Every NBA franchise is reliant on competent ownership, general management, team president and so on down the line. Who has the best front office heading into the 2014-15 NBA season? Let's just see how the panel voted.
Rank | Team | Highest Rank | Lowest Rank | Average Rank |
30 | 25 | 30 | 27.8 |
It is safe to say that after the death of Dr. Jerry Buss the Lakers franchise has turned into nothing more than a tire fire out by La Crecenta. The Buss kids seem poised to run this once proud franchise straight into the ground.
Rank | Team | Highest Rank | Lowest Rank | Average Rank |
29 | 24 | 30 |
27.3
|
If they are convinced Giannis Antetokounmpo is their point guard of the future, why is John Hammond talking about an extension that would pay Brandon Knight over $10 million a year?
Rank | Team | Highest Rank | Lowest Rank | Average Rank |
28 | 21 | 30 |
27.1
|
So far the best thing I can come up with on the 76ers rebuild plan is that Sam Hinkie is filling out the roster with the most players you've never heard of before and attempting to own the entire second round of the 2017 draft.
Rank | Team | Highest Rank | Lowest Rank | Average Rank |
27 | 23 | 29 |
27.1
|
Phil Jackson takes over a... Well I can't say anything nice really about the Knicks situation. Carmelo Anthony would have been better signing elsewhere, the Knicks won't sniff the playoffs for a couple years.
Rank | Team | Highest Rank | Lowest Rank | Average Rank |
26 | 17 | 27 |
23.9
|
Are we sure that Joe Dumars actually left? Do we have proof that he is no longer in the GM office and not doing deals for the Pistons anymore? Please get me proof of this.
Rank | Team | Highest Rank | Lowest Rank | Average Rank |
25 | 21 | 30 |
23.1
|
The Nets paid the highest amount of luxury tax in existence last season, so they have that going for them. Which is nice.
Rank | Team | Highest Rank | Lowest Rank | Average Rank |
24 | 13 | 29 |
22.2
|
Flip Saunders and the Timberwolves actually got a really good haul in return for Kevin Love. Now it will be up to him to not completely ruin this young, upstart team they have going in Minnesota.
Rank | Team | Highest Rank | Lowest Rank | Average Rank |
23 | 5 | 30 |
21.8
|
The ownership has gotten into literal fist fights with each other, their majority stakeholder is selling because of racism and Danny Ferry stepped away because of more racist allegations. How did they reach 23?
Rank | Team | Highest Rank | Lowest Rank | Average Rank |
22 | 7 | 26 |
21.0
|
Quite the disparity in our rankings on this one. Daryl Morey did fleece a certain team in getting James Harden for basically nothing, and stealing Dwight Howard from the Lakers, but then he's not had the greatest track record with drafting despite being a supposed "genius" in the advanced stats world, and completely forgot about chemistry when it comes to building a contender.
Rank | Team | Highest Rank | Lowest Rank | Average Rank |
21 | 17 | 28 |
20.8
|
Utah has never been an exclusive destination for the NBA's best free agents. I do think they overpaid for Gordon Hayward, but they had to do it. I also think they haven't exactly drafted well recently. Trey Burke and Dante Exum play the same position and that was their recent first round draft picks. Flashes of David Kahn there.
Rank | Team | Highest Rank | Lowest Rank | Average Rank |
20 | 6 | 23 |
19.0
|
Somehow the Cavs lucked into three #1 picks after LeBron James left, then resigned him four years later. They took two of those three #1 picks and turned that into Kevin Love. This has the makings of Heat 2.0 with a Big 3 and not much else around it. Plus David Griffin looks like our own Chris Meirose. That does not bode well for Cleveland.
Rank | Team | Highest Rank | Lowest Rank | Average Rank |
19 | 14 | 25 |
18.0
|
Everyone keeps saying that Sam Presti is a genius, but let's look at his track record. He's 0-2 for his major trades. Losing the Jeff Green-Kendrick Perkins and the James Harden trades, outside the no brainer picks of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, he's only really had success hitting one late round pick with Serge Ibaka. The Cole Aldrich, Perry Jones, Andre Roberson and the confusing Josh Huestis picks... Well.
Rank | Team | Highest Rank | Lowest Rank | Average Rank |
18 | 11 | 29 |
17.9
|
Locking up DeMarcus long term was a no brainer and needed to happen. Rudy Gay though...
Rank | Team | Highest Rank | Lowest Rank | Average Rank |
17 | 13 | 25 |
17.8
|
Chris Wallace is back with the Memphis Grizzlies and he's flanked by a bunch of advanced stats gurus. The Grizzlies tend to make solid moves and rarely make the bad deal.
Rank | Team | Highest Rank | Lowest Rank | Average Rank |
16 | 7 | 25 |
17.6
|
Rich Cho has made some very sound moves and draft decisions since taking over the Charlotte Hornets. You could see an actual plan develop and being executed. They were a playoff team last year and should again be a playoff team again this year and could be a dark horse for a division title.
