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Executive Search: Dennis Lindsey

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After a demoralizing loss like last night, there's no time like the present to continue the search for new leadership for this franchise.

In the second of the executive search series, let's take a look at San Antonio Spurs Assistant GM Dennis Lindsey. (See Part 1 on David Morway here.)

Lindsey's name was most recently in the news after Billy Knight resigned from his position as the Hawks' GM. The Hawks reportedly pegged Lindsey as their man after Cleveland's Assistant GM Chris Grant turned down the job. Lindsey turned it down too.

Although he never explicitly stated so publicly, I can only imagine that Lindsey said "no thanks" to Atlanta due to their unstable ownership situation. Not to mention that the roster was pretty well set and a new GM would have a tough time building it with their own vision. (As an aside, how about those Hawks? I couldn't criticize King enough for his roster-building, but damned if he wasn't right in the end.)

Most of Lindsey's experience in NBA front offices came in Houston where he served as GM Carroll Dawson's go-to guy from 1997 until 2007, when Dawson resigned as GM. It was this summer of 2007 when the Rockets hired Darryl Morey as their new GM, essentially passing over Lindsey, whom many saw as the heir apparent.

Barely a month after Morey was named GM in Houston, Lindsey took the Assistant GM position in San Antonio vacated by Seattle/Oklahoma City GM Sam Presti.

In Houston, Lindsey has had not only spent a good amount of time making personnel decisions, he also has left a great record of some of the decisions. He kept a blog at the Rockets web site and posted articles on trading Shane Battier, scouting in Europe, and the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament. There's some good stuff from his current job too.

It's worth noting that Lindsey served in Houston with Wolves Assistant Coach Dean Cooper from '99 to '07. Cooper, in addition to coaching and scouting in Houston, spent some time there as VP of Player Personnel. If either one rises to a management position with the Wolves, I would imagine they'd get a hold of the other one pretty quickly.

While the Rockets have consistently sat in the contender circle for the last few years, they've never been able to grab that ring, largely due to the chronic injury problems posed by Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming.

But despite never grabbing a championship, the Rockets have put together contenders year after year under Dawson and Lindsey. The Wolves could do have done a lot worse.

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Comments

Display:

I love this quote from the Spurs article:

Name: Ben
Location: San Antonio
Question: How did the scouting process work with George Hill?

Rob Hennigan: It started with his freshmen year. We identified him as a guy to keep following because we were intrigued by his tools. This past year we saw him a couple of times early in the year and then when he got invited to the Orlando pre-draft camp we really made it a priority of ours to really focus on him and dissect his game. He played very well in Orlando and then we had him in for a workout and an interview. Our coaching staff really liked him and thought that he had a chance to contribute right away heading into next season and we decided that he was our guy.

…how many seniors do you think McHale has been watching since they were freshman?

The World's Leading Exporter of Small Area Quickness
www.canishoopus.com

by Stop-n-Pop on Dec 31, 2008 9:02 AM CST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

I don’t know, how many do you think stop by his fishing hole??

I am constantly amazed by my own lack of knowledge.

by frankenhoops on Dec 31, 2008 12:51 PM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

This guy really seems like “the stuff”. I would be excstatic if he’d be our new GM.

Beater of the early Thabeet drum

by Wim (Belgium) on Dec 31, 2008 11:12 AM CST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

He looks promising...

I hope Taylor is thinking as seriously about this move as Wyn is….

by Shogun on Dec 31, 2008 12:18 PM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Glad you like them!

This one took so long to get out because I did too much research… just need to cut to the chase!

www.canishoopus.com

by wyn on Dec 31, 2008 3:41 PM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

I second Pants..

….very well done.

The World's Leading Exporter of Small Area Quickness
www.canishoopus.com

by Stop-n-Pop on Dec 31, 2008 5:03 PM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Love the Write-Ups

don’t worry about how lone it takes to publish, the resurch is good material and we need it if we are going to evaluate the candidate.

Will the Real Thor Please Stand Up ... ?

by the Real Thor on Dec 31, 2008 6:24 PM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

This is the key

But despite never grabbing a championship, the Rockets have put together contenders year after year under Dawson and Lindsey.

once you get to the post season it can often be a crap shoot, and any team can get really hot, or lose unexpectedly. it happens every year in every major pro sport once you get to the playoffs. so just getting there year after year gives you a chance to take it all home.

this is the type of GM we need, some one who can build a contender. a contender that will challange for the playoffs year after year.

Will the Real Thor Please Stand Up ... ?

by the Real Thor on Jan 1, 2009 10:36 AM CST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Don’t think I totally agree actually. Sure, there’s always one or two teams that perform better or worse than expected and yes, the celtics needed 7 games to take out the hawks. That said there are a good glut of teams that make the playoffs but you don’t expect them to really get through and they mostly don’t.

That said, the Rockets were always a team that was really good and the only reason they didn’t really get THAT far is because of the very very strong west at the time. If they played in the east they could’ve gotten a lot further. So yes, they did a great job.

Beater of the early Thabeet drum

by Wim (Belgium) on Jan 1, 2009 1:29 PM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Playoff are full of examples

the Devils, the first time they won in, was it 94? against the Detroit Redwings. they were the lowest seed to ever win the cup at that time. last year the NY Giants, and the Steelers a few years earlier against the Seahawks, won every game on the road in the playoffs to win the superbowl. not as familier with Basketball playoffs, but teams come out of no where to win it all, all the time.

Will the Real Thor Please Stand Up ... ?

by the Real Thor on Jan 2, 2009 11:42 AM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Agree with Wim

Comparing NFL playoffs and NBA playoffs isn’t a good idea, as the NFL and NCAA bball are one-off type of deals where cinderellas can emerge, but with the NBA and NHL, with the 7-game series formats, usually the favorite wins. There have been cases like you cited, but I think if you looked at the statistics, the higher seeds advance at a high percentage. That’s why it’s such a rarity when the Mutumbo Nuggets and Nellie Warriors pick off a number one seed.

by BDavige on Jan 2, 2009 1:23 PM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Many thanks for the write ups....

The possibility of building something effectively from scratch would be enticing for an ambitious GM, but I wonder
whether people would be pt off by the possibility of working for Glen Taylor.

He seems to be regarded as a goose by us remaining Wolves fans; would he be regarded any differently within
the “industry”?

by Auswolf on Jan 1, 2009 2:43 PM CST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

As far as I heard he’s watched as someone who doesn’t meddle too much, wants to spend if the prize is right and is very loyal. What more could you want.

Beater of the early Thabeet drum

by Wim (Belgium) on Jan 1, 2009 4:21 PM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Given the latitude that McHale was given I agree with Wim that Taylor is a fairly ideal owner… if you are a competent GM.

by Pants_ on Jan 2, 2009 8:29 AM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

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