Keeping John Hammond Is A Great Move for the Bucks

As reported yesterday, the Milwaukee Bucks have extended General Manager John Hammond’s contract through the 2016-17 season. This brings an end to speculation, at least for the time being, about Hammond’s job status with Milwaukee.

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Making this move, just weeks before the 2015-16 season tips off, is a tremendous move by the Milwaukee Bucks.

Hammond has proven in his tenure that he’s among the best executives in the NBA.

First, Hammond has a great track record when it comes to drafting. With the notable exception of Joe Alexander, Hammond has done more with less, often finding value at unfavorable positions in the draft.

Whether it was drafting guys like Larry Sanders and Tobias Harris in middle of the first round, or taking a chance on a little-known Greek kid named Giannis Antetokounmpo, Hammond has hit more often than not on his draft picks.

Hammond has also proven since the departure of long-time Owner Herb Kohl, that he can handle the rebuilding of a franchise.

After the disaster that was the 2013-14 season, Hammond had an opportunity to hit the re-set button for the first time in Milwaukee. The result was the creation of the team as we know it today.

Hammond flipped disgruntled Point Guard Brandon Jennings, once thought to be the future of the franchise, for Brandon Knight and Khris Middleton. Both proved to be tremendous pick-ups for the team.

Hammond also drafted Forward Jabari Parker with the second overall pick. one of the best players to ever play college basketball.

Both of these moves were far from sure things at the time in which they were made. Many believed Dante Exum or Joel Embiid were both as deserving as Parker to be picked second. Jennings’ value, at the time of the trade with Detroit, was at an all-time low.

Dec 7, 2014; Dallas, TX, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Jabari Parker (12) dunks the ball during the second half against the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center. The Mavericks defeated the Bucks 125-102. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

As the past two years have shown, these moves turned out to be successes.

Middleton has become one of key pieces to the franchise, developing into a defensive ace capable of guarding multiple positions and scoring in bunches.

Knight, who was strong for the Bucks before getting traded this past season, was turned into Michael Carter-Williams, an excellent passer with great size, length and athleticism for his position. If Carter-Williams can learn from Jason Kidd, he could become one of the best floor generals in the game.

Parker, who spent most of last season injured, will become one of the better scorers in the NBA, capable of doing anything on the offensive end. Of the moves made, this may be the most uncertain given the severity of the injury from which he is recovering from.

Hammond’s greatest move, however, may have come this off-season by landing one of the biggest free agents on the market in Greg Monroe.

For many years, Milwaukee has failed to attract even second-tier free agents. Landing Monroe, a man who was being heavily pursued by the LA Lakers and New York Knicks, was one of the shocks of the off-season.

Monroe is a tremendous presence in the low post, capable of putting up 20 a night. He’s also a solid passer, an above-average rebounder, and at least passable on the defensive end of floor. All of this should make Monroe a success in Milwaukee.

Apr 13, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward

Kevin Love

(0) defends against Detroit Pistons forward Greg Monroe (10) during the second quarter at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Even if Monroe does not meet expectations, Hammond helped establish that Milwaukee can compete for big name free agents, something the team has not been able to do since the 70’s and 80’s.

All of this isn’t to say that Hammond is immune to criticism. Many of his free agency moves have failed to meet expectations (see OJ Mayo 2013 or Corey Maggette, Drew Gooden, and John Salmons 2011).

He also traded away Tobias Harris for a rental in J.J. Redick, a move that looked questionable from the time it was commenced.

Much of this, however, can be attributed to Hammond being under pressure from Herb Kohl to contend. With new owners at the helm, the Bucks have been content to rebuild rather than contend for mediocrity. With the pressure from ownership gone, Hammond has done very well.

Finally, this move creates some certainty for the team. It was only a few weeks ago that Jason Kidd was reportedly being considered for a promotion to GM. This would have been a major mistake, given that Hammond has done well as GM.

No coach is capable of being both general manager and coach. Both jobs require a tremendous amount of time and knowledge. No person, regardless of how brilliant they are, is capable of doing both jobs well. Thus, keeping Kidd as coach is the right move for now and for the future.

The Bucks are far from a sure thing. However, Hammond has built a team that looks more than capable of challenging for the Eastern Conference crown in the near future. For that reason alone, Hammond deserves to see the next few seasons out.

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