Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009...3:08 pm
Other People: Dwyer on Buford
Today at Ball Don’t Lie, Kelly Dwyer revealed his list of the top 10 NBA GMs of the last decade, and R.C. Buford comfortably came in at number 1. Here’s an excerpt:
There’s no denying Buford’s impact on the Spurs’ rise to power this decade. Even though he technically wasn’t the team’s personnel boss (that would be Popovich) when the Spurs drafted Manu Ginobili (2000) or Tony Parker(2001), he was the man who recommended the franchise take both future All-Stars.
Buford’s also emblematic of an organization that, from the owner on down, works together to sustain a winner, and stay frank and honest with themselves. Not a lot of game-playing in San Antonio, besides the 82 (and many, many extra playoff contests). They work from October until spring. Call it a symbolic choice, rail on me for not picking the lone GM gunslinger, despise the fact that, over 10 years after winning their first championship, the Spurs are still contenders under Duncan.
I encourage you to look back through Dwyer’s assorted “top ten of the decade” lists, as Spurs have made appearances in a number of them.
While on the subject of BDL: If you’re looking for a gift for that Spurs fan in your life, My mellow my man Trey Kerby has been reviewing some pretty wild Spurs paraphernalia recently.
4 Comments
September 24th, 2009 at 4:41 pm
I’m sure that all Spurs fans love Dywer and Ball Don’t Lie, but I bet you guys will like him even MORE when you find out how much Laker fans absolutely hate the guy.
Everyone is well aware of Kobe/Laker haters as they fill the ranks of basketball fans like no other haters. One thing we can agree on is that the Lakers and Kobe in particular may be the most popular NBA basketball team and player around the world, but by FAR they are the most hated, with haters even more passionate than their followers. If you are a Kobe hater, you hate with a PASSION, no amount of reason can possibly puncture that shield. It is weird but i’m willing to bet that Kobe/Laker haters are the most passionate of any sport. Have you felt any hate stronger than the one towards Kobe?
Anyway, most are obvious about their hate, like Bill Simmons who is a Celtic fan and an admitted Kobe hater. I can respect this type of hatred. However, other haters, who deny that they are a hater, and put on the hat of unbiased sports journalist, are the ABSOLUTE WORST. Kelly Dywer at Ball Don’t Lie is one of these Kobe haters.
Some evidence:
1) His article on why Kobe shouldn’t have won an MVP award.
2) Kobe is a 11 time all nba defensive player and 7 time all nba FIRST TEAM defensive player. He has won all of those 7 all nba 1st team defensive player awards in this decade. Yet he was not on Kelly’s top 10 defenders of the decade. In fact, Kobe, an individual who has won 4 championships and been to the NBA finals 6 times this decade, who has 11 all nba teams and 7 all nba FIRST teams (i’m talking about regular all-nba, not defensive all-nba), did not even make 1 of Kelly’s top 10 of the decade lists!
3) The Lakers GM, Mitch Kupchak got 6th place on on Kelly’s top 10 GMs of the decade. Kupchak’s teams have won 4 NBA championships and been to the NBA finals 6 times over this decade. After losing Shaq and becoming a LOTTERY team, and having to rebuild, in a few years he returned this team to championship contention, going to the NBA finals in 08 and 09, winning it all in 09. His trades (Trevor Ariza for garbage and most importantly Pau Gasol) and free agent signings (Derek Fisher) not to mention draft picks (Bynum) have been instrumental. Yet he gets 6th place?
There is other evidence, but the truth of the matter is that Kelly Dywer at Ball Don’t Lie is a HACK, and a biased one at that. I would not be proud of any of his lists as they lack reason and are determined based on emotion.
September 24th, 2009 at 5:26 pm
Kaveh,
Not to rip on you here, because I do appreciate your contributions to the comments section, but you’re going to have to provide some other evidence before I’m convinced, because those 3 points just don’t stand up to scrutiny:
1) An opinion that many people shared at the time.
2) Patently false. Kobe was included in the top ten statistical seasons of the decade list and the top ten feel-good moments of the decade list. And Dwyer hasn’t even gotten to the best shooting guard or player of the decade lists yet.
3) You are complaining about the fact he included Kupchak in a top ten list, just not high enough.
Not exactly evidence that Dwyer is a “hack.”
October 5th, 2009 at 12:53 pm
Kupchak does deserve to be higher.
There are Kobe “haters ” but not agreeing he is the absolute greatest in every way doesn’t make you one in fact, just in the opinion of those who disagree or usually won’t tolerate any other opinion.
Kobe deserved a lot of his defensive awards but not last year. It was based on the past, his team’s success and his high profile.
October 5th, 2009 at 12:59 pm
Dwyer watches a ton of ball but he bends a few things the way he wants to. I agree the lists are not purely objective or always completely well-founded in every case against all counter-arguments and I don’t think folks should read the lists as purely objective. I don’t think he really thinks they are though he may be soft-pedalling and presenting them as more objective they are in all cases. Most of the lists are alright in my opinion.
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