Rank | Team | Highest Rank | Lowest Rank | Average Rank |
15 | 10 | 22 |
15.2
|
The Pelicans have gone out and put some very nice pieces around superstar Anthony Davis. They could have potentially been a playoff threat last season if not for the multiple injuries to key players. Dell Demps has done very well slowly building the team up in NOLA.
Rank | Team | Highest Rank | Lowest Rank | Average Rank |
14 | 9 | 21 |
14.7
|
Rob Hennigan is the youngest GM in the NBA and he's doing everything he can to fix the mess that Otis Smith created post the 2009 Finals appearance and he is well on his way to doing so. Don't be shocked if he has the Magic competing for a playoff spot in the next few season. He's got a great pedigree.
Rank | Team | Highest Rank | Lowest Rank | Average Rank |
13 | 4 | 20 |
14.1
|
After blowing up the championship team we would have ranked them a hell of a lot lower, but bringing back Tyson Chandler and stealing away Chandler Parsons from the Rockets these are the type of sound moves we expected from the Mavericks. We can excuse the signing of "Fat" Ray Felton for right now.
Rank | Team | Highest Rank | Lowest Rank | Average Rank |
12 | 9 | 21 |
13.1
|
Larry Bird and company have done a fantastic job rebuilding this team back up. Roy Hibbert is the only contract on the roster that makes one cringe a bit, but the rest has been done on the right level. With Paul George out for the season, can he nail the draft pick in a very deep 2015 draft to make the Pacers that much better next year?
Rank | Team | Highest Rank | Lowest Rank | Average Rank |
11 | 6 | 19 |
13.1
|
Pat Riley lost LeBron this offseason, but managed to keep Chris Bosh from landing in Houston (a much better fit) and didn't do half bad in landing the replacement for Mario Chalmers at point guard.
Rank | Team | Highest Rank | Lowest Rank | Average Rank |
10 | 9 | 14 |
10.6
|
Ryan McDonough has done extremely well for himself since becoming the GM of the Suns. He stole away Jeff Hornacek from the Jazz, got Eric Bledsoe for basically nothing from the Clippers, stole Isaiah Thomas from the Kings and signed the Morris Twins for below market value.
Rank | Team | Highest Rank | Lowest Rank | Average Rank |
9 | 6 | 16 |
10.2
|
Rank | Team | Highest Rank | Lowest Rank | Average Rank |
8 | 8 | 19 |
9.8
|
The Nuggets missed a lot of games last season due to injury, but Tim Connelly decided that he wouldn't hold steady with what he had from a couple seasons ago with a Nuggets team that was the #3 seed in the West. He brought back Aaron Afflalo and signed every SF he could to shore up depth. He also had a really nice draft.
Rank | Team | Highest Rank | Lowest Rank | Average Rank |
7 | 4 | 11 |
7.2
|
The combo of Danny Ainge and Mike Zarren continue to do some amazing things together. They made some very minor moves this offseason in their attempt to rebuild and go young with wonder coach Brad Stevens. Don't be shocked if Mike Zarren is the GM of a very successful (championship level) team in the future.
Rank | Team | Highest Rank | Lowest Rank | Average Rank |
6 | 3 | 15 |
6.4
|
What has happened to the old Ernie Grunfeld that we all knew and loved? Who is making all these sensible trades and decisions that are turning the Wizards into contenders? Who I ask!?
Rank | Team | Highest Rank | Lowest Rank | Average Rank |
5 | 2 | 9 |
6.0
|
Masai Ujiri has definitely lit a fire in the city of Toronto and turned them into a basketball town. Solid drafts the last couple of years, good contracts that aren't over blown.
Rank | Team | Highest Rank | Lowest Rank | Average Rank |
4 | 3 | 13 |
5.1
|
Neil Olshey has done a solid job with the Blazers since coming in from the Clippers. He's taken the worst bench in the history of the league and turned them into something that can be relied on, he drafted Damian Lillard and has a verbal agreement to keep LaMarcus Aldridge in Portland through his prime.
Rank | Team | Highest Rank | Lowest Rank | Average Rank |
3 | 2 | 10 |
4.4
|
While Doc Rivers makes most of the decision, Dave Wohl is technically the GM. So far in their two offseasons together, there haven't been any over spending, solid draft picks that fit in with the Clippers style of play. I really can't second guess any move outside the Jared Dudley trade.
Rank | Team | Highest Rank | Lowest Rank | Average Rank |
2 | 2 | 5 |
2.7
|
Another team that doesn't make bad signings and continually drafts well. Gar Forman won't overpay for a fringe player and he has so far nailed all his draft picks, including the second rounders. Waiting to see if Thibs can coach this team to a title. This could be the year to do it.
Rank | Team | Highest Rank | Lowest Rank | Average Rank |
1 | 1 | 1 |
1
|
Has there been a better franchise over the last 15+ years than the San Antonio Spurs? There has not been and it has all started from the front office. They have had multiple front office personnel hired away and done well for themselves, but not as well as the Spurs have. None of the Spurs disciples have yet to win a championship.