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Maybe you’ve heard about it, or maybe you’re engulfed in the Sixers’ Summer League game that is currently going on as I write this. But Keith Pompey appears to be having a conversation with Josh Harris at the moment, as Keith is periodically releasing Josh Harris quotes over Twitter.
The quotes have to do with the Sixers’ GM search. And I’m confused by Josh Harris in some of these quotes:
#Sixers own Josh Harris on getting a GM with past GM experience: "I think it will be a plus. I think general manager experience and a track record sa plus. Obviously, we lived through a science project. It had it’s benefits, but we may not be able to get [a former GM]."
— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) July 9, 2018
What does that mean? Specifically, the part that says, “Obviously, we lived through a science project” and the sentence immediately after that says, “It had it’s benefits, but we may not be able to get [a former GM].”
I’m not sure if the “science project” was meant to be derogatory, and I don’t know if he’s talking about a) The Process & Sam or b) Bryan & Burnergate. I mean, in the context of the conversation — you know, talking about wanting a former GM — it sounds like Bryan.
If a): “It had it’s benefits” is one way to characterize the results of The Process. Another would maybe be “it set the franchise up for sustained long-term success and multiplied the financial value of the team and I am forever grateful for that.” If b): sounds like Josh was a bit embarrassed about Burnergate. But I’m not sure it was anything resembling a science project, which points toward Sam. I DON’T GET IT.
What really confuses me about the phrase “It had it’s benefits, but we may not be able to get [a former GM]” is that I don’t understand how the two are related, if Josh is referring to Sam OR Bryan. How would what Sam or Bryan did impede your present ability to land a former GM? What, people around the league didn’t like it, so they’ll now, years (or weeks) removed, turn down one of the most appetizing jobs in the league? It makes even less sense when you factor in the next two quotes:
Josh Harris on preference for a consensus front office over GM that makes all the decisions: "Certainly there are other ways to do, where there’s a big strong leader. He or she makes every decision. And there’s many roads to run. That’s just not the road we are going to take."
— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) July 9, 2018
#Sixers owner Josh Harris on the GM search: “ I think it’s going to take a while to find the right person.” The team prefers someone that already has GM experience. They also want someone that will keep some, if not all, of the front-office staff intact.
— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) July 9, 2018
The team prefers someone with GM experience, but Josh thinks the franchise may not be able to get a former GM? And this potential seasoned GM won’t get final say? Also, why does it have to be someone with former GM experience? If they’re now available on the job market, it’s likely they’ve failed at being a GM. Not only that, you completely dismiss a pool of worthy candidates by emphasizing prior experience. Just get the best person for the job. The only thing I could think of is that Josh likes what Brett has done, and wants a seasoned GM to facilitate relationships around the league rather than primarily construct the roster.
And then there was this last tweet, which I genuinely liked:
#Sixers owner Josh Harris on the GM search: "Moving it forward, I think it’s going to take a while to find the right person. I hate to keep, you know, talking about it, but we really need to find the right person who can develop the special culture. It’s very consensus oriented."
— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) July 9, 2018
I know many wish the Sixers would speed this thing up a bit, but given where we’re at in the offseason, I’m not just okay with the team taking their time, I prefer it. There’s the Kawhi factor, in which maybe if they’re really engaged in talks, you want a GM to be a part of that. But the Sixers roster, outside of potential trades, is at a surplus right now. Let Brett decide who makes the final cut. And I like the emphasis on culture. I just don’t know about this “consensus” business. Can a front office run that way? Has Josh placed an abundance of faith in Brett, and wants more of a figure head at GM? What kind of dynamic does that present?
I really wish we had some more context for these quotes. /Shrug.