re: Per Duncan: Pels have began interviews this morning; list confirmed

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My big issue with Ferry, and partially why he is 1B(along with other reasons I could go into), is that he has objectively been away from the game for a good minute. If reports of his minimal participation as a special adviser are true, he basically sat out the last half decade. Whereas a guy like Gersson is hungry, has active pipelines to pull from to fill out his staff

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I disagree here. I think Ferry due to his background (executive dad, Duke player, Italian league, Spurs player and exec, Cavs GM, Hawks GM) has a much broader network to leverage in hiring than Rosas who never played and has spent his entire career with a single organization (outside of his 3 month Mavs stint)

Ferry has not been objectively away from the game. He had to deal with Deng fallout and then some health issues with his daughter, but I don't think he was as out of the league as you think.

Because other guys interviewed poorly, lack the experience the brass is looking for, and/or didn't seem passionate about wanting the job.

Ferry will say yes to the job. He has the experience they are comfortable with, and he didn't come off like a know it all, like one of the candidates did.

He also is familiar with some of the behind the scenes AD trade convos with teams like the Celtics and Knicks, along the exact offers from the Lakers, so he wouldn't have to start from scratch there. He is also familiar with current staff - both coaches and front office so those departments wouldn't have to be a total rebuild.

I would be shocked if Ferry didn't get either President or GM (or both). I think they went into this hoping to keep Ferry and get another guy but after interviews, they saw that option as unlikely. So, I think they just go with Ferry

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Because other guys interviewed poorly, lack the experience the brass is looking for, and/or didn't seem passionate about wanting the job.

Ferry will say yes to the job. He has the experience they are comfortable with, and he didn't come off like a know it all, like one of the candidates did.

He also is familiar with some of the behind the scenes AD trade convos with teams like the Celtics and Knicks, along the exact offers from the Lakers, so he wouldn't have to start from scratch there. He is also familiar with current staff - both coaches and front office so those departments wouldn't have to be a total rebuild.

I would be shocked if Ferry didn't get either President or GM (or both). I think they went into this hoping to keep Ferry and get another guy but after interviews, they saw that option as unlikely. So, I think they just go with Ferry

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Wow, that is disappointing. I am guessing Griffin is the one that came across as the "know it all." Would have hoped that if we were keeping Ferry, he would be POBO with someone like Langdon as GM.

Ugh.

While I like Ferry, this just has the feeling of “Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.”


I can see “interviewed poorly” or “inexperienced”. Who didn’t seem like they wanted the job, Rosas?

Ferry has been other places as well as been here for 2.5 years at least. He could have a great plan and terrific insight into things he'd like for this organization to move forward with/change with a slight continuation of what's been successful for us.

Not doubting that.

The problem is that having an in house promotion makes it hard to go to Gayle and say “We need X, Y, and Z” in order to compete.


I know she wants to turn the organization around but having an insider do it rather than an outsider makes it easier to tell them no.

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I would be shocked if Ferry didn't get either President or GM (or both). I think they went into this hoping to keep Ferry and get another guy but after interviews, they saw that option as unlikely. So, I think they just go with Ferry

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I think you may get your Ettore Messina hire. Ferry was reportedly trying to get Messina to come over as a backup when Bud was waffling about the Atlanta job.

Also lookout for Andy Birdsong to be brought on as GM or assistant GM.

I think she is saying the right things.

I’m wondering if she will put up or shut up when Ferry tells her that she has to put a ton of money into the G league team or a scouting department, both of which are beneficial to on court performance but don’t show obvious benefits to the bottom line.

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She freaking donates money left and right to charities etc all the time, you think she's worried about spending money on the Pelicans which is possible her biggest legacy to make?

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they haven't spent much on that side since they bought the team, so it's a legit question.


hopefully it changes, but donating to charity does not mean Gayle is willing to drop the $$ on Pels front office personnel and infrastructure.

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I’m wondering if she will put up or shut up when Ferry tells her that she has to put a ton of money into the G league team or a scouting department, both of which are beneficial to on court performance but don’t show obvious benefits to the bottom line.

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The new league economics make it a lot harder to look reasonable when pinching pennies. In the Shinn era the extra $5-$10 million you get from a full house in a non crap year could very well have been the difference between a profit and a loss. I posted the Operating Income figure from this year's Forbes Team valuation yesterday of $29 million, and the player payroll was bumping right up against the tax. I don't buy that this team can't afford to spend another $5-$15 million a year on "infrastructure".