Is Sam Presti closer to elite or average as a GM?

[KembaWalker]

ranking GMs is dumb, every market is a very different situation and different GMs have different levels of responsibility/power within their organizations

[Slim Charlez]

Probably the second best GM in the league behind ujiri.

[The_Hater]

I’ve seen the GM’s on some of these fan’s teams that are voting average, and I’ve come to the conclusion that they couldn’t spot an elite GM if they had one running their team. Because Presti is clearly an elite one.

[Hook_Em]

In hindsight does he still hire Billy Donovan who was a college coach not used to dealing with superstar egos?

[Big J]

Morey has never had to resort to the bush league tanking tactics that Presti has, and he’s had a winning record every year.

[Big J]

I’ve seen the GM’s on some of these fan’s teams that are voting average, and I’ve come to the conclusion that they couldn’t spot an elite GM if they had one running their team. Because Presti is clearly an elite one.

Elite GMs don’t tank.

[baldur]

Elite. He constantly does the right things. Not being able to end up with chips might not undermine what he has done during the process as a championship journey is a complicated matter.

[SNPA]

He drafted three MVP’s in a row. Has zero titles.

[SharpyShuffle]

Yeah, it's not like Presti has picked three first ballot HOFs so far in his career...oh, wait.
Yeah, it's not like Presti has ever put together a team that made it to the finals before...oh, wait.
Yeah, it's not like Presti has ever put together a team that was up 3-1 in the conference finals against a 73-win opponent before...oh, wait.
Yeah, it's not like Presti kept the team competitive for multiple seasons even after KD ran off to the Warriors...oh, wait.

Presti can't be compared to Hinkie--both the good and the bad, they're nothing alike. Seriously, did you guys just start watching basketball last season?

This is so adorably biased. Especially when you mention appearing in the finals when his big three were still kids, but not ever getting back, and choking a 3-1 lead, ad positives. Obviously it's not Presti's fault that KD choked.

Stopped reading there, as that was the last sentence that made sense.

No, KD's choke was not Presti's fault. As GM, his job is to build a playoff team capable of competing in the finals. That's it. If the players choke once they get to the big stage, then it's on them. GMs don't play.

So he gets credit for the team he built when they go 3-1 up when KD is playing well, but not any blame for them losing three in a row thereafter. Success =good team building. Losses =individual mistakes. Like I said, adorably biased.

[Jabroni Lames]

Please stop with the small market excuses for Presti. Bucks are the latest team to squash that myth. He’s had enough good/great/GOAT players pass through OKC to win a chip without having to disgrace himself and make a mockery out of the NBA like he’s doing now.

There are a hundred different ways to skin a cat. The art of team building is deciding who to keep and who to let go and who to bring in. Presti’s had a **** ton to work with.

His biggest mistakes that people never talk about is not realizing early enough that you can’t build around Westbrook easily, and picking mediocre coaches. That’s all in him.

[Pantsman]

He’s closer to elite but those picks he got are pretty overrated.

[Pantsman]

Please stop with the small market excuses for Presti. Bucks are the latest team to squash that myth. He’s had enough good/great/GOAT players pass through OKC to win a chip without having to disgrace himself and make a mockery out of the NBA like he’s doing now.

There are a hundred different ways to skin a cat. The art of team building is deciding who to keep and who to let go and who to bring in. Presti’s had a **** ton to work with.

His biggest mistakes that people never talk about is not realizing early enough that you can’t build around Westbrook easily, and picking mediocre coaches. That’s all in him.

Bucks won because Giannis chose to stay.. pretty different situations there.

[TacoLord]

There should be a category between average and elite, which is where he belongs.

[Jabroni Lames]

Please stop with the small market excuses for Presti. Bucks are the latest team to squash that myth. He’s had enough good/great/GOAT players pass through OKC to win a chip without having to disgrace himself and make a mockery out of the NBA like he’s doing now.

There are a hundred different ways to skin a cat. The art of team building is deciding who to keep and who to let go and who to bring in. Presti’s had a **** ton to work with.

His biggest mistakes that people never talk about is not realizing early enough that you can’t build around Westbrook easily, and picking mediocre coaches. That’s all in him.

Bucks won because Giannis chose to stay.. pretty different situations there.

Giannis stayed because their GM was able to build a championship team around a highly flawed MVP talent. Presti had 3 MVP talents (all at the same time) and couldn’t build around any of them. Kendrick Perkins, FTW!

[Dadouv47]

I don't think i would want any other GM so I think he's elite. He has some flaws though...the fact that we only had Scott Brooks and Billy Donovan as coaches while we were contending is a huge negative. He also kept his picks to draft rookies that we had no minutes to develop instead of trading those picks for shooters.

Next 2-3 years gonna be key for his "legacy" since he will be drafting a lot of players and will use some picks for trades.

[Pantsman]

Please stop with the small market excuses for Presti. Bucks are the latest team to squash that myth. He’s had enough good/great/GOAT players pass through OKC to win a chip without having to disgrace himself and make a mockery out of the NBA like he’s doing now.

There are a hundred different ways to skin a cat. The art of team building is deciding who to keep and who to let go and who to bring in. Presti’s had a **** ton to work with.

His biggest mistakes that people never talk about is not realizing early enough that you can’t build around Westbrook easily, and picking mediocre coaches. That’s all in him.

Bucks won because Giannis chose to stay.. pretty different situations there.

Giannis stayed because their GM was able to build a championship team around a highly flawed MVP talent. Presti had 3 MVP talents (all at the same time) and couldn’t build around any of them. Kendrick Perkins, FTW!

Giannis won because he didn’t have to go through any of the competition that okc had to go through during their run.

[JN61]

The only thing keeping Presti from being far and away the best GM in the league is that he works for a team which is geographically away from the big market cities.

Well he has turned down opportunities to work for both teams in New York, so whose fault is that?

Who the hell wants to work for the mess that is New York Knicks?

[Jabroni Lames]

Bucks won because Giannis chose to stay.. pretty different situations there.

Giannis stayed because their GM was able to build a championship team around a highly flawed MVP talent. Presti had 3 MVP talents (all at the same time) and couldn’t build around any of them. Kendrick Perkins, FTW!

Giannis won because he didn’t have to go through any of the competition that okc had to go through during their run.

Lol. Keep on with the excuses. Presti had better talent. That’s undeniable in hindsight.

Giannis won because they hired the right coach and built a system and players around him to optimize his talent to the point where people were saying he’s overrated. Bucks have been a perennial powerhouse since Bud arrived. One of Presti’s biggest flaws is the inability to hire an elite coach to match the elite talent. That’s 100% on him. Try to find an excuse for the terrible coaching hires or lack of firing thereof.

[SharpyShuffle]

I just don't get why Presti gets credit for drafting amazing players, but no blame for not winning anything with those amazing players?

He got KD, Russ and Harden...and achieved the same success as the Miami Heat did with their Big 3 of Jimmy, Bam and, eh, Duncan Robinson?

Presti backers will talk about how amazing those guys are as a way to big him up, and then just handwave away OKC not winning anything with them. You can't have it both ways - if Russ and Harden are so good that Presti can rest on the laurels of drafting them fifteen years ago (he deserves zero credit for drafting KD; it's like giving the Cavs credit for drafting LeBron) then he deserves equal blame for not keeping the team together and failing to win anything.

And as pointed out above, OKC never had an even league average coach for those guys. Even in the most positive interpretation, Presti built a formula one supercar, then handed the keys to a couple of random taxi drivers.