Dunleavy Jr., a 15-year NBA veteran, started scouting with Golden State in 2018 and was promoted to assistant general manager last season. Nets assistant GM Jeff Peterson and Thunder VP of basketball operations Troy Weaver are among the top candidates for the Pistons’ opening, SNY sources confirm.
Jeff Peterson Rumors
Adrian Wojnarowski: ESPN Sources: Three serious candidates have emerged for the Detroit Pistons GM job: Clippers assistant GM Mark Hughes, Nets assistant GM Jeff Peterson and Thunder VP of Basketball Operations Troy Weaver. Those conversations are continuing this week.
Adrian Wojnarowski: ESPN Sources: Three serious candidates have emerged for the Detroit Pistons GM job: Clippers assistant GM Mark Hughes, Nets assistant GM Jeff Peterson and Thunder VP of Basketball Operations Troy Weaver. Those conversations are continuing this week.
Hawks general manager Travis Schlenk is not in a hurry to fill his recently vacated position of assistant general manager. Last month Jeff Peterson left to take the same position with the Nets after seven years in the Hawks organization.“I told our group when he left that we are not going to do anything (right away),” Schlenk said last week. “We’ll worry about it in July. I want everybody focused on the draft. That’s the most important thing on the front right now. We’ll evaluate that in July. I’m not sure what we are going to do. We’ve got swarmed with people who would love this job but whether we promote from within, bring somebody in, or bring somebody in at the bottom and move up, I don’t really know.”
So far the Nets have added Jeff Peterson and Andy Birdsong as assistant general managers and have several other positions to fill. Brooklyn Nets assistant coach: Fleming, who worked primarily with Rodions Kurucs, left to join the Chicago Bulls as their lead assistant coach. Currently, there are four coaches who could move to the front of the bench alongside Kenny Atkinson, Jacque Vaughn and Bret Brielmaier. 1. Adam Harrington: Assistant coach / director of player development. Since the beginning of the Marks and Atkinson era, development has been an emphasis for the organization, which Harrington embodies.
Nets Daily: Nets have had two assistant GM’s a couple of times in the past, under both Rod Thorn (Bobby Marks and Ed Stefanski) and Billy King (Bobby Marks and Frank Zanin.) What makes Peterson and Birdsong different is that they are both so young. 30 years old.
Chris Vivlamore: Statement from Travis Schlenk on Peterson: “Jeff grew into a key member of our basketball operations team over his seven years in Atlanta and we are appreciative of all of his work during his time here. We wish him and his wife Lauren the best moving forward.”
“We are thrilled to welcome Jeff and his wife, Lauren, to Brooklyn,” said Nets General Manager Sean Marks. “Jeff is an innovative basketball executive who shares our strategic team building vision and will fit seamlessly within our culture. His extensive scouting and front office experience will be tremendous assets to our group as we continue to move forward.”
Chris Kirschner: The Hawks have no immediate plans to replace Jeff Peterson’s position with him leaving to take the same position as the Nets’ assistant GM.
Orazio Cauchi: Spurs GM R.C. Buford and Hawks assistant GM Jeff Peterson were among the NBA executives who watched Croatian prospect Luka Samanic in Petrol Olimpija’s win over Sencur in Slovenian playoffs. Samanic finished with a double-double: 17 points and 11 rebounds
Q. (Cunningham) I like Jaren Jackson Jr. a lot. He’s very good defensively and seems he has good potential as a scorer around the basket. What’s your opinion on that? A. (Jeff Peterson, Hawks assistant GM) He’s intriguing because he’s so young. It’s almost like there is a lot of room to mold and to help grow him. He’s obviously been coached well with Michigan State and (Tom) Izzo. I do think he’s pretty good with both hands around the basket. Good touch. And with him it’s pretty neat because he’s not only capable of scoring on the interior but he can also step outside and shoot the basketball. He shot at a very high clip this year (38-for-96 on 3-pointers, 39.6 percent). He’s confident in his shot. He’s an unbelievable rim protector. Very good on the defensive end. Just instincts and plays hard and doesn’t give up. He blocks shots, challenges shots. It’s very exciting when you are watching him.
Q. Can he defend in space on switches? A. (Jeff Peterson, Hawks assistant GM) Yeah, I think he’s pretty good in that area. But the thing is, with all of these guys, they have to get better. When you are going against the guy from Iowa vs. you are going against John Wall, it’s a little different. But I think he can. I think in time he can get there. Some guys, nobody can guard. You are not staying in front of John Wall; it’s probably not happening. The length and the willingness will help Jackson.
