Former Timberwolves GM David Kahn was notorious for overstating the value of his players, not to mention overpaying them. He once compared Darko Milicic – who he’d just awarded a huge unearned contract at the time – to a young Chris Webber in a live NBATV segment that turned super awkward when C-Webb rightfully took exception to his comparison.
Kahn has been out of a front office job for some time now after his reign of terror in Minnesota, which at one point included trading for a troubled Michael Beasley who had already punched his ticket out of Miami after being the No. 2 pick in the draft just a couple years prior.
Beasley, for his part, has admirably scratched and clawed to find his way back into the league, and the Knicks announced earlier this summer that they were bringing him in on a modest, low-risk short-term deal. But leave it up to David Kahn to blow that entirely out of proportion.
Via Marc Berman of the New York Post:
“If he’s being brought in to provide some offense if and when Carmelo leaves, you’ll have that (quality) because he can definitely do that,’’ Kahn said. “He can score. Kurt wanted the [Minnesota] deal badly. We needed scoring.
“I remember at the voluntary workouts before that season, Kurt being very excited at positions he could put him on the floor to score. His ability to score is undeniable with his terrific lateral movement and explosiveness. If they’re going to lose Carmelo, I imagine Kurt gave him a very positive review as a guy who can figure out how to get his shot up.’’
To be fair, Beasley has always shown a knack for scoring, as long as it’s in small doses and with a short leash attached. But the insinuation that he can somehow step into Melo’s shoes is patently absurd. Let’s not forget the fact that Melo is still very much on the roster, by the way, since the front office has yet to put together a trade package that would send him to his preferred destination in Houston.
In a case like Beasley’s, it’s much better to temper the expectations than to dial them up.
