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AK-Sato Awkward Exit

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AK-Sato Awkward Exit 

Post#1 » by LateNight » Sun Sep 12, 2021 10:59 am

Read on Twitter
?s=21

Not sure how to feel about this. seems super awkward (unless they didn’t have a good relationship). Should be noted, Sato also sort of slammed Zach too. Something about BI being a better playmaker - can’t find the tweet though

Some small consolation , Apparently Billy Donovan was awesome after Sato left.

[PS. If any mod can think of a better title for this thread please change it. Also if this is somewhere else on the forum feel free to delete]
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Re: AK-Sato Awkward Exit 

Post#2 » by RealFan » Sun Sep 12, 2021 12:02 pm

There’s nothing awkward about that. Texting is an accepted means of communication and Sato has been in the league long enough to know how this works. I suspect the real communication was occurring between the FO and Sato’s agent and that AK’s text was an additional communication direct from him to the player as a goodwill gesture. Totally fine in my book.
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Re: AK-Sato Awkward Exit 

Post#3 » by Devinpo » Sun Sep 12, 2021 12:03 pm

Love sato but it’s a business. You were OK at best and it was time for change. AK wants greatness and you just didn’t fit the mold.
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Re: AK-Sato Awkward Exit 

Post#4 » by sco » Sun Sep 12, 2021 12:54 pm

Sato should be kissing the Bulls butts on the way out. They way overpaid him. He had chance after chance to take the starting PG spot and lock it up for years to come, but he just didn't step up to earn his $.
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Re: AK-Sato Awkward Exit 

Post#5 » by Wingy » Sun Sep 12, 2021 1:02 pm

Don’t get all these tough guy fan responses when a player simply shows they’re human. I’m sure you’d all say “it’s a business” or similar when/if you are parted from your company in a similar communication.

AK could’ve easily added another line or two via text. As low as low effort gets to make a player feel more appreciated going out the door. Love his work this offseason, but being incapable of writing an extra short sentence or two just comes across as lazy.
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Re: AK-Sato Awkward Exit 

Post#6 » by FriedRise » Sun Sep 12, 2021 1:06 pm

Read on Twitter
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Re: AK-Sato Awkward Exit 

Post#7 » by LateNight » Sun Sep 12, 2021 1:32 pm

FriedRise wrote:
Read on Twitter


That’s the one! Thanks!
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Re: AK-Sato Awkward Exit 

Post#8 » by MrSparkle » Sun Sep 12, 2021 1:47 pm

Ingram a playmaker? Is he getting him confused with Zion?

Sato was a 2x overpaid player who couldn’t hold the starting job over a struggling Coby. I feel like the mediocrity was infuriating for the new FO. They didn’t wait long to unload the 10 deep bench / fringe NBA players … sure Sato was probably the best of the sorry lot (scratch that, Temple did more for the club), but let’s be honest; playing hard was the only thing he brought to the table and made his contract remotely tolerable.
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Re: AK-Sato Awkward Exit 

Post#9 » by Wingy » Sun Sep 12, 2021 2:04 pm

LateNight wrote:
FriedRise wrote:
Read on Twitter


That’s the one! Thanks!


Is this an insult? People seem to be taking this like Sato went out of his way to criticize Zach.

This tweet has no context. He could’ve been asked a direct player comparison question, hemmed and hawed, and then said they’re both good but slight nod to build up and create good will with his new teammate.

This is my 2nd post defending Sato here, and that’s mostly because folks are either hunting for drama, or getting needlessly defensive about anything Bulls like someone insulted their first born. As for Sato...he’s a meh. Like that speech the future father in law in Hangover 2 gave about Ed Helms’s character.

Edit: Ah, here -

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Re: AK-Sato Awkward Exit 

Post#10 » by Michael Jackson » Sun Sep 12, 2021 2:12 pm

It just seems that AK czeched out of this situation.

Hey folks I’m here all week.
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Re: AK-Sato Awkward Exit 

Post#11 » by LateNight » Sun Sep 12, 2021 2:21 pm

Wingy wrote:
LateNight wrote:
FriedRise wrote:
Read on Twitter


That’s the one! Thanks!


Is this an insult? People seem to be taking this like Sato went out of his way to criticize Zach.

This tweet has no context. He could’ve been asked a direct player comparison question, hemmed and hawed, and then said they’re both good but slight nod to build up and create good will with his new teammate.

This is my 2nd post defending Sato here, and that’s mostly because folks are either hunting for drama, or getting needlessly defensive about anything Bulls like someone insulted their first born. As for Sato...he’s a meh. Like that speech the future father in law in Hangover 2 gave about Ed Helms’s character.

Edit: Ah, here -



Yeah - To be fair, it was probably a reporter asking him directly how he felt about Ingram. It’s probably framed awkwardly here.

And I like Sato. I liked him on the team and I enjoy him as a player.

Just thought this was worth discussing here since it was a thing in Twitter
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Re: AK-Sato Awkward Exit 

Post#12 » by dougthonus » Sun Sep 12, 2021 2:23 pm

I don't know that it makes such a big difference, but I think it's worth a phone call to the guy to tell him he has been traded even if he probably reads it first over twitter anyway. It's not the end of the world, but for all the talk about AK making this a player destination, this was kind of a poor way to treat a guy.

