Hammond to ORL: Confirmed by ownership

[blazza18]

laugh at the flippant "just lucked out on giannis"/"just drafted giannis"

that move alone could set the bucks up for multiple championships in the future.

i don't mind people thinking he's a bad GM, but to write off drafting giannis as some small footnote is hilarity

What was luckier? Drafting Giannis at 15 or not trading the pick for Josh Smith?

[MickeyDavis]

Hammond's post season presser

Milwaukee Bucks general manager John Hammond met with the media on Thursday afternoon to answer questions about the 2016-'17 season and what lies ahead for the team this off-season. Below are some excerpts from that Q&A session.

On the success of the Bucks' rookies, Malcolm Brogdon and Thon Maker, this season

"It worked out extremely well. I'll say once again that those only work out well when you have a coach and a staff that's willing to put them on the floor and play those young guys. If they don't play we're not saying that about them today. Jason (Kidd) put them on the floor, he gave them an opportunity and those guys took advantage of the opportunity before them."

On what it took for Giannis Antetokounmpo to take such a big leap forward this season

"Work. ... I've had a chance in my 25 years in the NBA to be around these guys and see these guys; I've seen them as a coach, I've seen them as a person in the front office and they all have one trait in common and that's work. They have gifts, gifts that get them to a certain level but they also have this amazing drive and desire to want to be great and want to be the best. I think Giannis has that."

On what it's like working with Kidd

"Our job is to bring the best players we can to the organization and obviously in situations like this when I say it's 'our job' to do that, Jason's a part of those decisions. We work together in that regard. Once that happens, once the team takes the floor, though, and they get between those lines it's a coach's decision as to who is going to play. And guys, they earn those rights. If they earn the right to be on the floor, they're going to play. If they can help us win games, they're going to play."

On his expectations for Khris Middleton next season, especially considering that he was coming off a torn left hamstring this season

"For him, it's just getting healthy. We know who Khris Middleton is. We know what kind of player he is and you know, if we say maybe he did have some struggles at times this year, it was only because he wasn't healthy. You could see it. You could see that he wasn't able to finish at the basket, get to the basket as quickly as he could. His overall speed was affected by his injury.

"But look, I'll just say, you look at what Khris Middleton did in that last game (playing despite illness), it was remarkable what he was dealing with and for him to go out and play 42 and a half minutes in that game. If you'd have seen him the next day, what he was dealing with, talk about a man winning somebody's respect, no question whatsoever. I couldn't be any more proud of a guy in what Khris Middleton did this season.

"More importantly, what he did in the very end for us, when we needed him the most. Really the questions is, should he have played that last game? Probably not. But he did. He did it for his teammates, he did it for the coaches, he did it for this organization, he did it for the fans. That guy sacrificed a lot to be out on that court and I can't tell you how much I think of him and his efforts."

On the free agents he and the Bucks signed last summer

"Delly (Matthew Dellavedova) is who he is. He's that culture guy. He's going to bring all the right things to your organization. He's going to put forth that amazing effort. He's going to put forth that amazing energy. He's a great teammate. He's easy to coach. So, I don't think we could have asked for anything more from him.

"Mirza (Teletovic) — it's interesting. Mirza made a comment to me at the end of the season. He goes, 'You know, my first year in Brooklyn, I struggled. And then I came back my second year and played extremely well. That's my plan to do here. I didn't play as well as I wanted to. I wish I could have been better, but I know I can come back better next season.' So, I believe that and in him. He's a good man. He's a good worker. He'll come back and be very good for us next year.

"Miles (Plumlee), we traded him and we're wishing him nothing, but the best."

On Kidd's coaching performance this season and if it was a job well done

"Extremely. I thought Jason did a great job coaching this team. I think at the end of the day he pushed all the right buttons. There are not a lot of coaches out there that would march a guy like Thon Maker out onto the floor like he did when he did. And that turned out to be a real lift for us. Not only that, but Malcolm, other young players, I think some of the improvement we've had with guys on our own roster. I always say that Jason and his staff work as hard as any staff I've been around and I've been around a lot of staffs. Once again, that work ethic carries over from how they work as a staff to how our team works on the floor."

On what went into the decision to insert Maker into the starting lineup late in the season

"The decision was we draft him where we did, we thought he had upside and thought he had a chance to be a very good player in this league someday, but to be honest with you, I didn't know how soon he would get on the floor. Just because of strength. We talked about, from a yearly standpoint, put 7-10 pounds on him per year and eventually get him at 230-235. We had him out there this year at whatever he was — 215, 220 — but you can never underestimate the heart of a guy. And I think we all know one thing Thon has is great energy, great effort, and a big heart."

[Buck Dweller]

Have we ever seen Hammond not under the influence of meddling ownership?

[Baddy Chuck]

Have we ever seen Hammond not under the influence of meddling ownership?

All the good moves, obviously.

