Bird wins NBA Executive of the Year

[GinobiliForTres]

Buford came in 2nd.

[lefty]

lawl

[lefty]

MVP
COY
EOY


Bird shits on West

[baseline bum]

Brilliant move to get George Hill on draft night and just in time to be massively overpaid.

[cheguevara]

trade benefited both teams

both executives played hard

[timvp]

Wow.

What did Bird do? I don't see how the Hill trade was a win considered much of a win. The Pacers signed David West to a two-year, $20 million contract after missing out on other targets. And then got Barbosa at the trade deadline.

Hill was pretty good but that's about the level of play you expect to get given what the Pacers gave up. Was West worth $10 million? It's debatable. And Barbosa wasn't very good after the trade.

Weird person to give the award to, tbh.

[coyotes_geek]

David Stern should have won it. He made the Clippers relevant.

[GSH]

Pacers have over-achieved. But they couldn't give COY to Vogel over Pop. So it must have been Bird.

[Brutalis]

Buford ever actually won that award?

[OldSilentHill]

The award has to go to the executive that do what the coach says and the results can be clearly seen after that.

[Mr. Body]

Bird has done a good job re-tailoring the Pacers and is worth. Just think the Spurs' FO has done a better job.

But think the nod went to Pop as coach (developing young players) over the FO by a hair.

[Seventyniner]

It's because the Pacers had the lowest payroll in the league.

[Spursmania]

I thought RC deserved it more. What a crock.

[Mugen]

Maybe Buford hittin the sauce and gettin his Nascar on during the lockout cost him the award.

[Seventyniner]

More about the payroll angle: the Pacers' total salaries this year (lowest in the league, $43.8M) were just under half of the Lakers' (tops in the league, $87.8M). Four teams made the playoffs with payrolls outside the top 16: Thunder (20th), Nuggets (19th), Jazz (23rd), and Pacers (30th). Once extensions kick in for Durant/Westbrook/Harden, the Thunder will be a fixture in the top 5 in payroll.

As an FYI, the Spurs had the 5th-highest payroll at a little over $73M.

[urunobili]

They had to give IND something come on guys...

[ElNono]

Congrats Larry legend

[DeadlyDynasty]

The NBA doesn't approve of vehicular manslaughter (or the potential for it).

[Mugen]

The NBA doesn't approve of vehicular manslaughter (or the potential for it).

JR Smith disagrees.

[rjv]

Wow.

What did Bird do? I don't see how the Hill trade was a win considered much of a win. The Pacers signed David West to a two-year, $20 million contract after missing out on other targets. And then got Barbosa at the trade deadline.

Hill was pretty good but that's about the level of play you expect to get given what the Pacers gave up. Was West worth $10 million? It's debatable. And Barbosa wasn't very good after the trade.

Weird person to give the award to, tbh.


he rode the legacy of his name to garnish the love of east coast writers

[polandprzem]

Wow.

What did Bird do? I don't see how the Hill trade was a win considered much of a win. The Pacers signed David West to a two-year, $20 million contract after missing out on other targets. And then got Barbosa at the trade deadline.

Hill was pretty good but that's about the level of play you expect to get given what the Pacers gave up. Was West worth $10 million? It's debatable. And Barbosa wasn't very good after the trade.

Weird person to give the award to, tbh.

Indy had a great year and I think that was the main reason to pick Bird tbh


tbh



and tbh

[DeadlyDynasty]

JR Smith disagrees.

He never won any awards, tbh.

[Bruno]

While I think Spurs as a whole have done a great job at managing their roster this year, I'm not sure Buford deserved to be credited for it.
Spurs got Danny Green mainly because of Danny Ferry, Mills because of Brett Brown and Diaw because of Parker. And while the Jackson trade is great, it's the result of RC doing a huge mistake with the contract he gave to Jefferson.
RC deserves some props for the Kawhi trade and for being open minded and listening to what other people are saying, which is a rare and great quality, but it isn't enough to get EOY.

Bird has done a great job at bringing back Pacers into a relevant team after the Palace brawl. It took some times and he made some mistakes like with his all white team but he has now build a good young team.

[buttsR4rebounding]

Next year Buford will just have to trade harder...:hat

[Seventyniner]

The more I think about it, the more I'm convinced that the Pacers' league-low payroll pushed this vote to Bird. Think about it: the lockout was because the small-market owners didn't want the rich ones to be able to buy wins. Then the Pacers come along, spend half of what the Lakers do, and will probably win more playoff games than the Lakers. This award is just positive reinforcement for spending less.

In terms of who made the best moves this year alone, the Knicks were at the top of my list. They signed Chandler (genius move), got Lin, and drafted Shumpert. I said this year alone because I think the Stoudemire and Melo deals weren't great, but those happened last year.

[TimmehC]

:lol Buford finishing second to the guy he fleeced.

[skulls138]

I was a big Bird fan growing up and probably is still my fave of all time, Duncan being #2 (its hard to let go of your childhood hero), but Buford was better. Kawai Leonard, Danny Greene, Diaw, Jackson? I realize that Neal and Splitter and others were from the previous year but all the above is saying that Buford is the best in the league.

[timvp]

The only way Bird makes any sense is if you're judging him over the last few years. I agree he's done great work taking a bloated situation and streamlining it ... but that's been a years long process. If this award is what he's done this season alone, I just don't see it.

I'm not saying Buford should have won; I just don't really understand how Bird won.

[spurraider21]

pacers picked up george hill who has been just what they expected. they signed david west which turned them from an 8th seed to a 3rd seed. they signed lou amundson, and leandro barbosa. thats a pretty solid executive. granted, we all know what RC did, but the pacers moved from 8th to 3rd in their conference while the spurs were already a powerhouse in their conference, but still improved. i could see the voting process going towards Bird.

