Open Mic: If I Were GM Of a Franchise...

If you could be the GM for any franchise, which would it be and why?

Call me crazy for saying this but I would really love to be the GM for the New York Knicks IF I was given the assurance that I had three years to start to show improvement. Given the contracts that are set to come off of their books, the fact that it is the most attractive market in the country for free agents (who wouldn’t want to play in Madison Square Garden?), and the possibility of becoming a New York legend for breathing life back to a dead franchise, I would jump at the opportunity. Living in New York wouldn’t hurt either

In which sport does the general manager matter most / least?

The general manager of a football team matters the most for the success, or failure, of a franchise because of the chances he gets to make the team better each year. Under normal circumstances, the GM of a football team drafts 7 players out of college football each year. That’s 7 chances to improve, or 7 chances to blow it. Plus, the concept of team is the most important in football. Sports like baseball and basketball can be affected more by the talents of individual players (See: Kobe Bryant, Alex Rodriguez, etc).

The least important GM would be in the NBA simply because it’s much easier to know who can ball and who can’t. The talent pool is also much larger to choose from given the fewer roster spots. Basketball is the least team-cohesiveness dependent sport of the major ones. “Team-cohesiveness dependent”. I’ve never heard anyone say that before.

What would be your draft strategy? Take the best available player? Draft to fill a need? Trade up? Trade down?

Unless the best available player is head and shoulders above the rest of the class, you always draft to fill a need. If you already have Kobe Bryant, you don’t need to get another shooting guard, even if he’s the best player available. Fill your needs first; otherwise a different GM will fill your chair come next season. Also, if the player available at your pick is not someone you really want or need, see if you can trade down and get an extra player out of it. Two players that address a need are better than one talented one who doesn’t.

How much input would you take from the head coach or owner(s)? Would you focus on filling the seats with a popular player or be willing to take the not as glamorous pick who can help the team the most?

Depends on the owner. If Jerry Jones is your boss, you know you have to take the flashy player. My preference is to do what you need to do to make the team better. If there is a glamorous player and not so glamorous player who is slightly better, I take the second. I want to win, not be Hollywood.

Which sport is easiest to project how the talent will develop? Which is the toughest and has the most bust potential?

Football is probably the easiest only because the players are more developed when they come into the league. You don’t have to deal with the high school nonsense. The toughest is definitely basketball. Look at all the busts in the previous 10 drafts. It’s absurd.

Which sport is easiest to find a talented player in a late round and which one has the most dramatic fall-off in talent?

Football has seven rounds so you’re much more likely to find a better talent late than you are in the other sports. A lot of good players with some off the field problems or character issues fall to later rounds, but they’re still talented. Also, everyone knows Tom Brady and Joe Montana weren’t first rounders. What hall of fame NBA player can you name off the top of your head who wasn’t drafted in the first round? My point exactly.