With the 2020 NBA offseason looming, many executives will be under immense scrutiny. The moves that they make will make or break their job status.
Obviously, the most important components of a team are the players. The NBA would be nothing without its stars. It’s as simple as that. But, the person who puts those pieces together may be just as important. Without the general manager and president, and his ability to assess and evaluate talent, a team cannot be formed.
With that in mind, now seems as good a time as any to look at some of the NBA general managers (and one president) that have a lot riding on the next two seasons. These executives are going to be the ones that run teams with a high ceiling. Meaning, these are the teams with championship-level expectations.
GM #1: Daryl Morey – Houston Rockets
Right off the bat, we’re going to highlight a very popular general manager in Daryl Morey. Now, Morey has been with the Houston Rockets for the better part of 13 years. That places him as one of the longest-tenured executives in the NBA. During his tenure with Houston, Morey has brought a new-found perspective on analytics and getting the best out of the players who were not deemed to be as valuable.
Morey’s biggest achievement was trading for James Harden back in 2012. This move brought Houston the star it needed to truly contend. On top of that, Morey brought in head coach Mike D’Antoni, which helped usher in the “seven seconds or less” style of offense that the team plays today. Simply put, Morey has been quite the innovator in the NBA.
That said, the Rockets have not won an NBA championship since Morey took over. On top of that, Houston has not made an NBA Finals appearance during the entire Morey era. That said, Morey was able to bring in the likes of Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, and now Russell Westbrook to play alongside Harden, so it’s not like the talent hasn’t been there.
Unfortunately, if Morey wants to maintain his job stability, the Houston Rockets are going to have to turn expectations into a reality.