San Antonio Spurs general manager R.C. Buford will make the Basketball Hall of Fame as an executive.
Buford’s been that great in his role over the past two decades, making the Spurs the best-run organization in the NBA over the longer march of time in the 21st century. The relentless consistency attained by the Spurs in the post-Michael Jordan era began because of Tim Duncan, but Buford and Gregg Popovich have built — and reassembled, and reconfigured — pieces around Duncan to give the Spurs a level of quality longevity that is the envy of the rest of the NBA (minus the Golden State Warriors).
Buford’s credentials are unassailable. Moreover, LaMarcus Aldridge — even with his damaging 6-of-21 shooting line in Game 5 Tuesday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder — has more than justified his presence on the Spurs’ roster with his overall performance in this series. Even with the Spurs down 3-2 heading into Game 6, Buford’s main addition to the franchise has proved his worth.
However…
Buford won the 2016 Executive Of The Year Award on Monday not just for securing Aldridge, but for his full assortment of moves. At least, that’s what an executive of the year is supposed to be recognized for — full performance, not just one blockbuster acquisition; overall impact, not just a dazzling addition to the starting five; shaping an integrated roster, not just bringing in a conspicuously missing piece while providing the successor to Duncan in San Antonio. (That’s obviously what LMA was always meant to be.)
Let’s be clear here: Buford did do a very good job with the Spurs. Most if not all of his moves were lauded at the time they were made. As said above, the LMA coup has turned out well for an organization which won more games (67) than any previous iteration in its history, very much including the five groups of Spurs which hoisted the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
On balance, Buford has done well this season. No one should contest that claim.
What should be contested, however? The idea that Buford was the best executive in the league in 2016.
Neil Olshey was the best executive in the league this season. The general manager of the Portland Trail Blazers had to deal with the loss of Aldridge himself, not to mention the departure of Nic Batum to Charlotte. Portland was expected to be an 11th- or 12th-place team by many NBA observers. The Blazers finished fifth in the West, and Stephen Curry had to be his very best self on Monday night — coming off an injury, no less — to prevent Portland from creating a 2-2 series against the reigning NBA champions. Al-Farouq Aminu, Moe Harkless, and other odd parts — none of them containing the sex appeal or sizzle of Buford’s LMA grab in San Antonio — have made Portland far greater than anyone could have imagined. Buford merely took something very good in San Antonio and made it noticeably better.
The kicker in all this, of course (the item you were surely waiting for)?
Beyond LMA, Buford’s other San Antonio additions have been MIA in this West semifinal series against Oklahoma City.
David West, who wanted so badly to win a title that he signed with the Spurs for a bargain-basement rate, was outplayed by Enes Kanter late in Game 5. He’s been smoked on the glass in this series, and he’s not even hitting the 15-foot elbow jumper he needs to hit in order to justify his place on the floor.
The Spurs, whose offensive struggles — especially in fourth quarters — have been well documented in this series, could certainly use an infusion of jump-shooting excellence. They got it from Danny Green in Game 5, but not from anyone else. Kevin Martin was ostensibly supposed to help in this regard, but he’s been stapled to the bench and given a series of DNPs by Gregg Popovich.
Oklahoma City’s bench has established clear and pronounced superiority over the Spurs’ reserves in this series. Dion Waiters and Kanter have become — if not breakout players — difference makers in this series. Billy Donovan has cultivated his bench by preaching defense and constant effort. Oklahoma City might have the flash and dash of Russ and Durant, but the Thunder’s ability to become worker bees up and down its roster has eclipsed the Spurs’ calcifying and slowly dying bench.
R.C. Buford is a great executive who put in a very good year.
The idea that he was number one in the league, or that David West and Kevin Martin would make a defining impact for San Antonio? Those ideas are on life support heading into Game 6.
