NBA GMs Diss Mehmet Okur
As I wrote the other day, every year I can’t wait to read the results of NBA.com’s annual GM Survey to get an insider look into what the people running the League are thinking. And with GMs not permitted to vote for their own team or personnel, you know they have to be objective in their responses. Of all the questions though, there was one that stood out to me as both a compliment and a diss at the same time:
Which player does the most with the least?
The breakdown was this:
1. Mehmet Okur, 14.3%
2. Matt Bonner, 10.7%
3. Chuck Hayes, 7.1%
3. David Lee, 7.1%
3. Luis Scola, 7.1%
3. Hedo Turkoglu, 7.1%
Now if I’m Memo, I don’t know if I’m pissed or just don’t care. It’s like the guy when you’re playing pickup that looks like he has no game, and then has the meanest left hook in the gym. But in Okur’s case, he’s basically been singled out as the the one guy out of 450 NBA players that not only looks like he’s big for nothing, but has proven to people that looks can be deceiving.
Last year, Bruce Bowen won this honor, which is kind of surprising to me. Sure Bowen went undrafted and turned into one of the NBA’s most prolific defenders, but I don’t look at him and go, “Where’d he get all that talent?” To be considered a player that does “the most with the least,” I feel like you have to look at an undersized guy playing power forward (Hayes), or a guard that looks like he should be working the counter at Subway.
Look at how tall some of these guys are: Okur is 6-11, Bonner is 6-10, Lee is 6-9, Scola is 6-9 and Turkoglu is 6-10. I surely would not consider being that tall having “the least.”
Also, I hate to say it, but I’m pretty sure that the only reason Bonner is on this list is because he’s pasty white and from New Hampshire. If the “Red Rocket” looked a little more like ‘Melo, then he’d probably wouldn’t have even been mentioned.
Which player in the NBA do you think does the most with the least?
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October 9th, 2009 at 10:22 am
Shrink This says:
Scola.
Hey Dime, not to usurp this piece, but could you consider doing an article on the NBA players who have done the least with the most(talent)?
I’m looking at you Stephon…
October 9th, 2009 at 10:38 am
Andy says:
Odd how most of those guys are white, huh? I wonder when this bullshit about white guys working harder and playing smarter is gonna die off.
October 9th, 2009 at 10:43 am
Ian says:
i think only bonner should be on the list
October 9th, 2009 at 10:44 am
fan says:
Antwan Jamison-How does he do it/Al Jefferson HOW. LOl but seriously.
October 9th, 2009 at 10:46 am
ERIC says:
D-Lee is crazy athletic and ambidexterous. He shouldnt be on it.
October 9th, 2009 at 10:46 am
Aron Phillips says:
@Shrink This
I might try and work on that for next week. Who you thinking? Dajuan Wagner, Jonathan Bender? Or legit guys in the League that just haven’t developed into stars?
October 9th, 2009 at 10:51 am
Diego says:
Yeah, this question and list is just stupid/absurd. Agree with you Aron, Hayes makes sense because he is so undersized. The other guys? Uh, they are white?!. (I presume these GMs would vote Larry Bird as the all-time winner of this award, notwithstanding his incredible passing and shooting ability.)
Scola? Dude was most dominant player on that Argentinian team that coasted to the gold at that Olympics a while back. Anyone that doesn’t think he has game needs to order the highlight CD of that Olympics’ basketball. (It must be available.)
October 9th, 2009 at 10:52 am
Ross says:
I don’t think this is a diss, but more of a compliment to hard workers. That doesn’t explain why Okur’s #1 though, but it does explain most of the others.
October 9th, 2009 at 10:54 am
Ian says:
i was reading the gm thing those guys are retarded
they had duncan as the best pf and dirk at 3 but when u read best international player they had dirk and gasol over duncan wtf?
October 9th, 2009 at 10:56 am
Brown says:
@ Aron & Shrink This
Tim Thomas
October 9th, 2009 at 11:10 am
Drink the Haterade says:
@ Aron– it should b legit guys in the L like Tim Thomas
October 9th, 2009 at 11:23 am
Specs says:
Steve Blake. He might be one of the whitest players in the league, but still manages to break starting line-ups everywhere.
October 9th, 2009 at 11:32 am
Shrink This says:
@ Aron,
I think limiting it to legitimate NBA players might make it more manageable and stimulate more discussion.
These guys seem to have enough talent/size to hang on in the league but for some reason never seem to reach their potential.
@ 10, 11, I agree with Tim Thomas; and for some reason Ricky Davis jumps to mind.
October 9th, 2009 at 11:38 am
Rizwan says:
Whats worse is the idiots who voted Timmy D and Steve Nash on the list!
@ Aron
What about a list of players who think they are more relevant than they actually are?
I’m thinking DeShawn, Jamaal Magloire, Eddy Curry.
And for the other list, maybe Antoine Walker and maybe Zach Randolph
October 9th, 2009 at 11:54 am
cru_thik305 says:
i think they mean who does the most with the least athleticsim and speed, not who does the most with the least talent. becuause obviously turkoglu and scola, for example, are very talented, just not very athletic acording nba standards
October 9th, 2009 at 11:56 am
Kobeef says:
Eddy Curry has to be on the least with the most list.
If he could find a way to get to the gym once a week and stop eating cheesburgers for breakfast he would be an all star. Kwame Brown is also tempting, but the more I learn about him, the more I think he really isn’t working with much.
October 9th, 2009 at 12:27 pm
Dave says:
I think one player definitely on the list of doing the least with the least has to be mr Skrek himself, John Amechi.
