June 09, 2016
Rockets general manager Daryl Morey, who Bill Simmons once dubbed “Dork Elvis,” was recently on Adrian Wojnarowski’s podcast. One subject in particular that interested Woj is Sam Hinkie, Morey’s former lieutenant in Houston. Despite similar analytical backgrounds, Morey is more comfortable dealing with the media than Hinkie.
Morey has a unique perspective on Hinkie because he both worked closely with and then competed against him when he moved on to the Sixers. “Effectively fired” was the term that Morey used for Hinkie’s exit. Here are a couple of highlights from the interview:
• Morey mentioned that he wanted to take Hinkie’s path in Houston. The Rockets haven’t been a team that bottomed out, which shows what a major role ownership plays in overall strategy. Since Morey took over in 2007, the Rockets’ 41-41 record this season has been their worst.
• Morey acknowledged the downside of such extreme tanking, agreeing with Woj that pressure from around the NBA was ultimately the reason Hinkie was effectively fired.
“Because of the path they took, I think it ended up being the case where he ended upsetting a lot of folks, agents and important people around the league,” Morey said. “Unfortunately, that’s what I think got him.”
• Asked for advice he would have for (and probably did give) Hinkie, Morey mentioned possibly talking with the local media more, although he acknowledged that wasn’t necessarily a big deal. From an on-court standpoint, there was one thing that stood out to him.
“I also thought maybe they shouldn’t take themselves completely out of free agency, maybe sign some players,” Morey said. “But I got the logic, he was trying to ensure that they got what they got this year which was the top pick in the draft.”
Yup.
• Morey thinks the Sixers have a bright future.
“Philly fans forever are going to be very happy,” Morey said. “They’ve got very capable management now with Bryan Colangelo. And they have one of the best starting points for any franchise that I’ve ever seen in terms of the number of picks at the foundation they put in place. Philly is going to be benefitting for years to come.”
Listen to the full podcast here.
Follow Rich on Twitter: @rich_hofmann
