After reading Darren’s post and reading some other commentary around the web, I found it very surprising that no one felt that the teams or scouts were at fault in the Darrell Arthur situation. Don’t get me wrong, I agree his agent certainly fumbled the ball in regards to clarifying his client’s medical condition to the league. But what about the scouts and GMs around the league? Twenty-seven teams passed up on one of the most talented big men in the draft. For a team to pass on a player like Arthur based on a rumor is absolutely ridiculous.
There must have been a point in the draft where Darrell Arthur was the number 1 player on that team’s board, and they did not pull the trigger based on a foolish rumor. Missing out on such talent can really hinder the team’s development.
Now, this Arthur situation is truly unique, but let’s turn the clock back a bit. Kwame Brown, Robert Traylor, Darko Milicic, Luke Jackson, and Tyrus Thomas are just a few of the major lottery picks who turned out to be serious disappointments. I know that every draft in every sport has its busts, but when there are only two rounds for a bad team to make improvements, it is imperative that they get it right.
Overall, you can’t help but feel bad for Darrell Arthur’s draft experience.
3 replies on “So Who’s Scouting the Scouts???”
Hey now, don’t count Tyrus Thomas out just jet! And what fiduciary duty do the teams and scouts owe Arthur? NONE. His agent, on the other hand, is employed to make sure that slip-ups like this do not happen. If a team listens to a rumor, shame on them, but as an agent, you need to do everything that you can to make sure any rumor is dispelled.
Ultimately though the teams owes a duty to its fanbase–at least that’s how I’d look at it as a season ticketholder. The Timberwolves, for instance, can attest to what numerous front office slip-ups do to its fans.
Fair enough. I guess I am just still angered about how this whole thing played out that I cannot get over the way that Arthur slipped. Teams should have done their own research, but above all, you cannot let your client slip due to a rumor. I don’t need to know every time my client wipes his ass, but I can tell you that I would make sure to dispel any hint of a bad rumor circulating that could end up costing my client over a million bucks.