Mike Prada of SBNation.com has a pretty good read that ranks all 30 general managers in the NBA. The good news: Warriors GM Larry Riley isn’t last. The bad news: he’s ranked 28th, with only 76ers GM Ed Stefanski and Pacers GM Larry Bird rated worse.
Prada breaks down each general manager with all kinds of information (trades, free agent signings, trades, etc. durin their time as GM) and an analysis of the performance of each GM. Here’s what he wrote about Riley:
It’s a bit tough to judge Riley, because his predecessor, Chris Mullin, put him in a very tough spot, because he overpaid for a team that made the playoffs once (2007), then dismantled that team just as they started to get good. Former owner Chris Cohan was also nearly impossible to deal with, and the whole front office has been a complete mess in recent years. However, he’s done several things that go against the goal of building through young talent. The team continues to employ Don Nelson as head coach, even though Nelson is a poor coach for player development. Riley’s inability to commit to keeping or trading Monta Ellis continues to hold back the franchise’s commitment to a clear direction. Finally, while David Lee is an excellent player that should fit in well with this team, he is probably overpaid, and acquiring him cost him a cheaper player in Randolph who has much more potential and plays Lee’s position. Anyway, it’s pretty clear that, while Riley wasn’t the head GM, he exerted more influence than Mullin during Mullin’s final days in office. We can therefore pin a lot of Mullin’s later mistakes on Riley too.
Riley has some good marks on his resume, like drafting Stephen Curry and trading for David Lee (though that one is a little more controversial). But considering he was hired two seasons ago and the Warriors have won 29 and 26 games in those two seasons, I think the ranking is fair.
Here’s the complete list (he went with the general managers as of the end of the 2009-10 season, which means there are some on the list who have since resigned, retired or been fired):
30: Larry Bird, Pacers
29. Ed Stefanski, 76ers
28. Larry Riley, Warriors
27. Bryan Colangelo, Raptors
26. David Kahn, Timberwolves
25. Mike Dunleavy, Clippers
24. Joe Dumars, Pistons
23. Michael Jordan/Rod Higgins, Bobcats
22. Rick Sund, Hawks
21. Chris Wallace, Grizzlies
20. Jeff Bower, Hornets
19. Gar Forman/John Paxson, Bulls
18. Ernie Grunfeld, Wizards
17. Otis Smith, Magic
16. Steve Kerr, Suns
15. Danny Ferry, Cavaliers
14. Donnie Walsh, Knicks
13. Mitch Kupchak, Lakers
12. Rod Thorn, Nets
11. John Hammond, Bucks
10. Donnie Nelson, Mavericks
9. Geoff Petrie, Kings
8. Danny Ainge, Celtics
7. R.C. Buford, Spurs
6. Kevin Pritchard, Blazers
5. Mark Warkentien, Nuggets
4. Sam Presti, Thunder
3. Daryl Morey, Rockets
2. Kevin O’Connor, Jazz
1. Pat Riley, Heat
What do you think about the rankings? What about Larry Riley’s placement on the list? Too high? Too low?
