lol, if drummond pans out then fuck yes it was the failing of every gm in the top ten (save for the hornets, for obv reasons).
the damn job of a gm is to decide the legitimacy of certain red flags. just because some scout (team-employed or not), some draft website, or whoever claims this or that true does not make it so.
the pistons coaching staff has been raving about drummond's work ethic and motor, which also wouldn't be possible if he didn't love the game. everyone who said those were reasons not to draft him is left looking like an idiot.
leaving a team that has little (in howard's case) to no (in lbj's case) future doesn't mean that player lacks "maturity"
it's been said a million times here and elsewhere, but if you actually give a player a reason to stay he very likely will ffs.
First of all, if you are making the case that either Dwight Howard or Lebron James behaved with any kind of maturity regarding thier respective exits, I think you are smoking something.
In Lebron's case, the Cavs FO gave him lots of reason to stay, and but for an inexplicable meltdown on his part, he might have had his ring two years earlier, but instead, he chose to go to south beach. If he had been at all interested in making it work in Cleveland there was nothing the Cavs would not have done to keep him, but he never talked to the FO. He had made his "decision" with his buds, and he handled it for maximum Lebronomania.
As for Howard, his situation was worse than Lebron's. But he handled it terribly.
In any case, what I said was that Drummond's maturity was an additional risk, even if he is able to be successful on court. that is not to say either Irving or Waiters is not a risk, but it is my perception that both of them have a more mature attitude. I could be wrong, but all I am saying is that this is something you take into account when you are in rebuild. I was there when Charlotte (Then Hornets) drafted Johnson, Mourning and Kendall Gill. Lots of talent, but personailty clash city. We have drawn comparisons of our new backcourt to Thomas/Dumars on the play style similarities, but part of what worked for that team was the personal mesh between the players. Kyrie and Dions have to fit hand and glove for the team to work. This also needs to be considered when we add players to the Alchemy. Tristan fits, Zeller fits. Whoever else we pick up, but it Shabazz or Poythress or Laurence Bowers, or any free agent we bring has to fit.
Make a list of players drafted top ten in 2012 and 2011. Rank order them in terms of work ethic and professional attitude. TT will rank higher on that list than his talent evaluation. Barnes ( and Drummond for that matter ), lower. There are a lot of vectors that go into the success of a given player, and even more that go into the success of a team. Attitude and maturity are two of the many.
