Executive Search: Lance Blanks
by wyn on Apr 22, 2009 12:52 AM CDT
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Since Glen Taylor announced he'd like to wrap up the GM search in the next few weeks, I figured kick-starting the Executive Search might not be a bad idea. Cleveland Cavaliers Assistant GM Lance Blanks is the most talked about candidate we have yet to cover, but unfortunately there's not a whole lot out there on him.
As you can see above, Blanks played for the Wolves after being drafted by the Pistons in 1990. His career lasted only three seasons, but he surfaced again in the NBA when San Antonio hired him as a scout in July of 2000.
He rose the ranks to Head Scout the following year and became Director of Scouting in 2002. Blanks described his time in San Antonio as focused on draft work and college scouting early on, moving to pro personnel later on. Considering the Spurs' ability to find draft diamonds drafting from low spots year after year, Blanks must have some skills in that department.
Spurs Draft History (2000 - 2004)
- 2000: Chris Carrawell (#41), Corey Hightower (#54, traded for 2 future 2nd round picks)
- 2001: Tony Parker (#28), Robertas Javtokas (#56), Bryan Bracey (#58)
- 2002: John Salmons (#26, traded for Speedy Claxton), Luis Scola (#56), Randy Holcomb (#57, trade for Speedy Claxton)
- 2003: Leandro Barbosa (#28, traded for a future 1st)
- 2004: Beno Udrih (#28), Romain Sato (#54), Sergei Kauralov (#58)
It's impossible to know how much Blanks had to do with any of these picks, but the Spurs hit on four late 1st rounders in a row (Udrih ain't great, but he can play). And they hit on Scola very deep. They traded half of those 1st round hits and missed on all but one 2nd rounders, but those 1st rounders present a very strong track record.
Immediately after his retiring as a player, Danny Ferry was hired as the Spurs' Director of Basketball Operations in September 2003. When Ferry was hired as the GM in Cleveland he brought Blanks along to serve as Assistant GM. Blanks contrasted his role in Cleveland with San Antonio as involved in all acquistions.
Being tasked with building a championship team around LeBron James may be a dream job, but it comes with an immense amount of pressure. And Ferry and Co. almost screwed it up by over-committing money to a mediocre supporting cast (do Larry Hughes, Damon Jones, and Donyell Marshall ring any bells?).
Moreover, the draft scorecard for Ferry's team is spotty:
Cavaliers Draft History (2005 - 2008)
- 2005: Martynas Andriuskevicius (#44, acquired from Orlando for a future 2nd)
- 2006: Shannon Brown (#25), Daniel Gibson (#42), Ejike Ugboaja (#55)
- 2007: Nada
- 2008: JJ Hickson (#19), Darnell Jackson (#52, acquired for a future 2nd).
Despite the missteps, however, Ferry righted the ship with a couple of major moves that have paid off (no doubt with the counsel of Blanks and well as Assistant GM Chris Grant, Executive Search article here).
Although it's purely inference, I think the rundown on Blanks is that he's a good judge of talent and has witnessed and participated in both poor stretches of moves and stretches that pull a team out of personnel peril. And that San Antonio pedigree ain't too shabby either.
If he gets a GM job this offseason, Blanks would join Ferry, OKC's Sam Presti, as the league's personnel heads with front office experience in San Antonio. But, then again, the same could be said for Dennis Lindsey.
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Nice work again!
I would be too disappointed if he is the guy (over Lindsey). Nobody hits on all his selections. I wouldn’t even say that that the drafting at cleveland was really that spotty. Gibson at #42 … Yes almost all of the 50+ picks are misses … but how money of those 50+ guys are actually in the league; if you can get an NBA player at that position you’ve done a very good job…
The two late first rounders are not that great but well…
Also like the fact that he’s a guy that climbed the ladder. Nothing against guys that start pretty high at the top but extra points are awared for ones that don’t. It gives a +1 to the chance that you’re good at what you do cuz you wouldn’t have been promoted.
Beater of the early Thabeet drum
wouldN’T be too disa..
Beater of the early Thabeet drum
by Wim (Belgium) on Apr 22, 2009 8:21 AM CDT up reply actions
Re-looking at the Cleveland picks, I think you're right...
… “spotty” is an overstatement. I was grading Shannon Brown too low, but he seems to have found a role in LA. Hickson and Gibson appear to be good picks and even Jackson and Andriuskevicius have gotten some burn in the L.
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Hickson...
….is also going to be a player.
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Sounds like the guy can really draft. I wish there was a way we could know their vision. What kind of team they want to develop, what kind of coaching? How are their leadership skills? Who would they bring along to mentor?
agreed...
….because I have the feeling that one way or another, this team gets absolutely blown up by a new GM.
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There is no reason not to blow up this roster,
either from the fan’s perspective, or the GM’s. Love and AlJeff are the only two players who are irreplaceable, especially in light of what they (and the others) are getting paid. Even if the GM’s only goal is to protect his job, an overhaul buys him much more time than trying to add a piece or two to get close to 50 wins and a first-round exit in the playoffs.
