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Official: Stefanski VP of Basketball Operations (#116)

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  • #61
    TORONTO - The awkward summer of Bryan Colangelo continues, with all kinds of work to do, but no real sense of when there will be basketball again.

    The obvious delay has meant there has been no urgency to make his next big move, the hiring of a high level executive for the Raptors, possibly someone with the title of general manager.

    And while that may seem strange or confusing from the outside — that a recently rehired general manager under some contractual duress would be hiring someone of similar title so soon — that isn’t really the case at all.

    “If anything has been misconstrued,” said Colangelo, “it’s not because it’s coming from me.”

    This is coming from him: It has been Colangelo’s intention to make a major front office move since losing Masai Ujiri to the Denver Nuggets. The question was, who to hire and what title and responsibilities to give him?

    Colangelo isn’t so much caught up in titles as he is in who does what. If he’s president but no longer general manager in the future, no big deal. If he’s the president and GM and someone else holds another decision-making title, no big deal. His bottom line is finding an experienced NBA executive, someone who might have been a GM elsewhere, someone who might be ready to be a GM somewhere else, someone who can add to a front office that Colangelo believes needs to be enhanced. This is not unlike what Mike Babcock did in Detroit with the Red Wings coaching staff: He wanted to change his staff to hear new ideas and fresh ideas. Colangelo wants to do the same for his front office.

    In the past, Jerry West had Mitch Kupchak in Los Angeles. Donnie Walsh had Larry Bird in Indianapolis. And in the present, in his own building, Brian Burke has Dave Nonis and Rick Dudley among others. Colangelo already has Maurizio Gherardini as his assistant and now Jay Triano in the front office but he wants an NBA lifer working alongside of him, and if it will take the general manager’s title to entice the right person to Toronto, so be it.

    The phone interviews for the job have already taken place. The discussion with agents has been ongoing. In the coming weeks, there are planned face-to-face visits with candidates. Colangelo won’t mention who they are, won’t confirm or deny any of the names that have been mentioned in previous print reports. Among those who have been listed are high profile people such as Ed Stefanski, the current GM of the Philadelphia 76ers; Jeff Bower, the former GM of the New Orleans Hornets; Kevin Pritchard, the former GM of the Portland Trail Blazers and Dennis Lindsay, the vice-president and assistant GM of the San Antonio Spurs.

    “I want a high level basketball guy,” said Colangelo, who hoped to do this right after Ujiri left for Denver. But the fact his own contractual status was in question late in the last season, put the search on hold.

    Now all this is being done, slowly, methodically, with the backdrop of the NBA (shall we whisper the word) lockout. We’ll say it, essentially because Colangelo isn’t allowed to say it, discuss it, joke about it, opine on it. In David Stern’s tight-lipped NBA breaking those rules can be an expensive proposition. The normally careful Colangelo now walks on eggshells when you talk basketball with him.

    He can talk about this but not that. He can answer this but not that. He can’t mention players’ names. He can’t really discuss tangible plans for the future, except in the big picture. He can tell you that he has been extremely busy meeting in various departments of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment. “There’s lots to do,” he said. “There’s a lot more to this than watching basketball games and making decisions on players.”

    So what do Raptors’ fans want to know:

    1) Who will Colangelo be bringing in to enhance his front office? “I’m not going into names. I never have. I could give you a list of 10 guys I’ve spoken to, but I won’t do that. I have a vision for the role,” he said. “You’re constantly evolving in this business. I want someone to come in and look at things a little differently.”

    2) Will there be an NBA season, a partial season, no season at all? He won’t touch that one so we will. Don’t bet on it happening.

    3) Will the Raptors be prepared for the next NBA season, no matter what the new CBA particulars happen to be? This question is asked in light of the fact former Leaf GM John Ferguson contended he had Plan A, Plan B and Plan C ready when the last NHL lockout ended and when the horn went off he was found completely out of his league: The Leafs have yet to recover from their inability post the 2004-05 lockout lockout. “We are preparing for all types of scenarios under the auspices of whatever the (new) rules will be,” said Colangelo. “Would I like another set of eyes involved, another brain? Absolutely.

