This past offseason, the Brooklyn Nets brass decided to overhaul the franchise. Their goal was to get away from the headline-hungry organization they had become.
To start the change, the Brooklyn Nets hired Sean Marks as their general manager from the San Antonio Spurs organization. They hoped that he would bring the Spurs’ winning pedigree to Brooklyn.
The plan seems to be working. Recently on the Boomer & Carton Show, NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski spoke positively about the Nets.
"“I talk to players around the league, agents, people. They like what’s in Brooklyn to send their guys to in the future. The coaching, the organization, everything around it. The Knicks still don’t have that.”"
Wojnarowski is a respected insider known for his “Woj Bombs” that he drops on Twitter. His accuracy on player transactions is so good that when he tweets out info, it is often taken as truth.
The comments about the Nets were made in contrast to how Wojnarowski views the current situation with the New York Knicks. He sees the Nets as a franchise moving in the right direction, but states the opposite for the Knicks.
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The Knicks have been in the news with rumors swirling that they are attempting to trade star forward Carmelo Anthony. These rumors are a result of the publicly strained relationship between Anthony and Knicks President Phil Jackson.
Jackson came to the Knicks to revitalize the organization and make them into a contender. Since joining the organization in 2014, the Knicks have been through three coaches with little to show for it.
Wojnarowski blames the Knicks’ issues specifically on Jackson and the owner, James Dolan. He is critical of Dolan and the culture that he created in New York.
"“And it gets back to this: Whether Donnie Walsh is GM, who did a tremendous job, or whether it’s Phil Jackson, it will always be James Dolan’s culture there.”"
Another perennial NBA power that is going through organizational issues is the Chicago Bulls. Since firing head coach Tom Thibodeau, the team has struggled to play consistent basketball under new head coach Fred Hoiberg.
Wojnarowski recently made comments in a video on Yahoo Sports about the Bulls regarding the franchise’s dysfunction. He said the front office is to blame with their indecisiveness on whether they’d like to rebuild or win now.
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After letting go of some key players, the Bulls brought in guards Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo to try and stay competitive. They hoped that they could help star forward Jimmy Butler get to the next level, but that has yet to happen.
Issues began to arise recently when Wade and Butler made comments about the young players on the team. Wade and Butler stated that the younger players didn’t want to win badly enough, but Rondo took exception.
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Rondo posted a rant on his Instagram about his former teammates on the Boston Celtics, forwards Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett. He seemingly compared them to Wade and Butler, stating that the issue is with the leadership, not the youth.
Between the comments by Wojnarowski and the locker room turmoil, the Bulls find themselves in a tough situation. They are a proud franchise that need to decide which direction they want their franchise to go in the future.
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Wojnarowski’s comments about the Knicks and Bulls in comparison to the Nets should have the Nets brass feeling good. This tells the front office, coaches and players of the Nets that they are doing the right thing. The losses may be frustrating for fans, but if it means being a championship contender in the end, it’ll all be worth it.