Yet this is not the only responsibilty of the GM. This is not a matter of interpreting. Maybe you can say that if I owned an NBA team I would hire a GM, lock him in a room, and let him “manage the talent.” But this is not what happens in reality.

“You and I disagree on how to assess GM job performance. I think analyzing a roster and how is was put together is best assessment of GM skill. You seem the think the W/L column is the important evaluative tool. Our opinions seem unlikely on change on this matter.”

So playing and winning basketball games is not important in judging basketball teams? The team that looks better on paper is better?

“If you had a bunch of unskilled, athletic players and needed to mold them into a competitive basketball team, it would be significantly easier to make them a solid defensive team than a good offensive team. Compare a 2-3 zone to a motion offense and tell which which one is easier to insert pretty much any warm body into.”

NBA players don’t tend to be “any warm body,” but again your original point was that defense involves no skill just concentrating on it makes you good at it. I never said anything about whether offense or defense is harder to learn or requires more skill.

Another point is that if you can become a good defense in the NBA so easily and good defenses tend to win a lot of games and go far in the playoffs, why wouldn’t you “concentrate” on having a good defense? Why, according to you, do most teams concentrate on scoring more points? It seems to be that all but a few NBA coaches do concentrate on having a good defense. Maybe they are worried about looking good on paper so their boss keeps his job.

“Do you disagree with possessions being an important part of basketball, or just an important statistical tool?”

Possessions are a very important part of basketball, just as innings are an important part of baseball. Analyzing individual possessions can be useful and insightful, just as analyzing individual innings in baseball can be helpful. But using possessions in aggregate is useless. Analyzing points in terms of possessions is like analyzing runs in terms of innings. It’s meaningless.

You and I disagree on how to assess GM job performance. I think analyzing a roster and how is was put together is best assessment of GM skill. You seem the think the W/L column is the important evaluative tool. Our opinions seem unlikely on change on this matter.

If you had a bunch of unskilled, athletic players and needed to mold them into a competitive basketball team, it would be significantly easier to make them a solid defensive team than a good offensive team. Compare a 2-3 zone to a motion offense and tell which which one is easier to insert pretty much any warm body into.

-I obviously don’t think the GM should get on the court and win games, we all saw how that worked out for MJ. Or be personally held responsible for each individual win or loss. I do think, like Caleb, that the GM should put together both a roster and a basketball side of the organization that wins games. Most owners might also hold the GM partially responsible for the bottom line in terms of wins, playoff appearances, payroll…

-Again, your argument doesn’t address my point. I never said anything about whether offense or defense is harder and/or requires more skill. I said that defense is important and requires skill. I do not agree that any old team with any old coach and any old roster could become one of the best defenses in the league simply by concentrating on defense.

As far as your actual point… I think it would depend on the guy. You take a slow short guy with good hand eye cordination and he might be far more likely to score 20 points as a jump shooter on the perimeter. You take a quick, “athletic” guy and maybe he’s more likely to become a good defender first.

The laugh I just had almost makes TFK’s arrival on this board worthwhile.

And here’s what this whole debate over possession theory reminds me of:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXQdXB40UIY&mode=related&search=

Especially from 2:40 onward…

I disagree.

?Isiah has not done a good job as Knicks President of Basketball Operations or whatever his title is.?

By your definition, the duty of a general manager is to win games. Somehow, I don?t think this reflects reality.

?Defense is an important part of basketball and requires skill.?

Take a guy who has never played basketball before and insert him into a game. Tell him his two responsibilities are to prevent his man from scoring 20 and to score 20 himself. Guess which one he?s far more likely to be able to accomplish? Offensive basketball is more complicated than defensive basketball and involves more developed skills.

The three major points that I have kept constant are:

1. possession are an important part of basketball as well as an important statistical tool

2. Isiah has not done a good job as Knicks President of Basketball Operations or whatever his title is.

3. Defense is an important part of basketball and requires skill.

You were the one who said that the Bulls and/or Cavs (don’t remember) were good defenses because their coaches conentrate on defense. Seeing as they are not particularly great offenses, it would follow that they are only good teams because their coaches focus on D. It’s very frustrating to debate with someone who only offers one liners, keeping their points nebulous enough to change them constantly.