[therealtruth]

The Pacers moved from eighth to 3rd and they have a good mix of youth and veteran players. I think they will give they will really challenge the Heat.

[ajballer4]

Both were deserving IMO.

Bird did a great job bringing Indiana out of the slums, and Buford put as back at the top

[dbreiden83080]

Where was Jordan on the list? :lol

[Solid D]

I guess taking a team from 19th best out of 30 teams last year to 5th best record in NBA this year with a coach nobody knows, speaks well for Larry. Most GMs probably wouldn't have made the decision to go with Vogel.

[Solid D]

Oh, and BTW, Vogel was sort of hired after Bird lost out on getting guys like Adelman or Casey. I think I heard that Bird took a pay cut to go along with the lower Indy team payroll.
Kind of amazing how it all came together for the Pacers.

[024]

meh, bird has done a pretty good job on the pacers. he basically took a small market lottery team in the east and turned them into potential contenders. basing the award on one year is pretty limiting for an NBA executive of the year award. it takes time before the rewards of draft picks or trades fully materialize. giving the award to bird makes sense.

[_jin]

I think this award has been given to him because of his work over the past few years, which has been very good. But if you take that season alone, I think Buford or Oshley were more worthy (I actually thought Oshley was the favorite because he made the biggest trade of the season and a few other good ones)

[JR3]

This is a fresh load of crap! Buford should have gotten it. This is for the birds...:lol

[Obstructed_View]

Glad they don't give the award 2 years later. When Leonard is an all-star and Hill is playing somewhere else Bird might not look so smart.

[Solid D]

he rode the legacy of his name to garnish the love of east coast writers

The Executive of the Year is voted on by the NBA execs.

[ploto]

Being an executive is about more than just the players you sign or for whom you trade. It involves all types of payroll and hiring decisions, such as selecting a new coach. Having the lowest payroll in the league and the 5th best record is to be rewarded.

[ShoogarBear]

he rode the legacy of his name to garnish the love of east coast writers

This. Ridiculous choice.

You're going to start a team tomorrow. Do you hire Larry Bird or R.C. Buford?

[Jeff Leppard]

Bird whittled that team out of an old piece of hickory and a pocket knife whilst a settin' on his back porch in his favorite rocking chair that his grandpaw made with his own two hands.

Well deserved tbh.

[100%duncan]

lawl

[TD 21]

What's more ridiculous: Duncan never winning DPOY or Buford never winning Executive of the Year? I'll say the former, but it's nothing short of ridiculous that Colangelo has two, Baylor has one and Buford has none. I know it's not meant to be a lifetime achievement award, but at the same time, that just doesn't sound right.

[CGD]

A little shocking given the amazingness of the RJ trade by itself. Based on this year's production, the Hill trade is a draw in my opinion; too bad there is no real way to quantify the Lorkek aspect of it though. That said, RC could have lost to some one worse given the Hill & West moves, and the fact that the Pacers are in a good cap position to pursue Eric Gordon this summer.

[Mal]

Wait what ? Pacers are winners in Hill - Leonard trade ? And how is that. I mean, G. Hill is great stud, but Leonard is going to be a beast on both sides of the court. And Spurs got Lorbek`s rights. Guy could be best big playing in Europe.

[MannyIsGod]

If Buford didn't win it this year I don't see how he'll ever win it...

[ShoogarBear]

If Buford didn't win it this year I don't see how he'll ever win it...

Move to the Eastern Conference and transform a team from mediocre to better-than-mediocre. Long-term legitimacy not a requirement.

[senorglory]

only ... if you're judging him over the last few years.
that's my theory.

[tesseractive]

Does anyone else think it's funny that "Vogel" is German for "bird"?

[BG_Spurs_Fan]

:lol Buford finishing second to the guy he fleeced.

This.

[Clippersfan86]

Load of crap. Almost the entire Clippers rotation is made up of players Olshey added this year. He should have won EOTY and second should be Buford. I wouldn't be upset if Buford won but Larry Bird? MY ASS. The guy did what? Sign David West, trade for Barbosa and give Vogel a no brainer extension? Yup what a genius!

[Russo21]

Iffy decision.

Leonard>>>>>GHill

But whatever. He has made his team relevant with a real and very surprising chance at making the east finals or even the nba finals. Something nobody would have believed to start the season. His did a great job this year gaining Hill and West etc and they havent let Larry down.

We'll see how his exec skills are when Roy Hibbert demands a max contract in the near future and he has to make tough decisions and juggle money and salaries around. When your cheap and awesome rookie contract players all of a sudden demand big dollars leaving less for a supprting cast is when things can get a bit difficult.

See you in the finals George and Larry.

[Legacy]

Where was Jordan on the list? :lol


:lmao WORD.

[freetiago]

bayless and even screamin A smith just said bird didnt deserve it and RC should have won it

[tesseractive]

bayless and even screamin A smith just said bird didnt deserve it and RC should have won it

Some of these ESPN guys should play cornerback the way they're backpedaling on their former Spurs indifference now.:lol

[GuillermoDiazFan]

I'm okay with Bird winning it.

Olshey acquired Chris Paul - great but a no brainer. The trade was built around Eric Gordon - had Olshey been the one drafting him, I'd give him more credit, but he wasn't.

Then acquiring Billups, Martin and Young to give us a quality bench was superb but let's face it: no brainers that you get because you already have Paul and Griffin.

Bird built that team from the scrap - no worse, from a terrible situation - without high lottery pics and in a small-market. He said he had a 3 years plan and it worked.