[Zeezprah]

laugh at the flippant "just lucked out on giannis"/"just drafted giannis"

that move alone could set the bucks up for multiple championships in the future.

i don't mind people thinking he's a bad GM, but to write off drafting giannis as some small footnote is hilarity

What was luckier? Drafting Giannis at 15 or not trading the pick for Josh Smith?

i mean, i agree it was partially luck, but it was also a nice calculated bet that paid off big time.

i just don't see how even hammond's biggest critics can downplay the giannis pick. like that pick will be the backbone of any championships we have in the next 10 years.

[buckboy]

laugh at the flippant "just lucked out on giannis"/"just drafted giannis"

that move alone could set the bucks up for multiple championships in the future.

i don't mind people thinking he's a bad GM, but to write off drafting giannis as some small footnote is hilarity

What was luckier? Drafting Giannis at 15 or not trading the pick for Josh Smith?

i mean, i agree it was partially luck, but it was also a nice calculated bet that paid off big time.

i just don't see how even hammond's biggest critics can downplay the giannis pick. like that pick will be the backbone of any championships we have in the next 10 years.

I'm not down playing the pick. It was a great pick. Tremendous job on that one.

That and Middleton. Nice list for a ten year run.

He's a boob. Get out.

[MickeyDavis]

As was said earlier if Hammond has been proposing a lot of great moves but has been stifled by Kohl and then by LED and yet he stayed here for 9 years anyway instead of going to the rare team where the owner(s) never meddles then he's a fool.

ETA: He had a coach (who he hired) fired and replaced by the owners without even telling him ahead of time. And he still stayed.

[RRyder823]

laugh at the flippant "just lucked out on giannis"/"just drafted giannis"

that move alone could set the bucks up for multiple championships in the future.

i don't mind people thinking he's a bad GM, but to write off drafting giannis as some small footnote is hilarity

TT, a GM with a track record of success and a championship, doesn't get credit from alot of fans for drafting Aaron freaking Rodgers and you think people on the Internet are going to give Hammond, a GM without nearly the same credentials, credit for Giannis?

Common. Your not new

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using RealGM mobile app

[emunney]

I actually give Hammond more credit for the Thon pick, if only because it was a significantly higher pick and he was totally alone in the league in his evaluation of the guy. No luck there. Just big ass balls. PP has touched on this in talking about Thon as a signature move. If that guy makes an all-star game, that's flat out prescient.

With Giannis, there were teams around us who wanted him. Donnie Nelson was vetoed. Ferry could have moved up but was greedy. Still a great pick, but not way out ahead of the curve in the same way.

[emunney]

Also I really hope Zanik can build a complete roster.

[Iheartfootball]

Gonna crucify him for Plumlee gotta praise him for Giannis. I'm reading this thread (very high) and what I'm gleaning is that people have very strong opinions both ways. Usually means the truth is somewhere in between.


Sent from my iPhone using RealGM Forums

[Iheartfootball]

laugh at the flippant "just lucked out on giannis"/"just drafted giannis"

that move alone could set the bucks up for multiple championships in the future.

i don't mind people thinking he's a bad GM, but to write off drafting giannis as some small footnote is hilarity

TT, a GM with a track record of success and a championship, doesn't get credit from alot of fans for drafting Aaron freaking Rodgers and you think people on the Internet are going to give Hammond, a GM without nearly the same credentials, credit for Giannis?

Common. Your not new

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using RealGM mobile app

I was gonna say 'but TT has a ring.' Then I membered that Hambone has one too. Member?

[chonestown]

What I'm gleaning is that people have very strong opinions both ways. Usually means the truth is somewhere in between.

I hate this way of thinking. All it does is encourage extreme opinions and pushes the in between further in the direction of the more strongly-held extreme. Pick some criteria and evaluate according to that criteria.

[paulpressey25]

We know Hammond has the loosest lips in the organization. Wouldn't be surprised if this is a Hammond-engineered move to get a more-golden parachute or an extension.

Whenever Hammond's job is in question there seems to be a convenient rumor or "discussion" that some other team is seeking his services. Could be the case here. He's good at this stuff.

[worthlessBucks]

Loose lips can't sink ships that were already sunk.

[Jez2983]

It cost the Bucks cap space. Cap space is an asset. They used an asset to acquire **** in a bowl.

yeah yeah yeah.... cap space for bad contracts and picks like the sixers do is what you want right? maybe we'll go that route when we aren't trying to win.

So you must have loved the Sanders contract? Another Hammond home run!

[Jez2983]

I actually give Hammond more credit for the Thon pick, if only because it was a significantly higher pick and he was totally alone in the league in his evaluation of the guy. No luck there. Just big ass balls. PP has touched on this in talking about Thon as a signature move. If that guy makes an all-star game, that's flat out prescient.

With Giannis, there were teams around us who wanted him. Donnie Nelson was vetoed. Ferry could have moved up but was greedy. Still a great pick, but not way out ahead of the curve in the same way.

I mentioned the last draft as potentially being the best part of Hammond's tenure. Obvious response I received was re Giannis, but he had an amazingly good haul out of a thin (at this stage) class.

