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Fired: Alvin Williams

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  • #16
    I'm glad for the move.

    As "Director of Player Development", what can you say about the job he has done with the roster and player skills for the past ~3 years?

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    • #17
      From a basketball standpoint this doesn't really matter. For Alvin, it sucks.
      Eh follow my TWITTER!

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      • #18
        Saw this thread and first thing I thought of was the NBATV commercial where he explains how much it means to him to be a part of this organization. Can't seem to find a youtube link though.

        Welp.
        Twitter - @thekid_it

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        • #19
















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          • #20
            A couple of points I'd throw at Smith, Wolstat, Koreen, and Lewenberg:

            What has his job performance been like? Has years of a lack of accountability in the Raptor front office permeated to the media?
            If Williams did a stellar, bang up job then I can see some problems. But Williams was hired in 2009 to a position many former players or prospective coaches start at: Director of Player Development. He was then demoted by the former regime to a scout. That does not bode well for his performance, in my opinion. The fact the new regime has canned him also speaks volumes as an outsider looking in.

            If Williams is so valued by fan base and he has such an attachment to Toronto, why can't he come back frequently for paid promotional appearances?
            The only compelling reasons I've seen for keeping him on the payroll are sentimental value and a link to one bright spot in a dark, checkered past. Mugsy Bogues is a guy not on the payroll who often shows up to Raptor events - I don't think it is totally out of the goodness of his heart.

            Is it possible your opinions are biased by a personal connection?
            This does suck for Alvin but I do not see anything negative for Toronto.

            How many current Raptor fans are going to turn their back on the franchise over this?
            I say this with a "like seriously" attached. The guy was based in Philly and showed up every new moon. C'mon.

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            • #21
              Rapstor4Life wrote: View Post
              TBH why fire Alvin Williams? it seems like a useless move to me. IT would be like firing Magloire......why? all these guys were doing was stuff within Canada to support the Raptor name and community. Dumb move if you ask me, Raps now look like a team that doesnt take care of their own.
              Why fire him? I have another question: why keep him?

              He went from being an assistant coach, to director of player development and, finally, back to Philly to be a scout. It looks to me as though they were desperately trying to find something for him to do but it isn't the job of any organization to pay people money cause they're nice guys. The Raptors paud this guy millions of dollars. They don't owe him anything.

              Not to be heartless (this obviously sucks for Alvin Williams) but this is not a big deal.

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              • #22
                I don't know what Alvin did, or what he didn't do nor do I know how successful he was at what he was supposed to be doing. But I do think "Smith, Wolstat, Koreen, and Lewenberg" are more closely plugged into the Raps and the NBA as a whole than I will ever be.

                Has anyone found any NBA connected sources who think it was a good move? Usually when there is a bunch of people saying "A" there automatically surfaces a bunch saying "B." Where are the "B's"?

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                • #23
                  I am big Alvin Williams fan but people are reacting to this with little information on the firing. Do we know if him and management had discussions to compare philosophies and objectives? No. We don't know anything that was said. It's hard to "take sides" when I don't know anything about what led to the decision.

                  This firing was a non-factor. People will have it forgotten by tomorrow. Alvin has made millions from MLSE, he' should land on his feet. I wish him the best of luck.

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                  • #24
                    If AW had been doing a good job in any/all of his roles within the organization, he very likely would have been kept. Who knows what players he scouted and what recommendations he made re: potential draft picks and/or signings... maybe they were all horrendous and he was just a bad scout?

                    I think the franchise should use well liked/respected ex players the same way the Blue Jays do, which is more on the PR/charity side. Get the beloved ex players to represent that team in fan appreciation events, kid training sessions, charity events and various PR appearances across the country. That avoids this type of AW predicament, when a guy is let go and the response winds up being overly emotional ("boo hoo hoo, he's my favourite ex-player and was Mr. Raptor"), instead of objectively evaluating his on-the-job performance (let alone having any sort of trust/faith in the new management group). Remember, MU is well respected for his scouting background and likely wants to bring in his own guys, so this really shouldn't come as a big surprise. That's the double-edged sword about hiring popular ex-players to front office positions.

