13 Rules: Random NBA Thoughts – LeBrons Future, Blockbuster Trades, and the NBA’s Best & Worst Management Teams Revealed

Make sure to listen and add the 13 Rules: NBA Random Thoughts podcast to your list! This week Steve shares his thoughts on LeBrons future and the best & worst managed teams in the NBA

LeBrons Future – Random NBA Thoughts

• I know I’ve mentioned LeBron James often and it gets boring, but please indulge me as I have one more thought. Throughout the years, LeBron has understood the league is a business, and to take advantage of this, he became a transactional athlete. Now, like all aging athletes, he is beginning to realize he can’t dictate terms to teams if they want to keep him. I believe the Lakers have already said this is his last year with them. If he decides to continue playing, it will be on the team’s terms. This means he can’t dictate who he wants traded and will begin to see how most of the players in the league live. LeBron is still an outstanding player and has a few years left, but the question is: does he want to continue if things are like this?
• The Clippers traded Norman Powell to the Heat and got back John Collins from the Jazz. Collins is a pretty good player that nobody really knows. In fact, the Jazz sat him out much of last season—he only played forty games—because they were tanking. I believe the primary reason the Clippers traded for him was because of what Aaron Gordon did to them in the playoffs. Collins matches up with him.
• Bronny James looks like a different player this summer. He is much more confident, can defend, and shoots the ball well. I know it’s summer league, but if he continues his development, he could be a decent role player. One impediment is his size.

This week I will look at what I believe are the best and worst management teams in the NBA. This includes the owner, basketball operations people (president, GM, and so on), and coaches.

Best Management in Order

• LA Clippers
• Golden State Warriors
• San Antonio Spurs
• Miami Heat
• Oklahoma City Thunder

Each of these teams has owners that let their basketball people make decisions. The owners are willing to spend whatever it takes to win. The organizations are considered first class. They have good people working, and they’ve been there for a long time. The Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers did not make the list because of ownership changes in the last year.

Worst Management in Order

• Phoenix Suns
• Chicago Bulls
• Sacramento Kings
• New Orleans Pelicans
• Brooklyn Nets

The Suns and Kings have owners that are too involved in personnel. The Bulls are a sleeping giant with an owner not willing to make the commitment needed to win. The Pelicans are a team that is second-class citizens behind the New Orleans Saints and don’t seem to have a clue on how to build a team. The Nets have had the same general manager, Sean Marks, who seems to be turning over the team on a yearly basis. The upside is they have an owner willing to spend and who wants to win.