Rod Thorn and His Swamped Drafts

[Universe]

http://cdn.bleacherreport.net/images_root/images/photos/000/995/362/sean_crop_340x234.jpg?1280021468

 

Starting in September, the New Jersey Nets will start their first season in ten years with a general manager not named Rod Thorn.

 

Thorn, who is often credited for acquiring Michael Jordan and Jason Kidd, is a legendary basketball general manager who has made poor decisions on draft night for the past decade.

 

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/424601-rod-thorn-and-his-draft-day-woes-in-the-swamp

[Guru]

Great read. Nice article man, hopefully Favors won't be a bust.

[Newman]

Most of the guys he drafted is still in the NBA. His recent picks (Brook Lopez, Ryan Anderson, CDR, T-Will) are all pretty good as well. As for this year's pick, Favors will probably take 2-3 years before he show 80% of his potential but Damion James will be able to contribute straight away, providing he get minutes.

Edited July 26, 2010 by Newman

[Universe]

Most of the guys he drafted is still in the NBA. His recent picks (Brook Lopez, Ryan Anderson, CDR, T-Will) are all pretty good as well. As for this year's pick, Favors will probably take 2-3 years before he show 80% of his potential but Damion James will be able to contribute straight away, providing he get minutes.

Since Richard Jefferson in 2001, no player he has drafted has lasted on the Nets beyond his rookie contract. That says something.

[Check my Stats]

Considering the Nets have been consistently drafting in the late lotto or later, it isn't really fair to criticize the lack of quality players they have drafted in a lot of those drafts, since you are pretty lucky if you are drafting someone who develops into a quality 30+ MPG player out of the top 10. The Nets haven't really made any huge mistakes in the draft, they didn't pick a Kwame Brown, they didn't waste any high lotto picks which is all you can really ask for imo.

 

Brook and Favors is an awesome start, the future is exceptionally bright in NJ.

[Universe]

Considering the Nets have been consistently drafting in the late lotto or later, it isn't really fair to criticize the lack of quality players they have drafted in a lot of those drafts, since you are pretty lucky if you are drafting someone who develops into a quality 30+ MPG player out of the top 10. The Nets haven't really made any huge mistakes in the draft, they didn't pick a Kwame Brown, they didn't waste any high lotto picks which is all you can really ask for imo.

 

Brook and Favors is an awesome start, the future is exceptionally bright in NJ.

What's the point of having a second round then? Teams find talent outside of the top ten all the time yet like I posted before, we haven't had ONE rookie since Richard to last past his rookie contract and that Rod Thorn's second year with the Nets.

[Nitro]

Nice article, reminded me of guys like Zoran Planninic who I tried to wipe permanently from my memory. Thorn had a bad streak in the draft from 2003-2007, but some of those guys were servicable role players for the Kidd/Carter Nets when they were still flitering with Eastern Conference contention. Overall I don't think Thorn's done a terrible job, and Lopez/Favors is a great drafted frontcourt with tons of potential.

[Klashnekoff]

Whole article/write up is crappy .. Sorry but it is and makes no sense.

 

Through 2000-2007 we were a playoff team .. I am sure we made the playoffs every season during then too. How are you going to critique picks from 10 and lower consistently. Kenyon Martin was a strong pick .. If he didn't get injured he would still be a 17 and 8 guy.

 

Lopez was a major steal .. Favors was a good decision but I would have gone with cousins and ask anyone .. I am still a fan of Sean Williams .. We should have kept him cause he is such a strong shot blocking player .. U don't get that

type of play from many guys

[Universe]

Whole article/write up is crappy .. Sorry but it is and makes no sense.

 

Through 2000-2007 we were a playoff team .. I am sure we made the playoffs every season during then too. How are you going to critique picks from 10 and lower consistently. Kenyon Martin was a strong pick .. If he didn't get injured he would still be a 17 and 8 guy.

 

Lopez was a major steal .. Favors was a good decision but I would have gone with cousins and ask anyone .. I am still a fan of Sean Williams .. We should have kept him cause he is such a strong shot blocking player .. U don't get that

type of play from many guys

I would respect what you wrote but you can't even get the years right. In 2000, we finished 26-56. You then go on stating you'd like to have Sean Williams on our team who you clearly only know his stats considering his final months with the Nets were mostly spent in court.

