Recommend in Peace: A Postmortem on Xbhitterx's Tenure as Pistons GM
Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2017 12:01 am
As we prepare to close out another season, let's take a moment to look back and remember those who lost their positions. Xbhitterx's tenure as GM was controversial to say the least, and his inactivity resulted in what would be politely described as a disastrous run for the Pistons. With a total of fifteen forum posts, little is known about xbhitterx, but the few transactions he took place in had an impact that rippled across the league.
2014 Offseason
Xbhitterx joined the league at the conclusion of the 2013-2014 season, with two lottery picks in the first round. As a ominous sign of things to come, the eight and ninth picks wound up being auto picks, with Rodney Hood and TJ Warren. These weren't bad selections by any means, However, he did pass on the likes of Elfrid Payton, a young PG prospect many considered to be quite good.
Restricted free agency brought the first non-automated decision for xbhitterx. A max offered was signed by John Wall was quickly matched by the Celtics. Ish Smith signed a deal with Portland. In a discussion with Portland GM kucoach, this was a calculated move. "I actually targeted Ish in part because of xbhitterx. I thought he wouldn't match either out of neglect or out of his determination to tank. Second, I reached out to him to discuss sign and trade possibilities and he never responded at all. Complete silence."
Kucoach further noted "I had also signed Greivis (Vásquez), who has some redundant skills, and was in sign and trade discussions about him so it would have been really helpful to hear from xbhitterx. After that I never even bothered contacting him, even if he had a player I was interested in."
Communication is vital in any dealing, and silence was damning for xbhitterx.
Unrestricted free agency brought more departures, as Kevin Martin signed with the 76ers. Surprisingly, LaMarcus Aldridge signed a four year deal in Denver. Was there an offer from xbhitterx? If not, letting one of the premier power forwards in the game walk away was a move that immediately set back the Pistons. At the very least, a sign and trade could have been considered. The Pistons did add Jameer Nelson as a stopgap at point guard and sharpshooter Kyle Singler.
2014-2015 Season
The Pistons had an unremarkable season, finishing 35-47. Anthony Davis averaged 35.0 ppg and 11.2 rpg, and won Most Improved Player from the computer. Rookies TJ Warren and Rodney Hood failed to hit the 30 mpg mark to receive the rookie training boost, and intriguing guard Reggie Bullock barely played. Xbhitterx submitted 5 depth charts of recommended. Also noteworthy was the $31,155,508 in cap space that went unused- this could have at least pulled in points assets from teams looking to duck the tax.
2015 Offseason
Xbhitterx rose from his slumber for the draft, selecting Odis Jackson with 9th pick in the draft, which actually was a reasonable pick. The Pistons were not active in restricted free agency. Randolph Morris, Jameer Nelson, and Reggie Bullock departed, and were replaced with the lone signing of Shelvin Mack. Xbhitterx wasn't completely asleep at the wheel, insuring Anthony Davis, T.J. Warren, and Bradley Beal for training camp.
2015-2016 Regular Season
The Pistons were even more underwhelming in the second year of xbhitterx's management, finishing with 32 wins. He submitted four depth charts of recommended. Thanks to the efforts of recommended, Odis Jackson hit the rookie requirement, averaging 31.1 minutes and starting all 82 games.
When xbhitterx was active, he made a decision that could be described as not recommended. In a shocking move, Bradley Beal was traded to the Mavericks for Mario Chalmers, a 2018 first rounder, a 2017 second rounder, and 10 points. When asked for insight, known colleague and Timberwolves GM JNR said xbhitterx planned to "use that pick and another to get a point guard."
Chet Dooley, rookie PG on the Knicks at that time, was a known target of xbhitterx. When asked for comment, Knicks GM Inner GI stated "he sent me an offer for Dooley, then never responded to my response." The pattern of untimely silence continued.
Further frustrating was the $45,335,547 in cap space. At the time, nearly two thirds of the league was in the tax. There were definitely assets and points to be had.
The End
As a result of inactivity, Commissioner WigNosy dismissed xbhitterx of his position on August 9, 2017. When asked for comment, the commissioner released the following statement:
"I never feel good about giving an owner the axe. But I felt it was in the best interest of the league to do get new management into the Pistons situation."