Q. Bagley is very athletic and smooth. He’s very productive as a scorer, mostly around the basket. How does his game translate to the league? A. (Jeff Peterson) One thing you get immediately with him is his motor, his willingness to play hard every possession. You go watch him in practice, in a game, in a workout and he’s going hard. Coaches will very, very much appreciate that they won’t have to coach his effort. As fans, you will really appreciate that he is going to go hard every possession. Regardless of who he’s going up against, he’s trying to take the head off. So I think that will definitely translate. He was very left-handed dominant this year so that’s an area he can improve is getting more comfortable with his right hand. At the same time, he’s so damn productive with his left, if it’s not broke don’t fix it. There’s a few guys in the league who have go-to moves and you know they are going to it and they still get it off because they are that good, that athletic. But I think he can improve with his right hand. His shooting can continue to get better. That’s another area where, again, the positive thing about that is he works hard. So if he puts the work in I think his shooting will get better. It may take a little time but it will get better.
Q. His wingspan is relatively short. Do you think he can be a center in the NBA and protect the rim? A. (Jeff Peterson) I do. It was a little bit challenging at Duke because they played zone and he typically played away from the basket and Wendell Carter (also a projected lottery pick) was under the basket. I think playing man in general will probably be a little bot of an adjustment with the rules and different techniques. I think he will be able to pick that stuff up and his block rate will go up just because he is so athletic. He is so bouncy. His first and second jumps are so crazy.
Q. (Cunningham) Americans don’t get to see Doncic very much. I watched some of his games on video and it seems his vision, his passing and play-making are off the charts. Are those the things that make him a top prospect? A. (Jeff Peterson, Hawks assistant GM): Yes. Just his ability to make guys better, make the game easier for guys really stands out. Up until this (Rockets-Warriors) playoff series I think you saw a lot of ball movement especially with Golden State. I think they reverted back to the (isolation plays) this series just because of the (defensive) switching that was occurring. But, in general, the NBA is moving more toward ball movement, player movement and (Doncic) really thrives in that area. It’s his vision, his willingness to make passes, his unselfishness. His size allows him to see over guys and find guys in different angles. He’s a decent shooter. The thing with him is, he’s not afraid to take big shots and he makes big shots. He has a ton of confidence to be able to do what he’s doing at that age at that level in that league is pretty impressive.
Is he a point guard? A wing? Or does it even matter? Jeff Peterson: I don’t think it matters. He’s comfortable with the ball in his hands and he’s comfortable without the ball in his hands, too. He’s shown that with the Slovenian national team with he played with (Miami Heat point guard) Goran Dragic. Dragic had the ball a lot and they would play off one another. And Doncic is smart so he can figure it out with or without the ball. I think he’s one of those guys that you put him out there and you figure it out. He’s a guy you want out there because he’s reliable and comfortable with the ball in his hands and typically makes good decisions.
Q. Obviously Ayton is a physical marvel. What are some other things that make him a top prospect? Jeff Peterson: I think that’s a great starting point: just from a physical and athletic standpoint he’s pretty unique. There is no doubt that he will be able to translate to an NBA game from that standpoint. He’s pretty mobile, agile. Someone that big, that size that can move the way he does is pretty impressive. This year he showed the ability to make shots. Of course, he can still improve in that area but it’s not like he’s a non-shooter. Made some threes, made some mid-range, made some good short corner jump shots. So I think he has a pretty good foundation to work with there. From a passing and decision-making standpoint, I think there are some positives there, as well. He got double-teamed a bunch because if you don’t he’s just going to score on you. Defensively, he will have to improve because you watch these (NBA playoff) games and they are switching everything (on screens). It’s hard for some of these bug guys to move and keep them in front of you. It’s an area where he can improve, for sure. Rebounding, man, he goes above the rim to get it. There is a lot to be excited about with him.
Chris Vivlamore: Hawks assistant GM Jeff Peterson and assistant coaches Charles Lee and Ben Sullivan at NBA Draft Combine as shown on ESPN.
Jeff Peterson, who was recently promoted to assistant general manager from director of scouting, also handles scouting duties in the southeast. The Hawks intend to find a scout in that region. The Hawks are also looking to add to their overseas scouting staff.