    “We’ve done some significant things already. We have a new coach (Dwayne Casey) and a new coaching staff. We’re a young, developing team showing signs of promise. I see a light at the end of the tunnel.”

    If only there were games to be played.

    http://www.torontosun.com/2011/08/24...nts-a-sidekick
    .

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    • #62
      Update: Interviews reportedly held?

      Funny, I was wondering about this over the weekend.

      If Lindsey is likely to turn down an offer, why would he accept the interview? I'm not trying to argue, but it doesn't seem like a guy would make the trip if he wasn't interested unless the interview was not a success and then you'd think there wouldn't be an offer to begin with. Who knows.

      Toronto Raptors president Bryan Colangelo has completed interviews with four candidates for a high-ranking executive job, leagues sources told Yahoo! Sports.

      Philadelphia 76ers general manager Ed Stefanski, San Antonio Spurs assistant GM Dennis Lindsey, Indiana Pacers pro personnel director Kevin Prichard and former New Orleans Hornets GM Jeff Bower traveled to Toronto in recent weeks to meet with Colangelo, sources said.

      There’s no clear frontrunner, but several sources have reason to believe Lindsey could hold an edge over the other three candidates. Lindsey is also on the short list for the Portland Trail Blazers ' GM job.

      Among the four executives, Lindsey is also the candidate most likely to turn down an offer. He has a top executive’s job under Spurs GM R.C. Buford in one of the NBA’s preeminent and respected front offices. He’d have to be willing to leave that for Toronto, where Colangelo and coach Dwane Casey are on two-year contracts with an ownership mandate to get things turned around sooner than later.

      Even if Colangelo cedes the GM title to get Lindsey – something he’ll almost assuredly have to do – it’s hard to imagine that Colangelo, an NBA two-time executive of the year, won’t still wield significant clout on every basketball decision.

      Stefanski is in the final year of his contract, with new ownership waiting for approval from the NBA's Board of Governors to take over. Pritchard lost his job as the Trail Blazers GM, and took a one-year scouting assignment with the Pacers that allows him to interview for higher-profile positions. Bower was fired as Hornets GM a year ago.

      There’s no clear timetable on when the Raptors will extend a formal offer on the job.

      http://m.yahoo.com/w/sports/home/exp...tl=US&.lang=en

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      • #63
        I don't think he's saying Lindsey WILL turn down an offer, but that of the four, he's the least desperate for the job, so he's got more of an ability to be picky.
        Read my blog, The Picket Fence. Guaranteed to make you think or your money back!
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        • #64
          Tim W. wrote: View Post
          I don't think he's saying Lindsey WILL turn down an offer, but that of the four, he's the least desperate for the job, so he's got more of an ability to be picky.
          Fair enough.

          However the reasons he gives are not reasonable in my opinion. Danny Ferry was welcomed back in to the fold after 5 years in CLE. If he is as good as his reputation I would imagine he would be welcomed back with open arms in SA.

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          • #65
            Matt52 wrote: View Post
            Fair enough.

            However the reasons he gives are not reasonable in my opinion. Danny Ferry was welcomed back in to the fold after 5 years in CLE. If he is as good as his reputation I would imagine he would be welcomed back with open arms in SA.
            Being welcomed back to the fold is one thing, but Lindsey is second in charge in San Antonio, now. If he leaves they would then fill his position. If he returns so they then demote that person?
            Read my blog, The Picket Fence. Guaranteed to make you think or your money back!
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            • #66
              Tim W. wrote: View Post
              Being welcomed back to the fold is one thing, but Lindsey is second in charge in San Antonio, now. If he leaves they would then fill his position. If he returns so they then demote that person?
              Pop is still President and Coach.

              R.C. is GM.

              Do you know exactly what Lindsey's role or title is?

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              • #67
                Matt52 wrote: View Post
                Pop is still President and Coach.

                R.C. is GM.

                Do you know exactly what Lindsey's role or title is?
                Lindsey is the Assistant GM as well as Vice-President in SA.

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                • #68
                  Ferry is also the Vice President of Basketball Operations.

                  I'm not sure he is second in charge - or third or fourth for that matter.

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                  • #69
                    Matt52 wrote: View Post
                    Ferry is also the Vice President of Basketball Operations.

