If you follow twitter, the other great Jazz blogs, or any of the things called "radio and/or Teevee" you've probably already heard about this -- but the Jazz seem to be making a solid move at the top of our totem pole. Specifically, Jazz GM Kevin O'Connor is moving on up to more of an overwatch role while the day-to-day operations (and/or media interview requirements) are being given to a new guy. And well, that new guy appears to be Dennis Lindsey, previously of the San Antonio Spurs franchise.
Spurs executive Dennis Lindsey met with Utah officials today about GM job and is the strong leader to be hired, league sources tell Y!
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) August 6, 2012
Woj at Yahoo!Sports's NBA page and Brian T. Smith of the Trib both seem to be all over this. So it must be true. Among the things I know about, assistant GMs are not among them. Spencer Ryan Hall at Salt City Hoops got out a great post about his background, and you can check it out here. And our own Andy B Larsen is going to get into more detail about this move in the Downbeat.
For me, though, I think it is a great move. Everyone gets what they want. Lindsey gets a promotion from assistant GM to being a full GM. Jazz fans, presumably, get a GM who is younger, more "with it", and possibly also a guy who understands the validity and use of advanced stats and computers. And well, KOC, our beloved GM, gets to do HIS JOB out of the lime light, probably go on less trips to scout other players, and doesn't have to deal with the daily grind anymore. Let's not forget that it's not like he was a dude in his 50s. Like the rest of our former brain trust Kevin had been around the NBA game for a very long time.
He's still (in my mind) going to be a very well respected and influential piece of our front office, but he'll have a less overt voice, instead being the quiet mover and shaker that he has always been. Everyone will be happy, especially me after reading the cool stuff Andy will discover! (No pressure or anything . . . )