Post by ucfinfan86 on Jul 1, 2019 18:19:48 GMT
The Slough , Rog , yourkers15 , frosty , and I have come together to do a league GM power ranking. We each ranked the 25 GMs in the league (excluding guins, jimmy, bulls, and ourself). I put them together and came up with an average. I then divied up the teams so that each of us had 5 teams to write about. For the most part I tried to have everyone write about the GM that they ranked the highest. I think this was a good mixture of experience with Slough, Rog, and Yourkers being long time veterans and Frosty and I having been around for the past 10-13 seasons. I think everyone will admit that there is a bit of recency bias in their rankings though.
1. JCog72 (Highest: 1, Lowest: 1, Average: 1)
UCF: Jcog was unanimously ranked the #1 GM by all 5 of us and it’s not hard to see why. He kept a Cavs team in contention for the first decade I was here. He built those teams around an elite SG in Joe Marshall, a great PG in Davies and then mixed and matched his roster around them each seasons. Not always the most talented roster, but always well-constructed. He wins every trade hands down and most of the time they are highway robbery. He received a bit of luck in this latest rebuild, but he put himself in the position by smart GMing and then making a home run swing for his next franchise centerpiece in Nico that will likely lead him for the next decade.
2. Bigthunder (Highest: 2, Lowest: 2, Average: 3)
Frosty: There isn’t much to say about bigthunder that hasn’t already been said. There’s a very real argument that the long time Sonics GM is the best GM in the league. There was a period when I first joined the league that Sonics and Cavs were basically swapping titles year in and year out. Since his dominant run with Bob Cousy bigthunder has gone into a bit of a rebuild. He’s done it right and he’s got quite a few solid pieces and I wouldn’t be surprised to see them back at the top of the West in a season or two.
3. Pjclippers (Highest: 3, Lowest: 8, Average: 4.2)
Rog: PJ was kind of hard for me to rate, because I've been in the league a long time and PJ hasn't always been a solid and consistent GM. At one point he had a rep as a guy who wasn't always around and didn't reply to trade offers. He even got restrictions due to either the hardcap or being negative cash, I can't remember which. Since then, hes been in the playoffs for nearly 2 decades now in game, always around 50 wins or so. Hes broke through and won his titles, appearing in four finals and winning two titles in the last 15 seasons. He always has a move up his sleeve, whether through FA or trade to bolster his roster. Like some of the new GMs in the league, PJ always gets the best performance possible out of his PGs.
Rog: PJ was kind of hard for me to rate, because I've been in the league a long time and PJ hasn't always been a solid and consistent GM. At one point he had a rep as a guy who wasn't always around and didn't reply to trade offers. He even got restrictions due to either the hardcap or being negative cash, I can't remember which. Since then, hes been in the playoffs for nearly 2 decades now in game, always around 50 wins or so. Hes broke through and won his titles, appearing in four finals and winning two titles in the last 15 seasons. He always has a move up his sleeve, whether through FA or trade to bolster his roster. Like some of the new GMs in the league, PJ always gets the best performance possible out of his PGs.
4. Rog (Highest: 4, Lowest: 7, Average: 5.5)
Yourkers: Rog is a gm who is very unpredictable. His style can change from moment to movement as he decides if he likes his team or not. But even with the constant changes rog has always been entertaining and capable of putting title contender teams together. He is always up for trades and is hugely active in this league which makes him a top gm in this league.
5. UCFinfan86 (Highest: 4, Lowest: 13, Average: 6.8)
Rog: The Nets, along with the Cavaliers and Sonics, are probably the premier franchise in NBN history. The Nets, between Yourkers and UC have six titles total. UC has proven to be a top 5 GM in the league right now, I had him ranked 4th. Between how active he is, how easy he is to talk trade, his fun article ideas, or the fact that he flat out does not lose trades, UC has proven to be one of the best newer GMs we have and a guy I hope sticks around a long time. In the last five years he has a title and a finals appearance, but those were both long expected, as he contended much longer than that those five years.