Aftermath
Ish Smith finds himself now on the Timberwolves after stints in Portland and Philadelphia. At 29, he may not be the point guard of the future, but he sure as hell is the point guard for the moment. Since leaving Detroit, his assists per game and efficiency have gone up year by year. Who needs a point guard of the future when you already have one?
Elfrid Payton has been point guard of the future for the Grizzlies, Nuggets, and Bobcats. He is current point guard of the future for the Boston Celtics. He has a career assist rate of 46.1.
Chet Dooley was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers, where he is point guard of the future.
LaMarcus Aldridge found himself on a title contender in Denver, only to be eliminated by the eventual champion Golden State Warriors in 2014. As a cost cutting move, Aldridge found himself toiling in Dallas before being dealt again in 2017 to the Grizzlies. He is due nearly $32 million in the final year of his deal.
TJ Warren found himself traded for Xavier Henry, Chris Kaman, and Bojan Bogdanovic. Warren played 13.7 mpg last season in Atlanta, and it remains to be seen if he can fulfill his potential.
Dallas Maverick Bradley Beal averaged 23.9 ppg in the 2016-2017 season, at a TS% of .588 and a 20.2 PER. It's anyone's guess how the offseason will shape up for the Mavs, and anyone's guess to how that 2018 first rounder will look.
Under the direction of the new management of wombataholic, the Pistons returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2007, finishing with 48 wins. They defeated the defending Eastern Conference Champion Indiana Pacers in round one, and were eliminated by the Atlanta Hawks in round two. Anthony Davis had another stellar season, averaging 38.8 ppg, 11.2 rpg, and 3.1 bpg, which was good enough for Defensive Player of the Year and All NBA First team.
Recommend In Peace
For a man who was mostly unseen, Xbhitterx was a oft discussed figure in league circles. With the unused cap space and the Beal trade, many criticisms and jokes were made. As GM NOLa remarked when it was finally over, "Recommend in Peace."
Xbhitterx's whereabouts remain unknown. He hasn't signed on since July 24, and one wonders if he even remembers the league. GM JNR, who referred xbhitterx to the league, noted "I had high hopes. He's a very nice person." Perhaps that's the ultimate takeaway; you get out of the game and the league what you put in, and xbhitterx didn't put in much. But maybe he underestimated the time this would take, and at the end of the day, we all have real life concerns. He may not have found much success with Anthony Davis and the Detroit Pistons, but here's hoping he finds success in life.
2014 Offseason
Xbhitterx joined the league at the conclusion of the 2013-2014 season, with two lottery picks in the first round. As a ominous sign of things to come, the eight and ninth picks wound up being auto picks, with Rodney Hood and TJ Warren. These weren't bad selections by any means, However, he did pass on the likes of Elfrid Payton, a young PG prospect many considered to be quite good.
Restricted free agency brought the first non-automated decision for xbhitterx. A max offered was signed by John Wall was quickly matched by the Celtics. Ish Smith signed a deal with Portland. In a discussion with Portland GM kucoach, this was a calculated move. "I actually targeted Ish in part because of xbhitterx. I thought he wouldn't match either out of neglect or out of his determination to tank. Second, I reached out to him to discuss sign and trade possibilities and he never responded at all. Complete silence."
Kucoach further noted "I had also signed Greivis (Vásquez), who has some redundant skills, and was in sign and trade discussions about him so it would have been really helpful to hear from xbhitterx. After that I never even bothered contacting him, even if he had a player I was interested in."
Communication is vital in any dealing, and silence was damning for xbhitterx.
Unrestricted free agency brought more departures, as Kevin Martin signed with the 76ers. Surprisingly, LaMarcus Aldridge signed a four year deal in Denver. Was there an offer from xbhitterx? If not, letting one of the premier power forwards in the game walk away was a move that immediately set back the Pistons. At the very least, a sign and trade could have been considered. The Pistons did add Jameer Nelson as a stopgap at point guard and sharpshooter Kyle Singler.
2014-2015 Season
The Pistons had an unremarkable season, finishing 35-47. Anthony Davis averaged 35.0 ppg and 11.2 rpg, and won Most Improved Player from the computer. Rookies TJ Warren and Rodney Hood failed to hit the 30 mpg mark to receive the rookie training boost, and intriguing guard Reggie Bullock barely played. Xbhitterx submitted 5 depth charts of recommended. Also noteworthy was the $31,155,508 in cap space that went unused- this could have at least pulled in points assets from teams looking to duck the tax.
