Author Topic: Chris Wallace is one of the best GMs in the NBA  (Read 3674 times)

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Re: Chris Wallace is one of the best GMs in the NBA
« Reply #15 on: December 10, 2012, 12:11:39 PM »

Offline Chris

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He makes mistake just like any other GM, but I have to give Wallace credit.  He knows how to manipulate the cap (and make his owner money), and how to find diamonds in the rough as well as anyone.

I think Wallace is very similar to Morey (which makes sense, since I think Morey may have learned a lot from Wallace coming up). 

Neither of them has shown the ability to take a team over the top, but they both have shown the skills to collect assets and put together a quality team of guys who other teams undervalued. 

Re: Chris Wallace is one of the best GMs in the NBA
« Reply #16 on: December 10, 2012, 12:23:48 PM »

Offline mgent

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Pau Gasol averaged 21 pts, 10 reb, 3.5 ass, and 2 blocks on 54% shooting and 75FT% the previous season.

Marc Gasol was the 48th pick overall.

No GM knew what Marc Gasol would become.

He averaged 3 points and 1 rebound with FCBarcelona.  If Chris Wallace was such a genius and knew Marc Gasol would be better than Conley, why didn't he select him in the first round and roll out a Gay-Gasol-Gasol front court?
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Re: Chris Wallace is one of the best GMs in the NBA
« Reply #17 on: December 10, 2012, 12:58:18 PM »

Offline JSD

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Pau Gasol averaged 21 pts, 10 reb, 3.5 ass, and 2 blocks on 54% shooting and 75FT% the previous season.

Marc Gasol was the 48th pick overall.

No GM knew what Marc Gasol would become.

He averaged 3 points and 1 rebound with FCBarcelona.  If Chris Wallace was such a genius and knew Marc Gasol would be better than Conley, why didn't he select him in the first round and roll out a Gay-Gasol-Gasol front court?

That trade had a lot to do with freeing up cap space too. So what he did with that space should be considered.

Take the KG trade, where all the stars aligned perfectly, away from Ainge, and one could make the argument that Wallace is right there with him.
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Re: Chris Wallace is one of the best GMs in the NBA
« Reply #18 on: December 10, 2012, 12:58:53 PM »

Offline Moranis

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Pau Gasol averaged 21 pts, 10 reb, 3.5 ass, and 2 blocks on 54% shooting and 75FT% the previous season.

Marc Gasol was the 48th pick overall.

No GM knew what Marc Gasol would become.

He averaged 3 points and 1 rebound with FCBarcelona.  If Chris Wallace was such a genius and knew Marc Gasol would be better than Conley, why didn't he select him in the first round and roll out a Gay-Gasol-Gasol front court?
Um.  At the time of the trade Marc Gasol was in the middle of a MVP season for the second best league in the world.  He averaged 16.6 ppg (3rd) and 8.4 rpg (1st) in the league that year.  I'm not sure his exact numbers at the time of the trade, but he was an all star and had been player of the week multiple times before the trade.
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Re: Chris Wallace is one of the best GMs in the NBA
« Reply #19 on: December 10, 2012, 01:01:26 PM »

Online Who

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Pau Gasol averaged 21 pts, 10 reb, 3.5 ass, and 2 blocks on 54% shooting and 75FT% the previous season.

Marc Gasol was the 48th pick overall.

No GM knew what Marc Gasol would become.

He averaged 3 points and 1 rebound with FCBarcelona.  If Chris Wallace was such a genius and knew Marc Gasol would be better than Conley, why didn't he select him in the first round and roll out a Gay-Gasol-Gasol front court?
Um.  At the time of the trade Marc Gasol was in the middle of a MVP season for the second best league in the world.  He averaged 16.6 ppg (3rd) and 8.4 rpg (1st) in the league that year.  I'm not sure his exact numbers at the time of the trade, but he was an all star and had been player of the week multiple times before the trade.

Marc Gasol was seen as a quality backup center in the NBA at the time of the trade. Too slow and unathletic to be a starter in the NBA.

Re: Chris Wallace is one of the best GMs in the NBA
« Reply #20 on: December 10, 2012, 01:20:01 PM »

Offline ssspence

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Pau Gasol averaged 21 pts, 10 reb, 3.5 ass, and 2 blocks on 54% shooting and 75FT% the previous season.

Marc Gasol was the 48th pick overall.

No GM knew what Marc Gasol would become.

He averaged 3 points and 1 rebound with FCBarcelona.  If Chris Wallace was such a genius and knew Marc Gasol would be better than Conley, why didn't he select him in the first round and roll out a Gay-Gasol-Gasol front court?

Don't see the point, considering both Conley and Gasol are still on the team, which is one of the best in the NBA.

They also acquired Zach Randolph using the money and starting spot they were afforded by trading Pau.

I'd rather have Conley & Randolph over Pau Gasol, wouldn't you?

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Re: Chris Wallace is one of the best GMs in the NBA
« Reply #21 on: December 10, 2012, 01:27:15 PM »

Offline LooseCannon

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Would Wallace have done better with ownership that was less allergic to paying the luxury tax?  Or would he have gone crazy and done stupid stuff with too much freedom?
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Re: Chris Wallace is one of the best GMs in the NBA
« Reply #22 on: December 10, 2012, 01:34:48 PM »

Offline Chris

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Would Wallace have done better with ownership that was less allergic to paying the luxury tax?  Or would he have gone crazy and done stupid stuff with too much freedom?

This is the problem with analyzing Wallace.  His whole career has been spent working for owners who were more interested in the bottom line than winning championships.  So, a huge part of his job description has been to make the owner money.

The reason he got the job in Memphis is because they saw how good of a job he did financially in Boston, by making the owner money...and also absorbing the backlash from the fans for it. 

