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The Stacey King of GMs: Michael Jordan’s front office follies in Washington and CharlotteFebruary 13 09  HoopsVibe The Blog regularly drops a basketball related list for fans to weigh-in on. We call it ’Listed’ ... After Washington and now Charlotte, it’s safe to say Michael Jordan isn’t Jerry West in the executive chair. On the GM hierarchy, Jordan is more Stacey King, the mediocre four-man he once dubbed the ‘powerless’ forward. Consider his latest move, a problem-for-problem swap. ‘His Airness’ traded Adam Morrison, a disappointing forward he drafted third overall, for underachieving Vladimir Radmanovic. Problem is (pun intended) Radmanovic is owed fifteen million dollars through 2010-2011. This, however, isn’t Jordan’s worst decision. Not even close. In this edition of ‘Listed’, HoopsVibe The Blog is dropping MJ’s greatest mistakes since retiring to the front office and becoming a suit. #5) The trades … On paper, Rip Hamilton for Jerry Stackhouse isn’t terrible. Of course, Hamilton has been a key cog for Detroit and has several productive seasons left, while Stackhouse only played two seasons in Washington. In December 2007, Jordan dealt the expiring contracts of Walter Herrman and Primoz Brezec to Detroit for Nazr Mohammed’s long term pact of four and half years and 28 million dollars. Mohammed has added nothing, except to the bottom line, of course. #4) The coaches … In Washington, Leonard Hamilton was an overmatched, sacrificial lamb. Last year, in Charlotte, it was Sam Vincent. Both were Jordan picks. Vincent, in particular, never had a fighting chance because the Hall of Fame two-guard insisted on attending practice. #3) The free agents … Two summers ago, Jordan gave Matt Carroll a four-year, 27 million dollar contract and also inked Gerald Wallace to a multi-year pact worth 57 million dollars. Carroll never worked out and was recently dealt to Dallas, while Wallace, even though he is making a fair wage, has been on the trading block since signing his big-ticket. #2) The drafts … Sure, 2001 was a weak draft, but selecting Kwame Brown first overall killed Jordan’s credibility as a talent evaluator. In 2006 with Charlotte, he took Morrison’s moustache over Brandon Roy’s maturity and Rudy Gay’s athleticism. #1) The Culture … Jordan, the executive, has failed to establish an environment for success with Washington and Charlotte. Years ago, he was abusive towards players and club employees, which led to Wizards’ majority owner Abe Pollin firing him. Jordan hasn’t committed to the Bobcats, either. He often works outside of North Carolina and charges Charlotte area businesses an appearance fee to attend community events that promote the club. What is Jordan’s greatest failure as a GM? Get at us in the comment box below and come back to HoopsVibe the Blog for more NBA tidbits. Photo courtesy of epicwelshman.photoblog. |
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