Also no reason to throw Sato under the bus. He wasn't overpaid and he didn't underachieve. He was paid like a role player / quality reserve / low end starter, and was more or less exactly that.

Though Sato's comment on Ingram is pretty hilarious.
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Re: AK-Sato Awkward Exit 

Post#13 » by Wingy » Sun Sep 12, 2021 2:24 pm

Michael Jackson wrote:It just seems that AK czeched out of this situation.

Hey folks I’m here all week.


As a mod, this is an IATL moment. The pinnacle of this discussion has been reached.
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Re: AK-Sato Awkward Exit 

Post#14 » by ChettheJet » Sun Sep 12, 2021 2:28 pm

From the first post I see Satoransky much like Cubs players when they were still lovable losers. Players would get all upset about getting traded or released because they loved playing in Chicago, you know for the greatest fans in baseball. Well what a lot of them really loved was getting paid to play baseball with no pressure to win because they were adored by the fans despite being losers and they knew that if they went to another team they would be expected to be an upgrade over the previous guy and win more games.

Sato came in with the chance to start for the first time and elevate his game and in turn the team. He didn't do it. So now he's upset with the new management that noticed he didn't do what was expected of him and he got moved because there are a dozen other guys who could have done exactly what he did. He'll probably end up saying he thought Boylen did a great job and could have turned the team around. Yeah they are still paying him NOT to coach the Bulls for a couple more years that's how good he was.

His opinion of Zach seems to contradict what people involved with the US Olympic team just said about him, you know that Gold medal team Lavine was on.
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Re: AK-Sato Awkward Exit 

Post#15 » by GetBuLLish » Sun Sep 12, 2021 2:28 pm

dougthonus wrote:I don't know that it makes such a big difference, but I think it's worth a phone call to the guy to tell him he has been traded even if he probably reads it first over twitter anyway. It's not the end of the world, but for all the talk about AK making this a player destination, this was kind of a poor way to treat a guy.

Also no reason to throw Sato under the bus. He wasn't overpaid and he didn't underachieve. He was paid like a role player / quality reserve / low end starter, and was more or less exactly that.


Sato criticized AK. He must be attacked.
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Re: AK-Sato Awkward Exit 

Post#16 » by Michael Jackson » Sun Sep 12, 2021 2:34 pm

dougthonus wrote:I don't know that it makes such a big difference, but I think it's worth a phone call to the guy to tell him he has been traded even if he probably reads it first over twitter anyway. It's not the end of the world, but for all the talk about AK making this a player destination, this was kind of a poor way to treat a guy.

Also no reason to throw Sato under the bus. He wasn't overpaid and he didn't underachieve. He was paid like a role player / quality reserve / low end starter, and was more or less exactly that.

Though Sato's comment on Ingram is pretty hilarious.



You would think that you could give a guy a call at least but whatever.

AK has established one of two things with his actions, not sure which one is true or a combination of both, he doesn’t like GarPax players and he isn’t particularly fond of Euros. Maybe it is just GarPax Euro’s. As it sits today a year and a half in this, AK has done more for Klutch guys than Euro guys, which when he was hired likely wouldn’t have not been anyone’s prediction. Now part of this incidental for sure, but what we thought we knew about AK at hiring is fleshing out to me in a different way.
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Re: AK-Sato Awkward Exit 

Post#17 » by kodo » Sun Sep 12, 2021 2:37 pm

Any NBA player complaining he has a tough life isn't someone I'm interested in following or supporting. Your thanks for the "hard work" was $30M.

If he would prefer a hearty handshake instead, I'm sure we'd be happy to take the $30M back.
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Re: AK-Sato Awkward Exit 

Post#18 » by drosestruts » Sun Sep 12, 2021 2:47 pm

not like this front office was the one that brought him to Chicago. Either way, couldn't hurt to be more thoughtful in your delivery of the news.
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Re: AK-Sato Awkward Exit 

Post#19 » by logical_art » Sun Sep 12, 2021 3:03 pm

I know fans have become AK homers but this is a players league. Treat the players right. Disappointing from AK if true.
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Re: AK-Sato Awkward Exit 

Post#20 » by MrSparkle » Sun Sep 12, 2021 3:10 pm

ChettheJet wrote:From the first post I see Satoransky much like Cubs players when they were still lovable losers. Players would get all upset about getting traded or released because they loved playing in Chicago, you know for the greatest fans in baseball. Well what a lot of them really loved was getting paid to play baseball with no pressure to win because they were adored by the fans despite being losers and they knew that if they went to another team they would be expected to be an upgrade over the previous guy and win more games.

Sato came in with the chance to start for the first time and elevate his game and in turn the team. He didn't do it. So now he's upset with the new management that noticed he didn't do what was expected of him and he got moved because there are a dozen other guys who could have done exactly what he did. He'll probably end up saying he thought Boylen did a great job and could have turned the team around. Yeah they are still paying him NOT to coach the Bulls for a couple more years that's how good he was.


Agreed. Arci and Shaq basically were more fun to me than Sato. https://basketball.realgm.com/player/Tomas-Satoransky/Bests/24374 Complete mediocrity besides for his good FT%.

I’m sorry but $30m talks and his game didn’t (by NBA standards). Just like all the other guys traded by the Bulls this past year.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but a lot of players traded/waived don’t even get a ‘thank you’ text from the EVP.

On the other hand, AK’s text was about 2 words short of being “warm.” But he seems to be a guy of few words.

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