2015 Offseason
Xbhitterx rose from his slumber for the draft, selecting Odis Jackson with 9th pick in the draft, which actually was a reasonable pick. The Pistons were not active in restricted free agency. Randolph Morris, Jameer Nelson, and Reggie Bullock departed, and were replaced with the lone signing of Shelvin Mack. Xbhitterx wasn't completely asleep at the wheel, insuring Anthony Davis, T.J. Warren, and Bradley Beal for training camp.
2015-2016 Regular Season
The Pistons were even more underwhelming in the second year of xbhitterx's management, finishing with 32 wins. He submitted four depth charts of recommended. Thanks to the efforts of recommended, Odis Jackson hit the rookie requirement, averaging 31.1 minutes and starting all 82 games.
When xbhitterx was active, he made a decision that could be described as not recommended. In a shocking move, Bradley Beal was traded to the Mavericks for Mario Chalmers, a 2018 first rounder, a 2017 second rounder, and 10 points. When asked for insight, known colleague and Timberwolves GM JNR said xbhitterx planned to "use that pick and another to get a point guard."
Chet Dooley, rookie PG on the Knicks at that time, was a known target of xbhitterx. When asked for comment, Knicks GM Inner GI stated "he sent me an offer for Dooley, then never responded to my response." The pattern of untimely silence continued.
Further frustrating was the $45,335,547 in cap space. At the time, nearly two thirds of the league was in the tax. There were definitely assets and points to be had.
The End
As a result of inactivity, Commissioner WigNosy dismissed xbhitterx of his position on August 9, 2017. When asked for comment, the commissioner released the following statement:
"I never feel good about giving an owner the axe. But I felt it was in the best interest of the league to do get new management into the Pistons situation."
Aftermath
Ish Smith finds himself now on the Timberwolves after stints in Portland and Philadelphia. At 29, he may not be the point guard of the future, but he sure as hell is the point guard for the moment. Since leaving Detroit, his assists per game and efficiency have gone up year by year. Who needs a point guard of the future when you already have one?
Elfrid Payton has been point guard of the future for the Grizzlies, Nuggets, and Bobcats. He is current point guard of the future for the Boston Celtics. He has a career assist rate of 46.1.
Chet Dooley was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers, where he is point guard of the future.
LaMarcus Aldridge found himself on a title contender in Denver, only to be eliminated by the eventual champion Golden State Warriors in 2014. As a cost cutting move, Aldridge found himself toiling in Dallas before being dealt again in 2017 to the Grizzlies. He is due nearly $32 million in the final year of his deal.
TJ Warren found himself traded for Xavier Henry, Chris Kaman, and Bojan Bogdanovic. Warren played 13.7 mpg last season in Atlanta, and it remains to be seen if he can fulfill his potential.
Dallas Maverick Bradley Beal averaged 23.9 ppg in the 2016-2017 season, at a TS% of .588 and a 20.2 PER. It's anyone's guess how the offseason will shape up for the Mavs, and anyone's guess to how that 2018 first rounder will look.
Under the direction of the new management of wombataholic, the Pistons returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2007, finishing with 48 wins. They defeated the defending Eastern Conference Champion Indiana Pacers in round one, and were eliminated by the Atlanta Hawks in round two. Anthony Davis had another stellar season, averaging 38.8 ppg, 11.2 rpg, and 3.1 bpg, which was good enough for Defensive Player of the Year and All NBA First team.
Recommend In Peace
For a man who was mostly unseen, Xbhitterx was a oft discussed figure in league circles. With the unused cap space and the Beal trade, many criticisms and jokes were made. As GM NOLa remarked when it was finally over, "Recommend in Peace."
Xbhitterx's whereabouts remain unknown. He hasn't signed on since July 24, and one wonders if he even remembers the league. GM JNR, who referred xbhitterx to the league, noted "I had high hopes. He's a very nice person." Perhaps that's the ultimate takeaway; you get out of the game and the league what you put in, and xbhitterx didn't put in much. But maybe he underestimated the time this would take, and at the end of the day, we all have real life concerns. He may not have found much success with Anthony Davis and the Detroit Pistons, but here's hoping he finds success in life.