FIRE MITCH!

[Walt Cronkite]

So anyway, that's the peak to summit.

[fatlever]

I had a huge paragraph typed up and then this page randomly refreshed and killed it all. Anyway Mitch sucks and yes, this thread was needed.

Also RealGM is a cesspool of spam and popup ads.

im sure you had good points in your paragraph, but this post made me giggle.

This has happened so many times to me, specifically on mobile. There’s gotta be better ways to pay the bills

use the realgm app. no popups. i never have issues.

[Bassman]

I feel like to properly make fun of it you have to have Norm Macdonald making fun of how dumb it all sounds. "Vice President of BASKETBALL STRATEGY" And he'd do the finger quotes and big facial expression

Well, that’s something right out of corporate NBA land. Screw up big as a GM but land somewhere else as a pet rock with a nice title and salary because somebody “likes” you. Or maybe they like his software.

Mitch had the resume, but he was also Jordan’s guy, a Carolina star, etc. THIS is why the new ownership won’t fire him early. He will coast through this season and be allowed to retire with honor.

[Hornet Mania]

My hope, and expectation, has been that new ownership will clean house next summer. I think they were willing to believe the excuses ('we're really a 4th seed, just bad injury luck, etc.') and didn't feel comfortable sweeping the entire operation clean immediately after taking charge. It made sense not to be impatient, to really settle in before making decisions that will define the next 5-10 years. So I don't have much issue with the lack of action thus far, I don't necessarily see it as being proof this will continue to be the norm.

That being said, if next summer the organization just fiddles around the edges but is otherwise its usual stagnant self I will be incredibly disappointed.

[MPM]

This has happened so many times to me, specifically on mobile. There’s gotta be better ways to pay the bills

brave browser on Mobile (Android) and the standard adblockers on PC have kept all the trash to a minimum

I'll give this a shot on mobile, Safari is usually fine except here and bleeding cool.

I've been using the Brave browser for quite a while and zero issues. Been great. Fire Mitch. The Duren trade and panic hire of Clifford were last straws.

[vorbis]

I think Kupchak still has halfway decent evaluation chops but it's clear the game has passed him by, and he's not suited for modern-day decision-making. I personally like his philosophy of accumulating 2nd round picks and taking flyers on projects with tangible physical tools.

however, his trades have more or less been disastrous. the big picture roster decisions have obviously gotten worse in the last few years. I don't know what the upside is to having him at the big desk at this point.

Charlotte is ready and clamoring for a new voice, someone who has fresh ideas and isn't afraid to shake up the team or the salary cap structure. until we get a single big decision or move from the new owners, it's hard to even visualize a future where this kind of thing happens, and that's incredibly disheartening as a fan.

[Rich4114]

im sure you had good points in your paragraph, but this post made me giggle.

This has happened so many times to me, specifically on mobile. There’s gotta be better ways to pay the bills

use the realgm app. no popups. i never have issues.

TIL there's a RealGM app! Thanks!

[Rich4114]

I think Kupchak still has halfway decent evaluation chops but it's clear the game has passed him by, and he's not suited for modern-day decision-making. I personally like his philosophy of accumulating 2nd round picks and taking flyers on projects with tangible physical tools.

however, his trades have more or less been disastrous. the big picture roster decisions have obviously gotten worse in the last few years. I don't know what the upside is to having him at the big desk at this point.

Charlotte is ready and clamoring for a new voice, someone who has fresh ideas and isn't afraid to shake up the team or the salary cap structure. until we get a single big decision or move from the new owners, it's hard to even visualize a future where this kind of thing happens, and that's incredibly disheartening as a fan.

He had a questionable track record with the Lakers. In fact his Lakers teams were similar in performance to his Hornets teams. He has hit on a few draft picks but some took a while to develop and not until they were on different teams. And didn't he give Deng and Mozgov albatross contracts in free agency? Mitch isn't the guy and never was. Now that MJ isn't in charge, we can hire someone who has been part of a consistent winning organization. Bob Myers is still out there too. I think he really looked better than he was based on good fortune but at least he's been the head of an org that won and won big (for example)

[Walt Cronkite]

He had a questionable track record with the Lakers. In fact his Lakers teams were similar in performance to his Hornets teams. He has hit on a few draft picks but some took a while to develop and not until they were on different teams. And didn't he give Deng and Mozgov albatross contracts in free agency? Mitch isn't the guy and never was. Now that MJ isn't in charge, we can hire someone who has been part of a consistent winning organization. Bob Myers is still out there too. I think he really looked better than he was based on good fortune but at least he's been the head of an org that won and won big (for example)

https://www.basketball-reference.com/executives/kupchmi01x.html
You aren't kidding. Bynum was a hit, but skimming through this, not many more.