6T. Vanimmer (Highest: 2, Lowest: 15, Average: 7.6)
UCF: I was by far the highest on Van. Every season he puts together my favorite roster and GMs the way I like to. Acquire young players, build them up and try to compete and then flip them for the next youngster when they get too old. He hasn’t won a title in my 13 seasons here but he usually always has them among the top of the West. His latest big trade of Oscar was an amazing move, especially considering the max he just signed him to prior to the new cap rules. I’m not sure if he planned it that far ahead, but either way it was a great move. He’s a very tough trader in that always maximizes the value of his players and because of that, I don’t think we’ve managed to complete a trade yet.
6T. Thefirstcedi (Highest: 4, Lowest: 14, Average: 7.6)
Frosty: I rated Cedi very high on my personal list. Only basing my rankings off of how long I’ve been in the league, Cedi has had success basically since he came into the league. Consistently winning 50+ games using hidden gems he gets out of nowhere like Frank B, Fred Schaus, Perry Crosswhite, and Drazen Dalipagic. Cedi came close to a title this year and that won’t be the last we hear of Cedi in the finals.
8. A. Silver (Highest: 4, Lowest: 12, Average: 8)
Rog: Silver is a guy I don't think gets talked about near enough. One of the only guys to be here start to finish so far with one team, the Warriors have the league's best winning percentage over the course of the league. He also has 7 finals appearance and 2 titles. He always has his team in the mix and that takes a lot of time and effort that is not always easy to get up to when you also run the league as Silver does. Hes such a fantastic commish as well, maybe should have deserved a bit of a bump in his rating. But he fits in snuggly where hes at, not quite an elite GM at this point, but among the best. Honestly though, the top 10-12 GMs in this league have a case as elite, so maybe just maybe he is that.
9. Jelly/Bundy (Highest: 3, Lowest: 15, Average: 9)
UCF: We did the rankings during the middle of the playoffs. I was by far the highest on Jelly and if these were done after his recent championship, he might have moved a little higher on the others list. I don’t always agree with some of the things he posts, but he thinks outside the box and has had the Blazers in contention just about every season since he’s been here. He’s not afraid to make a big move and then move in a different direction if it doesn’t work. He’s active and usually wins most of his trades. His current roster is setup very nicely moving into the new cap rules with his core locked up on very reasonable or under market deals. I think he’s undervalued in these rankings.
10. Yourkers15 (Highest: 3, Lowest: 13, Average: 9.3)
The Slough: Yourkers is easily one of the top Gm's in the league. 5 titles speak for themselves, even though he had Bo Jackson cheat code in Josh Childress for what seemed ages . There wasn't a more top GM for the first 20 seasons of this league, and he knows this pains me to say it with the rival we had in those years. He is excellent in evaluating players, building them, not to mention knowing when to up sell on players he knows aren't part of his plan but look nice on paper. Unfortunately on this I ranked him #3, but after looking over everything it really in my mind was a 1a, 1b, 1c between Jcog, Thunder, and Yourkers. With me giving the slight nod to Yourkers, then Jcog, then Thunder.
11. Donny (Highest: 7, Lowest: 11, Average: 9.8)
The Slough: At the beginning when Donny joined, I didn't have a lot of respect for him, cause he talked a lot and went straight into a tank mode and complained it wasn't his fault. I prefer GM's to be humble until you have earned the right to talk and at the time, I was near the top of my game, so we went back n forth on some stuff. Curious how the Buddy Jennette vs Joe Smith careers wound up actually,lol. Donny has earned my respect with consistently building contender teams and playing with his cap the best way he can while staying competitive. His longevity now is great for the league and he is one of the better GM's to me in the league. I ranked him 7 overall, that title you won was huge and the biggest part of you getting it done and earning my respect.