                    I'm not sure he is second in charge - or third or fourth for that matter.
                    I've read numerous times that Lindsey is second in charge to Buford. I'm guessing Ferry would replace him if he left.
                    Read my blog, The Picket Fence. Guaranteed to make you think or your money back!
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                    • #70
                      sleepz wrote: View Post
                      In the Toronto Sun article you've posted it mentions that:

                      "That wouldn’t mean the new addition would have final say though. While a fan of a consensus, brainstorming approach, Colangelo has always been an executive who gets the final word and that would not change."

                      Is this a joke? You're hiring a GM that wouldn't have the final say on player personnel? What are you hiring a GM for, as precedence has indicted that is EXACTLY the job of the GM on the other 31 teams in the league.

                      LOL. This is getting to be comical and it amazes me why no one calls Colangelo out on this kind of stuff. To me it's a way of insualting oneself so when things are good (if they become good) they can take credit, but if things go awry they can blame the new guy, who in essence is an "idea contributor". lol

                      If Colangelo is the final word he should wear and continue to wear the GM hat and be responsible for this roster he has assembled. Bring in a consultant if you want more "brain storming". Hiring a GM who wouldn't have final say makes no sense to me and reeks of political posturing.
                      Your point makes no sense. If was trying to insulate himself what would he openly advertise the fact the HE has the final word? If he was looking for a patsy, don't you think he would keep the fact that the decisions were his a secret? Also whether or not you like BC has he ever been shy to take the credit or the blame for one of his decisions?

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                      • #71
                        Lindsey may also be leveraging the interview in Toronto to get a better deal in the GM job with Portland (where he is one of the favs for I understand).

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                        • #72
                          I had totally forgotten all about the fact that we are hiring a gm... I don't think I know enough about any of these guys to pick one out as the best man for the job, although the stuff I read about prichard asking other people what the make would be a red flag for me. I don't think BC I hiring a scapegoat. The guys being interviewed are too quality. He HAS to offer a job title if he wants to get quality people. I wouldn't want to be a "consultant" if I could be a "GM" one sounds WAAAAAY cooler and gets more props.

                          "They're going to have to rename the whole conference after us: Toronto Raptors 2014-2015 Northern Conference Champions" ~ ezzbee Dec. 2014

                          "I guess I got a little carried away there" ~ ezzbee Apr. 2015

                          "We only have one rule on this team. What is that rule? E.L.E. That's right's, E.L.E, and what does E.L.E. stand for? EVERYBODY LOVE EVERYBODY. Right there up on the wall, because this isn't just a basketball team, this is a lifestyle. ~ Jackie Moon

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                          • #73
                            Bendit wrote: View Post
                            Lindsey may also be leveraging the interview in Toronto to get a better deal in the GM job with Portland (where he is one of the favs for I understand).
                            With two injury liability stars (one with a bloated contract), are the Blazers really a more attractive spot? I could see it three years ago but now?

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                            • #74
                              Apollo wrote: View Post
                              With two injury liability stars (one with a bloated contract), are the Blazers really a more attractive spot? I could see it three years ago but now?
                              You have a point...but among the differences might be more money and term, a "full" GM position (as opposed to some subservience to BC here, Portland is a challenge but an infinitely better team than the Raps and could absorb the bad contracts. Of course he also has to deal with one Paul Allen who can wake up one morning and decide the tie you are wearing is a fireable offense.

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                              • #75
                                The thing is that we simply assume that Colangelo will need to have ultimate say. That may not be factual. Maybe Colangelo is looking to hire a star up and comer to distance himself from the roster decision making to extend his longevity in Toronto? We don't know what his game plan is but I would imagine that just like most people with a family, long term security and stability are important factors. One more thing, he's probably looking to hire the cream of the crop here in terms of developing executives. Why do we assume that such an executive is going to try and do irresponsible things that would cause the President to use his veto power?

                                Another question I would ask would be why do why rule out the idea of a collaboration effort between Linsey and Colangelo not being able to function(and I'm not saying "perform") like a West and Buss collaboration? Buss, the Lakers owner, always had the veto power but West was such a good executive and had such a great feel for the game that Buss, even though he ultimately held all the power, sat in the back seat and was more part of the decision making team.

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