Maybe the team can design an AI GM? GaiM?

[Snidely FC]

FIRE CLIFFORD FIRST!

[Giddf]

Has a gm been fired midseason recently? Because I would be open to it with Mitch for sure.

[JMAC3]

I think it is more likely that Mitch steps down or the team makes him some new made up role in the organization.

Mitch is actually decent at contract negotiation, drafting and we have developed some 2nd rounders which speaks to the organization being aligned. He also has been decent in micro trades Imo.

However, he is awful at recognizing team needs and filling them. You can draft good players, but if they aren't solving the issues than that is a problem. Same with FA, he isn't good at being aggressive about getting his guy, instead he would rather try to find the diamond in the rough and find value once everyone has blown their load. That is risky, it worked with DSj, but so far it is looking bad with Frank, Ish, Sumner etc...

Our scouting in terms of guys already in the league is awful as well. Hence why our 2 way contracts always suck, we never sign a guy from the gleague and find gold.

I am not going to grill Mitch over drafting because imo he has been above average there in terms of finding talent.

[JMAC3]

For instance...

Traded 57th pick for 37th (JT Thor) and Mason Plumlee.

Traded Kemba Walker for Terry Rozier.

Traded Devonte Graham for a 2022 1st round pick.

Traded Jalen McDaniels and Knicks 24 2nd for Svi, 34th pick and Portland's '27 2nd.

Trade Plumlee for Reggie Jackson and 2nd.

Traded Ish Smith, Vernon Carey and Celtics 2nd rounder for Montrezl Harrell

Traded top 55 protected 2nd for Brad Wannamaker

I would say all of those trades have looked like wins.

[Rich4114]

For instance...

Traded 57th pick for 37th (JT Thor) and Mason Plumlee.

Traded Kemba Walker for Terry Rozier.

Traded Devonte Graham for a 2022 1st round pick.

Traded Jalen McDaniels and Knicks 24 2nd for Svi, 34th pick and Portland's '27 2nd.

Trade Plumlee for Reggie Jackson and 2nd.

Traded Ish Smith, Vernon Carey and Celtics 2nd rounder for Montrezl Harrell

Traded top 55 protected 2nd for Brad Wannamaker

I would say all of those trades have looked like wins.

He's got some good moves to look back on, but if you look at his free agent decisions alone going back to the Lakers his whole strategy seems built around signing former good players in their twilight.

By the way, looking at his history that was posted - the crossover to Charlotte while he was with the Lakers is astounding. So many former Bobcats ended up on the Lakers.

[fatlever]

FIRE CLIFFORD FIRST!

nah. cliff sucks. but no coach can win with what mitch has provided. he kept doubling down on his projects with tools and his love affair with combo guards at the expense of guys who can actually play. this is all on mitch.

let a new gm have the year to evaluate the roster. cliff will be gone by year end or sooner.

gm has to go first.

[JMAC3]

FIRE CLIFFORD FIRST!

nah. cliff sucks. but no coach can win with what mitch has provided. he kept doubling down on his projects with tools and his love affair with combo guards at the expense of guys who can actually play. this is all on mitch.

let a new gm have the year to evaluate the roster. cliff will be gone by year end or sooner.

gm has to go first.

Moving on from Mitch to me more has to do with how we get over the hump and become a team that is competing. IMO it is most likely a trade at this point. We have some good young pieces in Mark, LaMelo, Miller and maybe PJ/Miles. How do we go get that 1 guy that pushes into a top 5 team in the east?

I don't trust Mitch to make a franchise altering trade.

[Diop]

i can only guess he's thinking when we get Miles, Martin and Rozier back, Thor and McGowen wont be getting minutes and everything will be fine.

[KembaWalker]

I couldn't believe Mitch survived Atkinson publicly embarrassing the organization like that. There is not much worse critique you can get about the state of your organization than being told that an assistant job somewhere else is more appealing than being the top guy for you. This team is viewed as the G League.

[JDR720]

Mitch and Cliff have to be on the hot seat, right?

[JMAC3]

Mitch looks to have a made a great pick with Miller at least.
I change my mind daily who deserves to be fired and right now it feels like Cliff.