 

You can critique my article without having to call it crappy when you clearly don't know what you are talking about.

[Abro]

I would respect what you wrote but you can't even get the years right. In 2000, we finished 26-56. You then go on stating you'd like to have Sean Williams on our team who you clearly only know his stats considering his final months with the Nets were mostly spent in court.

 

You can critique my article without having to call it crappy when you clearly don't know what you are talking about.

yeah for real. i thought it was a pretty good article. the nets need some change and think they did the right moves this offseason

[Klashnekoff]

I would respect what you wrote but you can't even get the years right. In 2000, we finished 26-56. You then go on stating you'd like to have Sean Williams on our team who you clearly only know his stats considering his final months with the Nets were mostly spent in court.

 

You can critique my article without having to call it crappy

when you clearly don't know what you are talking about.

Sorry but didn't make much sense to me cause it wasn't Thorns fault we were a consistent playoff team..

[Universe]

Sorry but didn't make much sense to me cause it wasn't Thorns fault we were a consistent playoff team..

So making the playoffs equals no chance to draft anyone who can contribute...right.

[BlueDevil]

great article really outlines the ups and downs of the nets draft

and ya you can still draft well even though you dont have a lotto pick

the spurs still find great pick ups late (Parker, Manu, Hill, etc etc) so sorry, being successful doesnt mean everyone you draft is a scrub

the mid 2000s was rough, but they have a nice core that should return them to prominence by Brooklyn

[Klashnekoff]

So making the playoffs equals no chance to draft anyone who can contribute...right.

 

No but it is unfair to judge Rod Thorn when we throughout 2001-2006 consistent Atlantic Division champions and a strong playoff team, so how do you really draft well if your picks are ending up 18th-20th-22nd (around there consistently) .. If it wasn't for Nenad injury we would have been 6th straight Atlantic champs and really from there who knows if we would have got rid of Kidd, RJ then VC.

 

Then when things started to fall apart i think Rod did the best job he could as in getting rid of our big contracts and drafting solid young players from 2007 onwards. I really don't see how you can look back when we had success on the court and come up with this article based over 10 years of GM work when fairly you should only be looking at 2007-2010 when we really were a lottery team (Rod had more work on his hands before his retirement)

[Universe]

No but it is unfair to judge Rod Thorn when we throughout 2001-2006 consistent Atlantic Division champions and a strong playoff team, so how do you really draft well if your picks are ending up 18th-20th-22nd (around there consistently) .. If it wasn't for Nenad injury we would have been 6th straight Atlantic champs and really from there who knows if we would have got rid of Kidd, RJ then VC.

 

Then when things started to fall apart i think Rod did the best job he could as in getting rid of our big contracts and drafting solid young players from 2007 onwards. I really don't see how you can look back when we had success on the court and come up with this article based over 10 years of GM work when fairly you should only be looking at 2007-2010 when we really were a lottery team (Rod had more work on his hands before his retirement)

Between 18th and the the last pick of the first round:

2001 - Zach Randolph, Gerald Wallace, Tony Parker.

2002 - Tayshaun Prince, John Salmons

2003 - David West, Kendrick Perkins, Josh Howard.

2004 - Delonte West, Kevin Martin.

2005 - Jarret Jack, Jason Maxiell, David Lee.

2006 - Jordan Farmer, Shannon Brown.

 

And you don't have your facts right. Kiki was brought in to remove the large contracts as he did in Denver.

 

Also, you know what else would have kept us always fighting for the Atlantic Division? Drafting better, haha.

[Klashnekoff]

LMAO you are literally going to 'state' that drafting average players (other then Tony but not like we ever needed him) would have made us better.. SMH

 

How do you know any of those players would have worked at all for us? .. It's just a assumption. Rod did a fine job. He was involved in getting rid of those contracts and drafted in my opinion extremely well from 2007 onwards..

[Universe]

LMAO you are literally going to 'state' that drafting average players (other then Tony but not like we ever needed him) would have made us better.. SMH

 

How do you know any of those players would have worked at all for us? .. It's just a assumption. Rod did a fine job. He was involved in getting rid of those contracts and drafted in my opinion extremely well from 2007 onwards..

You clearly don't get it. I'd much rather have a Kevin Martin than Viktor Khryapa. David Lee over Antione Wright. The list goes on and on and clearly a better player makes a team better, no?