[Jez2983]

Spoiler:

Hammond's post season presser

Milwaukee Bucks general manager John Hammond met with the media on Thursday afternoon to answer questions about the 2016-'17 season and what lies ahead for the team this off-season. Below are some excerpts from that Q&A session.

On the success of the Bucks' rookies, Malcolm Brogdon and Thon Maker, this season

"It worked out extremely well. I'll say once again that those only work out well when you have a coach and a staff that's willing to put them on the floor and play those young guys. If they don't play we're not saying that about them today. Jason (Kidd) put them on the floor, he gave them an opportunity and those guys took advantage of the opportunity before them."

On what it took for Giannis Antetokounmpo to take such a big leap forward this season

"Work. ... I've had a chance in my 25 years in the NBA to be around these guys and see these guys; I've seen them as a coach, I've seen them as a person in the front office and they all have one trait in common and that's work. They have gifts, gifts that get them to a certain level but they also have this amazing drive and desire to want to be great and want to be the best. I think Giannis has that."

On what it's like working with Kidd

"Our job is to bring the best players we can to the organization and obviously in situations like this when I say it's 'our job' to do that, Jason's a part of those decisions. We work together in that regard. Once that happens, once the team takes the floor, though, and they get between those lines it's a coach's decision as to who is going to play. And guys, they earn those rights. If they earn the right to be on the floor, they're going to play. If they can help us win games, they're going to play."

On his expectations for Khris Middleton next season, especially considering that he was coming off a torn left hamstring this season

"For him, it's just getting healthy. We know who Khris Middleton is. We know what kind of player he is and you know, if we say maybe he did have some struggles at times this year, it was only because he wasn't healthy. You could see it. You could see that he wasn't able to finish at the basket, get to the basket as quickly as he could. His overall speed was affected by his injury.

"But look, I'll just say, you look at what Khris Middleton did in that last game (playing despite illness), it was remarkable what he was dealing with and for him to go out and play 42 and a half minutes in that game. If you'd have seen him the next day, what he was dealing with, talk about a man winning somebody's respect, no question whatsoever. I couldn't be any more proud of a guy in what Khris Middleton did this season.

"More importantly, what he did in the very end for us, when we needed him the most. Really the questions is, should he have played that last game? Probably not. But he did. He did it for his teammates, he did it for the coaches, he did it for this organization, he did it for the fans. That guy sacrificed a lot to be out on that court and I can't tell you how much I think of him and his efforts."

On the free agents he and the Bucks signed last summer

"Delly (Matthew Dellavedova) is who he is. He's that culture guy. He's going to bring all the right things to your organization. He's going to put forth that amazing effort. He's going to put forth that amazing energy. He's a great teammate. He's easy to coach. So, I don't think we could have asked for anything more from him.

"Mirza (Teletovic) — it's interesting. Mirza made a comment to me at the end of the season. He goes, 'You know, my first year in Brooklyn, I struggled. And then I came back my second year and played extremely well. That's my plan to do here. I didn't play as well as I wanted to. I wish I could have been better, but I know I can come back better next season.' So, I believe that and in him. He's a good man. He's a good worker. He'll come back and be very good for us next year.

"Miles (Plumlee), we traded him and we're wishing him nothing, but the best."

On Kidd's coaching performance this season and if it was a job well done

"Extremely. I thought Jason did a great job coaching this team. I think at the end of the day he pushed all the right buttons. There are not a lot of coaches out there that would march a guy like Thon Maker out onto the floor like he did when he did. And that turned out to be a real lift for us. Not only that, but Malcolm, other young players, I think some of the improvement we've had with guys on our own roster. I always say that Jason and his staff work as hard as any staff I've been around and I've been around a lot of staffs. Once again, that work ethic carries over from how they work as a staff to how our team works on the floor."

On what went into the decision to insert Maker into the starting lineup late in the season

"The decision was we draft him where we did, we thought he had upside and thought he had a chance to be a very good player in this league someday, but to be honest with you, I didn't know how soon he would get on the floor. Just because of strength. We talked about, from a yearly standpoint, put 7-10 pounds on him per year and eventually get him at 230-235. We had him out there this year at whatever he was — 215, 220 — but you can never underestimate the heart of a guy. And I think we all know one thing Thon has is great energy, great effort, and a big heart."

Cheers for posting this. All pretty reasonable comments.

[paulpressey25]

Loose lips can't sink ships that were already sunk.

Mrs. Hammond: "Honey how was work today?"

John Hammond:"Well, those billionaires with a B are egging around about moving Kidd into the front office to help me with pro scouting, but they still want me to run the draft. I just called up Steiny Mo and dropped some hints that Rich DeVos saw me at Church and we talked about 'the future'". That always works.

[Erifee]

Weird situation. I would've been fine ditching Hammond for probably 70% of his tenure if the replacement was decent enough.

Now, with Giannis, Middleton, and especially Thon, the decision becomes more difficult. Did he just finally get lucky a few times, or is that job with this franchise that difficult?