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                    • #25
                      Puffer wrote: View Post
                      I don't know what Alvin did, or what he didn't do nor do I know how successful he was at what he was supposed to be doing. But I do think "Smith, Wolstat, Koreen, and Lewenberg" are more closely plugged into the Raps and the NBA as a whole than I will ever be.

                      Has anyone found any NBA connected sources who think it was a good move? Usually when there is a bunch of people saying "A" there automatically surfaces a bunch saying "B." Where are the "B's"?
                      Unfortunately the only thing the quartet are offering are vague implications bordering on passive aggressiveness about his intangible value to the organization.

                      Despite their 'uproar' I've yet to read anything from the quartet with a real tangible consequence of this decision.

                      I am not claiming to be more closely plugged in to the Raptors or the NBA - or even plugged in at all - than these guys.

                      What I am saying is any bit of critical thinking shows:
                      1) this is a non-issue and Smith decided to make it an issue,
                      2) the new regime likely aren't as chummy as the old with local media and it is showing in some "reporter's" writing - which in my opinion screams as 100% total unprofessional #hack hence the "reporter's",
                      3) Alvin Williams collecting a pay cheque in Philly appears to have created little to no value for the Raptors organization or its fan base.

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                      • #26
                        Whatever reason they had for letting Alvin go, they're keeping it in the family. I like it that way. It might seem cut throat because of the lack of details, but I'm sure there was a conversation that took place between the two parties.

                        It may not be good for media & us fans (who like to speculate about everything related to this organization), but I like that the new management team is keeping their cards close instead of blowing smoke left, right and center.
                        “I don’t create controversies. They’re there long before I open my mouth. I just bring them to your attention.”

                        -- Charles Barkley

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                        • #27
                          Reading that article really pissed me off.

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                          • #28
                            Jesus, and I thought hockey analysts were stupid

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                            • #29
                              Puffer wrote: View Post
                              I don't know what Alvin did, or what he didn't do nor do I know how successful he was at what he was supposed to be doing. But I do think "Smith, Wolstat, Koreen, and Lewenberg" are more closely plugged into the Raps and the NBA as a whole than I will ever be.

                              Has anyone found any NBA connected sources who think it was a good move? Usually when there is a bunch of people saying "A" there automatically surfaces a bunch saying "B." Where are the "B's"?
                              Media guys will be more 'plugged in' with the on goings of an organization, but that doesn't mean their assessment of decisions is any more right (hello Doug Smith and Stephen Brotherson). It can also mean, as Matt52 referred to, a greater chance for built in biases due to their connection with individuals. Firing Alvin may well be 'bad PR' or unfortunate event to befall a good guy or a 'cold' decision, but that doesn't make it the wrong move.

                              As others have pointed out, there is not yet an argument made that showed what he did or did well that helped this organization as a coach/scout etc.

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                              • #30
                                Holly McKenzie with her 2 cents:

                                Williams spent the past season working as a scout. Based in Philadelphia, he would be in Toronto from time to time whenever there was something he was needed for. While his job title was scout, he served a greater purpose than that. Williams was an ambassador of this franchise, if ever there was one. Reminding fans of the lone postseason series victory the team has had, he is remembered for the type of player he was: tough and unfailingly loyal. The team name splashed across his chest always came before the pains and aches of his failing body. He represented all that you would ever want in a player in a career that was cut short due to the injuries he fought through.

                                Change is inevitable in the world of professional sports; especially for a franchise that has floundered as much as the Raptors have. Still, it is unfortunate that in the attempt to take the franchise to a level of success they’ve yet to experience, one of the most revered players of its past winds up a casualty. The ability to make unemotional decisions is extremely important in this industry. Just as important, though, is being able to identify which pieces of the past are worth preserving.

                                http://www.sportsnet.ca/basketball/n...is-inevitable/

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