one else would offer Miller a long-term deal and they'd be able to get him on the cheap for a couple of years.
                The Portland Trail Blazers signed Miller to a long-term deal, and he has been an effective player for them the past two seasons.
                Without Miller, Stefanski and the rest of the Sixers brass informed us that we did not need a point guard, that Lou Williams would bring up the ball and we would go into that vaunted Princeton offense of Eddie Jordan.
                So we had an ill-fitting coach for 2009-10 and no leadership on the floor. Result: 27-55
                3. Two words: Andre Iguodala
                I think we all know how this went.
                His agent made it clear that Andre Iguodala was would go the free agency route after the 2008 season if he didn't get a big-bucks contract. Stefanski, new to the job, didn't want to look bad losing the team's top player, on the heels of Allen Iverson leaving, so he gave Iggy the huge six-year, $80-million deal.
                What happened next was not Stefanski's fault. The global economy went into a tailspin, NBA revenues dropped and the salary cap tightened around the Sixers like a boa constrictor with Iguodala and Elton Brand's massive contracts.
                Stefanski basically was unable to make any real major moves after the Iguodala because he had no maneuverability with the cap. So, yes, the prime rate mortgage scandal hurt the Sixers big time.
                4. Two more words: Elton Brand
                Everyone hailed Stefanski as a genius for getting forward Elton Brand away from the Los Angeles Clippers as the premier free agent signing in the NBA in 2008.
                He had been a No. 1 pick in the draft out of Duke and a two-time all-star. Yes, he had torn his Achilles tendon but he had through hard work managed to play the last few games of the previous season with the Clippers.
                The Sixers could fast break but they had no inside presence. Seemed like the perfect fit and we all waited to see how far into the playoffs this new great team would go.
                But, again, it went horribly wrong.
                There had been no physical before signing Brand. It turned out the tendon was still not 100 percent and he hurt his shoulder early in his first year and missed pretty much the rest of the season.
                When he returned, Jordan was the coach and he made it clear Brand was not his cup of tea.
                Finally, this past season, healthy and with Collins coaching, Brand became a good player, averaging 15 points and 9 rebounds. Maybe not the player we envisioned - or paid for - but he contributes and is a good guy in the locker room.
                Having Brand and Iguodala on the team is not the problem, paying so much for two guys who are very good but not great is. It has put the Sixers over the cap and stopped them from getting great players.
                5. He had to dump Samuel Dalembert.
                This is not really Stefanski's fault because trouble with center Samuel Camembert was brewing.
                (Personal note: I interviewed Dalembert several times and he is really a nice guy and done a lot for the people back in his home country of Haiti. This is strictly a basketball analysis).
                A latecomer to the game, Dalembert is an excellent rebounder and shot-blocker. He was not so good on the offensive end. The fact he didn't get the ball a lot after Iverson left - he knew to feed the big guy - frustrated Dalembert. He let it be known he wanted out.
                Center is the most important position in the NBA and having someone unhappy in that spot does not make for good team chemistry. Dalembert was finally dealt to the Sacramento Kings before the 2010-11 season. It was a trade that had to be made for new coach Doug Collins' sake.
                The problem is, the Sixers are now looking for a good rebounding and shot-blocking center who doesn't need to score a lot. In other words, another Dalembert.
                Hope I have not been too mean or critical but, as a frustrated 76ers fan, I needed to get this out.
                Good luck to Stefanski as the new vice president of basketball operation in Toronto.

                Comment


                • #9
                  It is nice to see this accumulation of Raptors staff who have a history of scouting and drafting success, particularly in the lower first and second round.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Shantz wrote: View Post
                    According to Peter Vecsey, Jeff Weltman will take over as the new Assistant GM for the Raptors following the draft:

                    "@PeterVecsey1: Jeff Weltman will remain w Bucks until after draft, then join Raptors as 2d in command under Masai Ujiri, it has been learned/confirmed"
                    I suppose to the organization this role is important. But, to us fans..who friggin cares? Stefanski (or Ujiri before him) was never given part of the credit or shared part of the blame. It was all on Colangelo. This guy is going to be forgotten in a couple of weeks until the day he gets fired or promoted.
                    If Your Uncle Jack Helped You Off An Elephant, Would You Help Your Uncle Jack Off An Elephant?

                    Sometimes, I like to buy a book on CD and listen to it, while reading music.

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                    • #11
                      Seems like everything is going according to plan finally sunny days in Raptorland? I hope so.... its bout goddam time we get something good going for us.

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                      • #12
                        Oh man... Ed has had a history of poor choices and really really bad luck. Thank god we got him out of the organization. The man is a plague.

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                        • #13
                          drunkmunky wrote: View Post
                          Oh man... Ed has had a history of poor choices and really really bad luck. Thank god we got him out of the organization. The man is a plague.
                          Yes, but, BC thought he was the best for the job I assume. Ed may have had a hand in selecting Jrue Holiday who I like...but then again who knows. He likes giving out big contracts so I suppose he is a BC soulmate there.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            I like the idea of an assistant GM who has experience in a similar position -- good eye for talent, affinity for analytics & salary cap manager -- these are all positive things for the organization. I like how he has not had the chance to be the GM; nothing worse than two heads atop the food chain. He suits well in a support role under Ujiri but his basketball acumen is present -- or at least from what I've read.

                            Overall, I like how we are targeting basketball minds -- it should bode well for the team that we have new guys coming in. This organization is going under a massive remodel up top .... I like =D
                            “I don’t create controversies. They’re there long before I open my mouth. I just bring them to your attention.”

                            -- Charles Barkley

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                            • #15
                              the more pro analytically guys we have come in the less i see demar and rudy sticking around
                              @sweatpantsjer

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