October 9th, 2009 at 12:28 pm
the cynic says:
Chuck Hayes gets my vote
October 9th, 2009 at 12:42 pm
Baby Huey says:
Steve Blake
October 9th, 2009 at 1:01 pm
Promoman says:
David shouldn’t be on this list. He’s always been athletic. Hedo would’ve been a bigger star if Sacramento gave him minutes & touches when they were contenders. Scola’s never been a sleeper. Bonner & Hayes are role players but they don’t jump out at you as overachievers.
October 9th, 2009 at 1:14 pm
control says:
There has to be a list out there for guys who have no skill, talent, ability, or pretty much ANYTHING that is good for basketball, but still collect an NBA pay cheque.
I’d put Anderson Valgina first on that list. 50 fucking million for not having one speck of basketball skill at all.
I would also put Glenn Davis, Eddy Curry (though he has height), and Antione Walker (name the award after him) on there too.
October 9th, 2009 at 1:15 pm
b$ says:
personally, there is no contest in the least with most cat: STROMILE SWIFT
October 9th, 2009 at 1:17 pm
control says:
I think one thing about the whole ‘white people aren’t athletic’ mind set is the same thing as why body builders all tan themselves to fuck. It makes muscle tone stand out, and makes a person look athletic. It doesn’t matter how shreaded you are, if you are pasty white, it don’t look like it.
It’s just a matter of darker skin tone making muscles have the appearance of more definition.
October 9th, 2009 at 1:47 pm
j-dub says:
Ugh, isn’t this a compliment? The dude does the most with the least. That’s high praise.
October 9th, 2009 at 2:29 pm
Bobby Money says:
John Amechi loves the cock.
JR Rider did the least with the most.
October 9th, 2009 at 2:30 pm
Bobby Money says:
adonnel foyle needs to be on any list when talking about shitty basketball players.
October 9th, 2009 at 2:36 pm
doc says:
Dont hate on the GMs now yall was just taking they talk as gospel yesterday.Yall funny as shit.Half of these dudes get fired every year.Learn the game and figure shit out yallselves like real students of this game.And Al Jeff gets the most out of less.
October 9th, 2009 at 2:38 pm
doc says:
The guys who get my less out of most votes are the fagio cousins.Vince and T Mac
October 9th, 2009 at 3:28 pm
ruballin says:
This list is retarded.
Frankly, I’d put Paul Pierce on here. He’s 6′6 (not outstanding height for a forward) and pretty slow, but he’s a superstar in spite of his lack of athleticism.
David Lee shouldn’t be on the list, and neither should Okur. You have a case for Scola though
October 9th, 2009 at 3:54 pm
milo JD says:
For least out of most I think you have to look at Kirilenko. He is crazy talented and singlehandedly won the Euro basketball championship a couple years ago, even an all-star at one point. He makes plays sometimes that make your jaw drop, but he hasn’t gotten better in 5 years. He doesn’t put in the work.
October 12th, 2009 at 4:25 am
luckylester says:
here’s a bunch of guys that come to mind for a few lists…. can’t list them all, but here’s quite a few:
least with the most:
chris wilcox – freakishly strong and athletic with skills, but where is the will to succeed?
jamal crawford – great size, amazing quicks, great jumps, stupid shot selection kills him.
j.r. smith – okay, he’s had great games, but this guy might have as much talent as anyone.
josh mcroberts – i hate duke, but this kid had all the talent you need, just mentally not so tough.
ricky davis
dorrell wright
corey brewer – injuries, youth, maybe, but cat has great quicks and is 6′9″
sean williams – athletic freak of nature
julian wright – really? that’s all you’ve got?
DARKO
jarred jeffries
stromile
most with the least:
paul pierce – i completely agree wit RUBALLIN, nothing about Pierce’s athleticism should have him being a star, but his timing and touch and smarts make him great.
steve blake – can’t believe he made it in the league when so many guys haven’t.
steve nash – great, sure, but tell me what physical gift Steve had to help him get to where he is.
chauncey billups – billups is tough as nails, but he’s had to put in work, he’s not the quickest most gifted athlete out there, but he’s great.
chris quinn – he puts up decent numbers when called on, and lets be honest, probably shouldn’t be in the league athletically
and my favorite, least for the most money:
brian cook gets 3.5 mil…
crawford gets 9.3 mil…
scalabrine gets 3.4 mil… good lord.
desagna dip gets 6 mil…
so do Nazr and Vlad Radmonovic… those last 3 are all Bobcats.
jerome james, obviously, 6.6 mil…
ilgauskus makes 11.5mil….
Damp gets 12.1 mil…
sasha vagacic gets 5 mil, so does adam morrison….
matt carol gets 4.5 mil…
marko jaric… 7.1 mil…
zach randolph 16 mil… his +/- is not a good number.
jermaine o’neal gets 23 mil per…
brian cardinal makes 6.75 mil….
mark blount makes 8 mil….
bobby simmons 11.2 mil…
peja 13.4 mil, to shoot whenever he feels like it…
jared jeffries 6.5 mil…
October 13th, 2009 at 5:27 pm
Utah Jazz Blog says:
I really don’t get this. Memo is surprising just because he shoots the 3 like a guard rather than a 6′11″ 260-lb center. I wouldn’t really consider that getting the most out of the least. Either way, Memo is a great player, and I’m happy to have him on the Jazz.
October 14th, 2009 at 5:36 am
DVS says:
Will Bynum??? he’s like 5 10″ and making less than a mil. But look at how he’s producing.