Thanks for the article, Steve. Does the franchise have an identity after Marks’ eight-year reign as GM? Is there any style of play or organizational philosophy that defines a Sean Marks’ led team?
Marks gets too much credit for a mediocre-at-best tenure in Brooklyn. The Nets regular season winning percentage under Marks (.453, with a 301-363 record per a basketball reference website) is not materially better than the Nets’ regular season winning percentage under Billy King (.433, with a 187-244 record per the same website).
I find it odd that basketball media and ownership continue to give Sean Marks a free pass with his empty platitudes about culture, bridges, and now pathways. I am not talking about you Steve, because I know you see right through the talking points offered up at these press conferences. But as a long-time Nets fan dating back to the early 1980s, I had hoped the days of looking forward to next year’s draft as the highlight of a Nets’ season were far behind us. And it looks like we are back to the inglorious days of watching Kiki Vandeweghe coach Yi Jianlian in a 12-70 season.
For what it is worth, I think the Nets have had bad luck with ownership changes. Bruce Ratner’s high valued real estate quickly declined. Mikhail Prokhorov bought the team during a period of improved Russian relations that quickly deteriorated. And I cannot help but wonder how much of the decline in Joe Tsai’s Ali Baba stock (which is a reflection of deteriorating U.S. / Chinese relations) is contributing to this rebuilding effort in Brooklyn.
I've always said that evaluating Marks requires nuanced takes. He correctly received a lot of plaudits for the speed in which he engineered the first rebuild but not enough blame when things soured during the failed superstar era. I've heard he's too much of a micromanager, which is why he has avoided hiring a head coach with strong credentials. And the Harden trade where he agreed to take back Simmons was an unforgivable sin. I think the issue with Nets ownership--or at least the last 2 owners--has been basketball ignorance, not money. Prokhorov demanded a major splash no matter the irrational cost & Tsai is too easily swayed by Marks, who I believe has his own agenda rooted in survival instincts. Both owners paid enormous luxury taxes when they thought the Nets had a chance to win.
Thanks for the article, Steve. Does the franchise have an identity after Marks’ eight-year reign as GM? Is there any style of play or organizational philosophy that defines a Sean Marks’ led team?
Marks gets too much credit for a mediocre-at-best tenure in Brooklyn. The Nets regular season winning percentage under Marks (.453, with a 301-363 record per a basketball reference website) is not materially better than the Nets’ regular season winning percentage under Billy King (.433, with a 187-244 record per the same website).
I find it odd that basketball media and ownership continue to give Sean Marks a free pass with his empty platitudes about culture, bridges, and now pathways. I am not talking about you Steve, because I know you see right through the talking points offered up at these press conferences. But as a long-time Nets fan dating back to the early 1980s, I had hoped the days of looking forward to next year’s draft as the highlight of a Nets’ season were far behind us. And it looks like we are back to the inglorious days of watching Kiki Vandeweghe coach Yi Jianlian in a 12-70 season.
For what it is worth, I think the Nets have had bad luck with ownership changes. Bruce Ratner’s high valued real estate quickly declined. Mikhail Prokhorov bought the team during a period of improved Russian relations that quickly deteriorated. And I cannot help but wonder how much of the decline in Joe Tsai’s Ali Baba stock (which is a reflection of deteriorating U.S. / Chinese relations) is contributing to this rebuilding effort in Brooklyn.
I've always said that evaluating Marks requires nuanced takes. He correctly received a lot of plaudits for the speed in which he engineered the first rebuild but not enough blame when things soured during the failed superstar era. I've heard he's too much of a micromanager, which is why he has avoided hiring a head coach with strong credentials. And the Harden trade where he agreed to take back Simmons was an unforgivable sin. I think the issue with Nets ownership--or at least the last 2 owners--has been basketball ignorance, not money. Prokhorov demanded a major splash no matter the irrational cost & Tsai is too easily swayed by Marks, who I believe has his own agenda rooted in survival instincts. Both owners paid enormous luxury taxes when they thought the Nets had a chance to win.