New Jersey Hires Billy King As GM

By: Stephen Patterson

New Jersey Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov finally found a replacement for GM Rod Thorn, announcing today that he would hire former Philadelphia 76ers GM Billy King. Terms of the contract were not disclosed. King inherits the task of rebuilding a team that went 12-70 last season and finished with the worst record in the league. He will also be in charge of helping deliver on Prokhorov's promise to Nets fans that they would win a title within five years.

Prokhorov personally interviewed five candidates before narrowing the choices down to King and former Cleveland Cavalier's GM Danny Ferry. During King's time with Philadelphia, the team made the postseason five consecutive times, including an appearance in the 2001 Finals. King has some solid pieces to build around already on the roster with Brook Lopez, Derrick Favors, Devin Harris, and Terrance Williams being some of the most notable. And while the team missed out on LeBron James and the top of the free agent class, they did sign Travis Outlaw and Jordan Farmar, who should both be solid additions.

While King did some good things during his time with the Sixers, he could have done a lot more to help the team's superstar, Allen Iverson. The team made the Finals on the back of Iverson, and lost because he had no solid teammates around him. The Nets could have gotten someone who is a better fit for the job, in my opinion. If they want to build a contender, Kevin Pritchard would have been an excellent choice. Pritchard helped build Portland into the team they currently are, and helped rid them of the "Jail Blazers" title they had when he arrived. Only time will tell if Prokhorov made the right choice, but King better provide results quickly if he wants to keep his job for long.