I think it would be interesting to see him working for an owner with deeper pockets, to see whether he could function in that type of environment, or if he is simply a master of the small market, in a Billy Bean sort of way.

Re: Chris Wallace is one of the best GMs in the NBA
« Reply #23 on: December 10, 2012, 01:45:34 PM »

Offline Fafnir

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Pau Gasol averaged 21 pts, 10 reb, 3.5 ass, and 2 blocks on 54% shooting and 75FT% the previous season.

Marc Gasol was the 48th pick overall.

No GM knew what Marc Gasol would become.

He averaged 3 points and 1 rebound with FCBarcelona.  If Chris Wallace was such a genius and knew Marc Gasol would be better than Conley, why didn't he select him in the first round and roll out a Gay-Gasol-Gasol front court?
Um.  At the time of the trade Marc Gasol was in the middle of a MVP season for the second best league in the world.  He averaged 16.6 ppg (3rd) and 8.4 rpg (1st) in the league that year.  I'm not sure his exact numbers at the time of the trade, but he was an all star and had been player of the week multiple times before the trade.

Marc Gasol was seen as a quality backup center in the NBA at the time of the trade. Too slow and unathletic to be a starter in the NBA.
then he lost 50 pounds.

Re: Chris Wallace is one of the best GMs in the NBA
« Reply #24 on: December 10, 2012, 01:59:24 PM »

Offline Fafnir

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Would Wallace have done better with ownership that was less allergic to paying the luxury tax?  Or would he have gone crazy and done stupid stuff with too much freedom?

This is the problem with analyzing Wallace.  His whole career has been spent working for owners who were more interested in the bottom line than winning championships.  So, a huge part of his job description has been to make the owner money.

The reason he got the job in Memphis is because they saw how good of a job he did financially in Boston, by making the owner money...and also absorbing the backlash from the fans for it. 

I think it would be interesting to see him working for an owner with deeper pockets, to see whether he could function in that type of environment, or if he is simply a master of the small market, in a Billy Bean sort of way.
Very true crappy ownership is the ultimate excuse and/or reason.

Re: Chris Wallace is one of the best GMs in the NBA
« Reply #25 on: December 10, 2012, 02:27:34 PM »

Offline Moranis

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Pau Gasol averaged 21 pts, 10 reb, 3.5 ass, and 2 blocks on 54% shooting and 75FT% the previous season.

Marc Gasol was the 48th pick overall.

No GM knew what Marc Gasol would become.

He averaged 3 points and 1 rebound with FCBarcelona.  If Chris Wallace was such a genius and knew Marc Gasol would be better than Conley, why didn't he select him in the first round and roll out a Gay-Gasol-Gasol front court?
Um.  At the time of the trade Marc Gasol was in the middle of a MVP season for the second best league in the world.  He averaged 16.6 ppg (3rd) and 8.4 rpg (1st) in the league that year.  I'm not sure his exact numbers at the time of the trade, but he was an all star and had been player of the week multiple times before the trade.

Marc Gasol was seen as a quality backup center in the NBA at the time of the trade. Too slow and unathletic to be a starter in the NBA.
then he lost 50 pounds.
yeah and he was like 22.  There are numerous quotes around the time of the trade from Chris Wallace in which he has high praise for Marc.  Wallace specifically asked for him in the trade and he wanted him.  They then signed him to like a 3 yr, 10 million dollar deal, which is pretty good money for a European big man that had never played in the league.  Sure Marc exceeded all expectations, but Memphis knew he could be a player in the league and it is why they wanted him.
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Re: Chris Wallace is one of the best GMs in the NBA
« Reply #26 on: December 10, 2012, 02:47:18 PM »

Offline Chris

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Would Wallace have done better with ownership that was less allergic to paying the luxury tax?  Or would he have gone crazy and done stupid stuff with too much freedom?

This is the problem with analyzing Wallace.  His whole career has been spent working for owners who were more interested in the bottom line than winning championships.  So, a huge part of his job description has been to make the owner money.

The reason he got the job in Memphis is because they saw how good of a job he did financially in Boston, by making the owner money...and also absorbing the backlash from the fans for it. 

I think it would be interesting to see him working for an owner with deeper pockets, to see whether he could function in that type of environment, or if he is simply a master of the small market, in a Billy Bean sort of way.
Very true crappy ownership is the ultimate excuse and/or reason.

And its pretty impossible to determine which it is in cases like this. 

Re: Chris Wallace is one of the best GMs in the NBA
« Reply #27 on: December 10, 2012, 03:16:12 PM »

Offline RyNye

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Personally, I think Memphis is a real contender. To be honest, I'm not sure why people think they're NOT. A favorite? By no means. But they are a real contender.

One thing I really like about Memphis is that they haven't given in to the idiotic "small ball" meme that's such a fad these days. I really don't know why people think "small ball" is some formula to automatically winning a basketball game. It is pretty well established that playing small ups the offense at the expense of defense (see: New York Knicks, Miami Heat this year), and only really works if you have a versatile star like Lebron.

Memphis is big, and they are making all these small teams suffer on the other end of the court. Marc Gasol is playing like a superstar, Zach Randolph is having a career revival, Rudy Gay is good, TA and Conley have always been extremely underrated, and their bench has given them consistent 3-point shooting and energy.

The only mark against them, really, is that Gasol and Randolph's play might not be sustainable. That is, it is possible they are just on hot streaks that will come to an end. On the other hand, how often does a hot streak line up with such a hard schedule as the Grizzlies have had so far?

I think they are really going to surprise people in the playoffs. Barring injury or major regression by one of their core players, I see them making the WCF (and losing to the Thunder in a close series). Honestly, I think they can beat the Heat in a Finals series if they manage to get there ... they have a punishing inside game, which the Heat have never been able to cope with, defensively.