12. Naterade (Highest: 5, Lowest: 16, Average: 10)
Frosty: A frequent trade partner of mine in the past Naterade has taken the Celtics to the next level. Multiple rings and trading for multiple superstars Naterade is at the top of his conference every season. If we’re going purely based off the last decade you’d be hard pressed to find a more successful GM than Nate.
13. Afro (Highest: 7, Lowest: 12, Average: 10.4)
Yourkers: Afro might not be active when it comes to articles but as a gm he has always have the ability to makes all the right choices. Early on pairing Dirk/Webber. Now he has Twyman/Stokes. He also has some championships to show his ability of getting the job done as a gm. Very active in trade talks and another one who is not afraid to pull apart his team and start all over.
14. Frosty (Highest: 10, Lowest: 14, Average: 11.8)
UCF: Frosty is probably my favorite poster here. He has very good one liners that are always in good nature. We all had Frosty in the same tier, just below the top GMs, but firmly in that next section. Frosty started about the same time I did and while he took a while to start building perennial contenders, the last few seasons he’s built some really good teams. He’s someone that’s easy to talk trade with. I enjoy negotiating back and forth with him, even though they rarely ever lead to deals. If we did this list again in another 5-10 seasons, I think he’s someone you can see move up into the single digits if he can continue his recent success.
15. The Slough (Highest: 8, Lowest: 14, Average: 12.3)
Yourkers: One of my rivals. Always fun to try and make the better team when I was the nets. Active and always looking to shake things up. Very consistent and I feel is easily a top 10 gm even if not showed by the rankings. He has titles and always puts a winning team together. Seems he is overshadowed and underrated. Might need to use this as a chip on his shoulder and prove these rankings wrong. But at the same time he doesn't need to as he has won 3 titles. That might be all the proof he needs.
16. Carmelo15 (Highest: 13, Lowest: 17, Average: 14.8)
Yourkers: Just like rog Melo is very unpredictable. Never seems to be able to stick with a team for too long. Very active and easy to talk to when it comes to trades. He is one of the gms who I seem to always be in constant contact with when it comes to trades. He makes it clear what he wants and we either come to terms or try again another time. As active as they come and keeps things entertaining. Always a team to pay attention to as there are always moving parts.
17. Zheld32 (Highest: 9, Lowest: 24, Average: 16.6)
The Slough: Oh Z, his ability to likely manufacture the most 3-4 ways deals in the league is worth a top vote to me. That alone makes it so fun to trade and glad he is back, especially going into the new era of salary cap,haha. He is also a good gm when he is involved and paying attention. I believe he was Magic, the Celtics, now Jazz? Could be wrong. But when he was on top of his game, were those 3 straight titles in a row and I believe our only 3-peat GM in the history of the league. That alone takes a lot of time, you can see how many got close, but 3 years is a huge number in my mind. Zheld is always a great player to work deals with and if engaged, no doubt will make the Jazz relevant again. I had him as #9 in my ranking.
18. SpikeLee14 (Highest: 15, Lowest: 19, Average: 17)
UCF: I ranked Spike more for what he did with his Knicks teams. He came into the Suns team and had an opportunity to tank 1 more year and put another solid piece with his young core, which I personally thought would have been the better path. He tried to compete a year to early and now he’s back in another rebuilding phase. I really respected the teams he built with the Knicks. He hit a home run with Hagan and put together some really nice teams around him in the mid 2030s. I really liked his FA approach grabbing a young Bobro and George Williams on flat contracts and the trade for Vick. The Atlantic got a little bit easier when he left and I’m glad when he returned it was to the Western Conference.
19. Don1995 (Highest: 16, Lowest: 20, Average: 18.6)
The Slough: If anyone doesn't know, this is the the Warren Buffett of NBN. He was here from the beginning, and seemed to always have so much cash, which always was a benefit for getting players, picks, etc for cheaper. He has always been active, but did take a brake. I fully expect him to get back to leading the economy of the league. His teams were always ok or decent, but he finally broke through with a title, which only gains the respect of me. I ranked him #16.