 

We haven't had one rookie since Jason Collins and Richard Jefferson last past their rookie contract. That sums up our drafting.

 

Laugh my [expletive] off.

 

Edit: You put Sean Williams as a good draft pick which pretty much sums up your arguement.

Edited July 31, 2010 by Universe

[Newman]

Considering the Nets were contenders most of the years you mentioned, the rookies didn't really get much playing time and so, I don't think the lack of quality drafted players is due to Thorn, but because the rookies did not get enough playing time to showcase their talent.

[Universe]

Considering the Nets were contenders most of the years you mentioned, the rookies didn't really get much playing time and so, I don't think the lack of quality drafted players is due to Thorn, but because the rookies did not get enough playing time to showcase their talent.

But how come they haven't florished with any other team?

[Newman]

Krstic, Kyle Korver, Antoine Wright, Marcus Williams and K-Mart are all good role players in other teams now. Yes they are not stars, but had they gotten more playing time with the Nets (barring Krstic) and had been able to built up a reputation on being a good player then they could have had a larger role with a new team.

[Klashnekoff]

lmao flourished? .. Who the hell flourished when they left us? .. More like we made guys flourish off our team .. example - Devin Harris.

 

It's about your team role and playing time/opportunity that makes a player better as in over the basic standard and being a star player. Kevin Martin nor David Lee would have gotten the same opportunities they got on the Kings or the Knicks as they would on the Nets. Its simple so you can't really say that they are good players because it is a different situation if we drafted them .. simply we didn't need them at the time although they did develop into good players on 'their teams' ..

 

Sean Williams is still a high potential guy .. i still can't come to terms with why we let him and guys like Yi go just so easily.

[Universe]

Krstic, Kyle Korver, Antoine Wright, Marcus Williams and K-Mart are all good role players in other teams now. Yes they are not stars, but had they gotten more playing time with the Nets (barring Krstic) and had been able to built up a reputation on being a good player then they could have had a larger role with a new team.

Marcus Williams shoots .380 and even worse from beyond three. Looking for his fourth team in how many years? Wright is the same way as he's at number for out with the Kings. Kyle Korver was a great pick and we traded him. Kenyon was number one overall and Krstic was one of Rod Thorns greatest picks aside the knee injury.

 

Everyone on that list aside from Korver got plenty of playing time and only two did anything.

Edited August 1, 2010 by Universe

[Universe]

lmao flourished? .. Who the hell flourished when they left us? .. More like we made guys flourish off our team .. example - Devin Harris.

 

It's about your team role and playing time/opportunity that makes a player better as in over the basic standard and being a star player. Kevin Martin nor David Lee would have gotten the same opportunities they got on the Kings or the Knicks as they would on the Nets. Its simple so you can't really say that they are good players because it is a different situation if we drafted them .. simply we didn't need them at the time although they did develop into good players on 'their teams' ..

 

Sean Williams is still a high potential guy .. i still can't come to terms with why we let him and guys like Yi go just so easily.

You even confused yourself. We are talking about draft picks.

 

So you are telling me that when we were without a power forward when Kenyon left, David Lee would not have gotten any playing time? Even better that with our backup gaurds being Rodney Buford, Ron Mercer and Billy Thomas, Martin would never of got playing time?

 

Your last statemen pretty much sums it up. How many Nets games have you actually watch?

[Dash]

No but it is unfair to judge Rod Thorn when we throughout 2001-2006 consistent Atlantic Division champions and a strong playoff team, so how do you really draft well if your picks are ending up 18th-20th-22nd (around there consistently) .. If it wasn't for Nenad injury we would have been 6th straight Atlantic champs and really from there who knows if we would have got rid of Kidd, RJ then VC.

 

Then when things started to fall apart i think Rod did the best job he could as in getting rid of our big contracts and drafting solid young players from 2007 onwards. I really don't see how you can look back when we had success on the court and come up with this article based over 10 years of GM work when fairly you should only be looking at 2007-2010 when we really were a lottery team (Rod had more work on his hands before his retirement)

 

Its not a problem if Thorn had just struck out once in the 18-22 pick area, but it is when he's been holding those picks yearly and he's consistently striking out.

 

Universe named a few solid players in each of those drafts that the Nets passed on for scrubs. How is it that Thorn could not come out with just ONE of them? Either his scouts suck or Thorn has little to know idea how to draft.