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Home > Jeff Schultz > Archives > 2008 > May > 28
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Sund: Better than the alternatives
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
If you are not sure what to think of Rick Sund, look at it this way: He is better than any realistic alternative.
Jerry West: Wasn’t going to happen.
Chris Grant: Didn’t want it to happen.
An outside-the-box hire of a former player with no or little front office experience: Bold. Interesting. Infinitely more entertaining than Billy Knight, with the added advantage of not being Billy Knight.
But Rick Sund: not bad. He has had success in the NBA, even if most of that success has not been recent. He is solid, even if short of spectacular. Did you expect spectacular? Was spectacular even available?
Rick Sund: Been there, done that, several times over. He won’t fly blind. That’s a start, because this might be the most important off-season in Hawks’ history. The drafting of a gem in Al Horford and three playoff wins over Boston has put this franchise on the brink — of either becoming very good for a long time, or in danger of falling back into a pit.
A decision has to be made on Mike Woodson. Decisions have to be made on Josh Smith, and Josh Childress, and a lineup that remains slightly mismatched. Decisions have to be made because this market appears eager to embrace this team, or is quite willing to go back to ignoring it.
“From my perspective, I’m thrilled,” owner Michael Gearon Jr. said. “The guy we hired was the most qualified and the most experienced general manager we could have hired. He’s really good at the things for where we need to be with the franchise. He can take this team and help us move to next level.”
If there was any question that ownership will let Sund runs things, Gearon somewhat doused that when he asked if hi new general manager will go through an evaluation process with Woodson: “I look forward to all questions related to the franchise and personnel being directed to him.”
It’s all in Rick Sund’s lap now. Things could be worse. Chris Grant — he would’ve been worse.
A lot of names were thrown against the wall in the Hawks’ search. We may never know truth from fiction, although an ESPN report of Grant turning down the Hawks — gee, can’t imagine the unnamed source on that one — ranks somewhere between dubious and Sasquatch.
Grant is with Cleveland and worked for the Hawks. The problem with hiring assistant GMs is you can never be sure whether they had significant input in decision-making. In this case, another problem is Grant worked for Pete Babcock, Billy Knight and Danny Ferry — not quite the Mt. Rushmore of general managers. If you’re Grant, what makes you look better: Admit you had input in past Hawks and Cavaliers decisions, or claim to be a wallflower? (Wallflower, by the way, is far more likely).
Rick Sund: definitely not a wallflower.
In Dallas, he was the flavor of the month, almost every month. He was hired as the NBA’s youngest director of player personnel (28) and worked his way to the top. He helped form a base for one of the league’s best teams for several seasons. One fatal flaw: He hired Quinn Buckner as coach.
In Detroit, Sund took over a team that went 28-54 in 1994-95. In his first two seasons as general manager, the Pistons made the playoffs and won 100 games. One fatal flaw: He wasn’t Joe Dumars, whom ownership wanted to promote (for good reason).
In Seattle, he went only 240-252 over six seasons. But he made one of the best trades in franchise history, dealing an aging Gary Payton for a young Ray Allen. His drafts: not so great. But still the Sonics went 52-30 in his fourth season. But coach Nate McMillan wasn’t re-signed, and that mistake was compounded by the hiring of Bob Weiss. Then ownership put the clamps on payroll in preparation for a franchise sale. Sund was toast.
He turns 57 next week. He’s been around. Some look at such hires and think, “Retread.” But that would be shortchanging Sund. He should help stabilize an organization that badly needs it.
Maybe he doesn’t wow you yet. But he’ll have his chance.
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