20T. John1974 (Highest: 18, Lowest: 21, Average: 19.2)
Rog: I struggled with John a bit. Hes a step above the Bucks, Rockets, Heat, Kings group that has been pretty bad since they've been in the league/returned(in Don's case). Where does he fit with the vet group of Mavs, Lakers, and Suns(not being as good so far returning)? I put him behind Spike but ahead of everyone else due to the ability to constantly try new things to work out, being much more active in the trade circuits than the Lakers, and having more success than the Mavs. I the end, I probably don't see a difference between the Lakers/Hawks/Heat/Suns at the moment. I fully expect the Suns to jump in rankings over the next 4 or 5 seasons though. Can't say the same about the Hawks.
20T. Verysilentone (Highest: 16, Lowest: 22, Average: 19.2)
Frosty: A controversial GM here running the Lakers. Verysilentone has found mixed results during his tenure. Widely panned after his signing of KC Jones, Verysilentone has quietly (no pun intended) turned around his team the past couple years. Acquiring superstar Elgin Baylor and solid 2nd option Sam Jones, he’s become a staple of the Western Conference Playoffs. If silentone can avoid another KC Jones type misstep I’d expect him to improve over the next few years.
22. Lynchcats (Highest: 18, Lowest: 23, Average: 21.4)
Yourkers: Lynch is a very active gm. Never hard when it comes to talking trade. I just feel when he goes into a rebuild he cant see it through and it costs him. Making certain move for good but not great players and moving his picks always has him shuffling the deck or just making sure he can be mediocre to make those picks not worth much. This season seems to not be much different. This constant battle between rebuild and contending is a fine one and if the right choices are not made you just find yourself stuck.
23. Mattfaria12 (Highest: 19, Lowest: 24, Average: 22)
Rog: There isn't much to say here. Matt has been here for over 5 seasons now, and started off active and engaged, though not making amazing moves. Since then he has been less and less active, only showing up here and there, mostly to make more bad moves. I could have ranked the bottom 5 of the league's GMs in any way and I probably would have been okay with it, but Matt here having a promising start before being inactive makes me think he can go back to being promising if he figures out his activity level. For now, hes a bottom 5 GM in the league.
24. Walker44688 (Highest: 19, Lowest: 25, Average: 22.2)
Frosty: Of all the semi inactive GMs I’d rate Walker fairly highly. He’s a very “boring” GM in the sense that he doesn’t make many moves but the ones he does make are always pretty solid. He’s a par for the course GM but doesn’t make any truly awful moves so he has potential to move up if he increases his activity and actually camps his guys.
25. Odd (Highest: 22, Lowest: 24, Average: 23)
The Slough: I rated Odd 26 out of the 27 I was to vote for. If there was more time for the new gm's to post even a few times, then he would have dropped out,lol. I'm sorry, but I don't expect crazy activity like some, but there was a period of time between April 24th and June 20th with only 5 posts. You have 87 total, seems half recently, its not cool to just tank and not be around to me, the activity is important even when you aren't here, but pick it up, as the last Kings GM, was exceptional, take a look at those 4 titles on the board, stop disrespecting the team and pay attention
26. StayMe7o (Highest: 22, Lowest: 25, Average: 24)
UCF: 3 of the 5 of us had StayMe7o in last. His activity comes and goes and it’s really unfortunate. He ruined/wasted what could have been a game changer in Bill Russell and hope the same doesn’t happen to Reed. He’s made some really head scratching trades (Calder/Mlkvy and then letting Mlkvy walk, Kiyan/Twyman, are 2 that come to mind). I think he has the potential to be a good GM if he maintained a steady level of activity. I think his current roster is probably the best one he’s put together, although that’s not necessarily saying much.
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