Suns hire away Wizards' "master evaluator"

[Silvie Lysandra]

OTOH the Wiz staff "were practically unanimous" in wanting Vesely.

Based on Ernie's Ministry of Truth-esque propaganda campaign or actual sources?

[Higga]

Whatever I don't care about losing people from a losing organization.

[MikeTheKid]

Only 1 thing to say:

[closg00]

OTOH the Wiz staff "were practically unanimous" in wanting Vesely.

Based on Ernie's Ministry of Truth-esque propaganda campaign or actual sources?

The money quote

The decision to take Vesely was practically unanimous within the basketball operations side of the organization, with the Wizards enamored with the freakishly athletic 6-foot-11 forward who runs the floor and attacks the rim as if ignited by a fuse.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/wi ... story.html

Even more. Please don't read if you are having a bad day or just finished eating.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wiz ... _blog.html

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

You're killing me, Nivek. .

Blatche's trainer still on the payroll? Could be a hook up or nepotism...
Reminds me of when MJ called Washington a Mom and Pop outfit.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

They evaluated Vesely as a SF. I still think he can be a Jeffries-like SF on the right lineup.

[Nivek]

You're killing me, Nivek. .

Blatche's trainer still on the payroll? Could be a hook up or nepotism...
Reminds me of when MJ called Washington a Mom and Pop outfit.

It's worse. Blatche's trainer was independent when he was working with Blatche. It was after that incredible success that they hired him to be part of the organization.

[hands11]

I don't know Connelly. He might be a good evaluator. He's not the decision-maker, so it's tough to know what he advised vs. what the team did. Also, he may have established a reputation as a talent evaluator through "hanging out" with scouts from other teams. They all go to the same places to watch the same players, and they all talk about what they see. So, it could be that he impressed people with things he said in those kinds of settings.

All that said, there's a key passage in Mike Lee's article:

Connelly has been with the Wizards for the past seven years, including the past two seasons in his role as director of player personnel. He was preceded at that position by his older brother, Tim, who left to become the assistant general manager for New Orleans in August 2010.

And this one:

Another brother, Joe, currently serves as a player development assistant with the Wizards.

Now, maybe the Connelly boys are really smart and great judges of talent. Or, maybe they know someone and are getting the hook up. And, maybe they really are smart, because they seem to be jumping ship before there's a regime change in Washington.

Sounds like the kind of thing Abe would have allowed or even supported. For those that want new blood, this is a step in the right direction.

I think you are right. They sounds like insiders who are connected. Good ol boys club.

I thought I read he was part of the international scouting. If so, who is sad to see him go ?

[TGW]

now we know where they can trade Vesely.

[rockymac52]

For what it's worth, the new Suns GM, Ryan McDonough, is highly respected throughout the league as a young, analytics-driven expert. Now, just because someone might be an expert at analyzing basketball players doesn't mean he's an expert at hiring similarly capable people, but I take it as a good sign. So I'm not happy to see us lose Connelly.

[Rafael122]

3 brothers on the same staff? Nepotism at it's finest.

[closg00]

3 brothers on the same staff? Nepotism at it's finest.

Unseld Jr. Was hired by the Wiz right out of college and worked their until he had enough experience to get an NBA job with GSW and then Orlando.

Coach Witt's son works for the Wiz as does Ted's son.

Ernie's son is playing basketball for an Israeli team, but you can be sure that he will have a job waiting for him with the Wizards when his playing days are over.

[rockymac52]

To be fair, pretty much every single NBA front office has some sort of nepotism-related hires. It doesn't automatically mean they aren't deserving of those positions though. I think the fact that this Connelly was hired by a new, young, and analytics-type GM in Phoenix, along with the other Connelly being hired by a young and up-and-coming franchise in New Orleans, proves that both of those Connelleys not only deserved their job, but were actually some of the best of the best at what they do.

Teams might create a "new" position in their front office to employ sons/brothers/fathers of other front office/ownership members, but they rarely fill an existing position with a relative unless that person truly deserves the job. That's typically an easy way to see through front office personnel hiring decisions, as far if it's purely nepotism-based, or if the person actually knows what they're doing more than their peers.

[montestewart]

To be fair, pretty much every single NBA front office has some sort of nepotism-related hires. It doesn't automatically mean they aren't deserving of those positions though. I think the fact that this Connelly was hired by a new, young, and analytics-type GM in Phoenix, along with the other Connelly being hired by a young and up-and-coming franchise in New Orleans, proves that both of those Connelleys not only deserved their job, but were actually some of the best of the best at what they do.

Don't mean to sound so glass-half-empty, but if what you say is true, maybe it means that anyone halfway decent at their job gets the hell out Dodge City as soon as they can. If they are good at their jobs, and yet we see the same old, maybe there's someone else on the Wizards that keeps subverting all the best efforts of these people. Hmmm, who could that be...think man, think...