Ed Stefanski's Draft Track Record

[Ca]

They traded Martin for three draft picks. It was well known that Martin was breaking down, and many thought that trade was lopsided for the Nets. It ended up being a wash, as those picks were late, and Martin hasn't done jack in Denver due to his knee.

[tk76]

The Sixers have a better track record of finding usefull players (not stars) in the late 1st and 2nd round. Sam, Todd, KK, WH, and Lou were all quality finds given where they were drafted.

That said, finding decent role players late in the draft is not the most improtant skill for a GM. Role players are good to have, but you can also sign them or aquire them easily through trades (look what KK cost Utah.)

More improtant is drafting quality impact players when you get a lottery pick and making trades and FA signings to build a cohesive winner.

The Nets success was not on the level of the Spurs, or even the Pistons- but they did put together a contending team for a good run of several years. I would say they had a more successfull and sustained run then the Sixers in the LB era. Ed has to get some credit for NJ's success and for its subsequent fall. Although if KMart had stayed healthy, I think they could have continued to contend in the East.

[dbodner]

He was an All Star back then...

Wait, I thought they never drafted a starter?

Round and round we go.

[SendEm]

That said, finding decent role players late in the draft is not the most improtant skill for a GM. Role players are good to have, but you can also sign them or aquire them easily through trades (look what KK cost Utah.)

It's just wrong that you attempted to make this a valid point. It's part of a GM's job to identify NBA players by way of the draft. PERIOD. Utah has Deron Williams and Milsap. Utah selected Williams MUCH earlier than he was expected to go and told the whole world that they were going to do so . People forget that Williams wasn't even in draft conversation till the tournament where the whole world fell in love with him. He was the "McNabb" of that draft. So I give the Jazz credit for recognizing a NBA player and reaching for him with the 2nd pick. Many people in this thread defend Stefanski's passing over NBA players in the draft with the excuse "Well other teams passed on him too"

Also Ed added role players to the Nets that were scrubs like:
Signed guard Eddie Gill
Acquired forward Bostjan Nachbar from the New Orleans Hornets for forward-center Marc Jackson, forward Linton Johnson and cash considerations.
Signed free agent forwards Scott Padgett and Lamond Murray
Signed guard Jeff McInnis, who had been with the Cleveland Cavaliers
Acquired forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim from the Portland Trail Blazers for a 2006 first-round pick.
Acquired forward Clifford Robinson from the Golden State Warriors for second-round picks in the 2005 and 2007 drafts;

^^^Those were his best "Kyle Korver Jazz" type moves...

[Ca]

I think Rod Thorn is their GM.

[Ca]

Oh and by the way, The Jazz haven't gone to the finals yet. Those Nets teams made it to two straight. That staff (Stefanski included, although not the #1 decision maker), Put them in a position to succeed for a few years. That's the most you can ask for from a team in a league that's only seen a handful of teams win it all in the last two decades.

[SouthJersey]

Ed's pedigree isnt looking too great when you bring all the negatives up. Question tho. Who made the decision to fire Byron Scott? Who decided to hire Lawrence Frank over Eddie Jordan? Based on Talent, I didnt think Ed did a bad job of assembling a team. He was stuck in no mans land for alot of years, and never was able to get the talent he needed. The one problem I have with him is that he was never able to draft a good front court player until Sean Williams, but then looking back on those draft, there werent any players where NJ drafted where an PFs and C's were available.

[SendEm]

Oh and by the way, The Jazz haven't gone to the finals yet. Those Nets teams made it to two straight. That staff (Stefanski included, although not the #1 decision maker), Put them in a position to succeed for a few years. That's the most you can ask for from a team in a league that's only seen a handful of teams win it all in the last two decades.

The east was weak. The NETS had one of the 2-3 best players in the league. The Sixers also made it out of a weak east with the best player in the league back then. The only way the east not being weak doesn't matter is if the Nets make it to the finals and don't get slaughtered like a sacrificial lamb and WIN the CHIP. Also they built that team around a great player but then they got exposed when they could no longer depend on that #1 over draft pick they didn't want to pay. Ed traded for Vince and what has that produced? That was a Billy King type move...The front office couldn't find players in the draft that other teams were finding. They could of drafted Josh Howard and Granger...But instead they traded for Vince Carter adrafted Antoine Wright or was it Planinic?

[SendEm]

Wow after that list of names I provided above of his moves outside of the draft to acquire veteran role players what can anyone say? Dumars and Greg Pop do a phenomenal job acquiring role players should I name them?

[Ca]

This is pointless isn't it?

The job of a GM is to put the team in a position to succeed (or make money depending on the owner) Stefanski wasn't the GM, Rod Thorn was, but he was part of a team that got to the finals two years in a row. EXCUSES ASIDE.

Plus, Having Jason Kidd isn't always beneficial to your GM moves. You seem to ignore the fact Kidd complains a lot and hamstrings a lot of the moves you may need to do to keep him around. (Kidd almost GOING to those spurs, anyone?)

Stefanski may not be the best, but it is foolish to simply pigeonhole him into a franchise that HAS obtained MORE success than the BK Sixers (I really don't care how weak the East was, he had to build a team to conquer it. And managed to do so for a decent amount of time)

Give him a chance to actually Man the ship, then start complaining.

You sure your name isn't RickyPryor?

[SendEm]

Stefanski wasn't the GM, Rod Thorn was

June 30, 2004 Promoted Ed Stefanski to general manager.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/teams/tra ... &year=2004

[Ca]

October 22, 2004 Signed president Rod Thorn to a multi-year contract extension.

All transactions went through him (Rod Thorn). If you want to get me on me misnaming Ed, sure. But you understand the principle, and if you don't it is on purpose.

[SendEm]

October 22, 2004 Signed president Rod Thorn to a multi-year contract extension.

All transactions went through him (Rod Thorn). If you want to get me on me misnaming Ed, sure. But you understand the principle, and if you don't it is on purpose.

GM titles aren't just given away. GM titles come with GM paychecks, and GM RESPONSIBILITIES. PERIOD. Professional basketball isn't some mom and pop business. Stefanski was the "GM" before 2004. In 2004 he became GM...

[SendEm]

LOL Stefanski did such a bad job in NJ that people want to blame Thorn for it.

[Ca]

Well, to be fair, I've said the whole time part of a team. That included Rod Thorn, and I have defended all of their moves as adequate with the exception of the Antoine Wright draft move.

But I mean, I guess if that's blame. Sure. PERIOD. YES. I CAN. EMPHASIZE. TOO. IT DOESN'T. MEAN. I'M. RIGHT.

[Mik317]

Dude quit wasting your time arguing with this chump.......it's like talking to a brick wall, only the wall knows when to shut up.

[Sixerlover]

Everything that Stefanski drafted turned into garbage. It's like if he drafts the player, the player will be out of the league, be a bench player, or become a player dangled in trades

What did the Nets get for Kenyon Martin again? He was an All Star back then...

what the hell?

[SendEm]

-= original quote snipped =-



what the hell?

Maybe you haven't noticed that Kenyon Martin has turned into complete garbage since being separated from Jason Kidd's passing skills...That was not a successful #1 pick overall considering the sorts of players that are drafted at that position in the draft, and the Nets got what for Martin again?

[Sixersftw]

or it could be career threatening surgery? naw couldn't have been that.

Edit: wait, wait. Jason Kidd was actually holding together kenyon martins knees through telekinesis

[tk76]

I heard Kidd actually did the microfracture surgery... with his mind.