That doesn’t even consider that a new coach may have a philosophy that doesn’t use/need the current component players, and may require movement of Love/AlJeff to bring back a more complementary starter. Which makes some of the questions about whom to draft with the first pick even more intriguing, as the new philosophy may make Harden/Evans/DeRozan more or less attractive than they would be under the current regime.
Great point
I’ve come to similar conclusions myself lately. Do we have any sort of indication what style basketball these guys prefer (meaning: what kind of HC will they be inclined to hire)?
Assuming that Papa Glen hires a truly competent FO guy (let’s say it’s either Blanks or Lindsay for argument’s sake), then it seems to me that the next most important and potentially transformational move is going to be figuring out who the head coach is, and by extension what the style of play is. Like you said, whatever the new philosophy coming in is will value Harden/Evans/DeRozan (and I would add Curry/Thabeet) differently. They would also value the guys on the current roster differently.
I really hope the new GM has a vision for how they want to mold a basketball team, because the TWolves are primed for someone to come in and completely revamp. They already have some great, hard to find pieces: a dominant low post scorer (which is harder to find, I think, than a good low post defender), an elite rebounder with solid scoring potential, five very useful or tradeable draft picks (in a draft heavier on guards, which is what we need anyways), and very tradeable assets (between Miller and Cardinal, Pekovic, and even Foye and Rhino—and even, wait for it, Al Jefferson (trade for a legit #1 superstar anyone?)). They don’t have any/many albatross contracts to deal with (can’t remember if they do, but at least they’re not in THuddy/Jaric hell anymore), and they have some great rotation guys like Gomes and Brewer (and Bassy) locked up.
I think a storm is coming, and by the time this draft and free agency is over the Wolves will look completely differently, with a cast of 50% or more new faces.
by biggity2bit on Apr 22, 2009 11:27 AM CDT up reply actions
agreed...
….there are definitely enough assets here between picks, cap space, and a few somewhat decent expiring contracts to make a big turnaround in 2-3 years. A GM could really make a name for himself with some luck and hard work with this team.
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Yes, yes, yes
Let’s not underestimate the perception that post-KG Minnesota is a wasteland, and how the diminished expectations of the fanbase and the people in pro basketball make this a ripe opportunity for a coach and GM to earn massive respect and pay. Also, a wise candidate will look to the competition in the West, and see that Portland and OKC are the only teams with enough young talent and/or picks to be competitive in 2011ish, so that 50 wins during that period might be enough to get home court for the playoffs, rather than clawing at the 8th playoff seed.
We’re finishing the “waste removal” phase of the rebuilding process, and ready to start reconstruction. The question, of course, is whether Glen Taylor will spend the money that other owners won’t.
I also get the sense...
That either one would bring an interesting approach to these first-rounders. Both have been part of teams which haven’t had lotto picks or early first-rounders. The only two on Lindsey’s or Blanks’ list have been Yao and Rudy Gay (traded). We could see a scenario where the Wolves trade one or both of their first two picks for established players and keep the other ones. On the surface, that would only be disappointing because I’ve looked so much at the prospect profiles on draftexpress.
by pagingstanleyroberts on Apr 22, 2009 9:43 AM CDT reply actions
Al Jefferson, Kevin Love mayn, Bassy mayn, Miller mayn, an Carney mayn
keep dem. aything else MUST GO mayn
MAYN HOL UP!
Untradeable Players
Would consist of 0 Players in the NBA if the Offer was good enough. Granted their are a few that coming up with such an offer might be tough. If the Wolves can get players for Jefferson, Love, or whoever that improve the team 2-3 years down the line- by all means go for it.
I'm an...
…anyone-but-love guy. I think they absolutely have to keep him.
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In theory, of course that's true
but I think that the lack of activity at this year’s trading deadline is a harbinger of things to come. The labor and economic uncertainty has most of the teams frozen, and looking to cut costs above all else. Unless a few more teams decide to Spend to Win, there are too many sellers and not enough buyers to get deals done.
They have 3 untradeable players...
Jefferson (I just think with better teammates and the appropriate system his strengths will be highlighted and his weaknesses hidden), Love (both because of his talent and because of Jefferson’s injury situation), and Brewer (low value coming off injury). None of them would be permanently untradeable.
by pagingstanleyroberts on Apr 23, 2009 9:42 AM CDT up reply actions
So if Blanks is our new GM...
… we can look forward to a poster night with a picture of him in his Woles jersey, right?
by Kevin Loves McHale's Navy on Apr 23, 2009 12:03 AM CDT reply actions
I think we should run a pool
as to the date we see the first headline “Drawing Blanks.”
Which I suppose is preferable to “Shooting Blanks.”
No kidding
I want to know the coach too—all this draft/FA stuff is so dependent on whatever their collective philosophy is (except for getting Josh Childress and Varajao).
It will probably be as soon as the Spurs...
…are eliminated.
The World's Leading Exporter of Small Area Quickness
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