Post by rog on Nov 4, 2018 12:33:23 GMT -5
Just finished watching "Shaping the Sharks" on NBC Bay Area Sports. The Sharks are three titles short of the San Francisco Giants, but they almost always make the playoffs. The Warriors, the Giants, certainly the 49ers, and even the A's have had more spectacular bursts, but while circumstance hasn't gone their way even once to allow a championship, they are easily the Bay Area's most consistent franchise since 1994.
So what can be learned from them?
The feature focused around the 2018 draft. I know very little about the Sharks' first round pick, but the Sharks made it clear that their team has been built around impact players and that they should go for the player with the most potential reward. They felt that by the time they drafted at #21, EVERY player carried risk.
If we look at things objectively, it's relatively easy to fill in the supporting roles on a team through free agency or minor trades. Getting straws to stir the drink is far, far harder. One straw is worth at least half a dozen support players, so why not grab for the gusto with prospects?
The Sharks get their prospects from the US, from Canada, and from Europe. They would be open to a player from South Africa if he could skate, stickhandle, pass and play defense. Likewise the Giants need to broaden their international perspective, which they seem to be doing. But it wouldn't hurt to speed up the process.
The Sharks try to improve themselves with trades and aren't afraid to trade prospects to do so. But of course the Giants first need to have both the solid team to improve and the prospects to add to the solid team, whether through development or trade.
The Sharks have emphasized pedigree. The biggest trade in franchise history was trading for Joe Thornton, a former #1 overall pick. Joe won the MVP in his very first season with the team. Last year they traded for Evander Kane, a former #4 overall pick. That's another way they acquire impact players despite not drafting high.
The video made it very clear the Sharks have a detailed vision of team culture, and explain it to the players impactfully. The Sharks provide nutritional guidance right away to their players as well. They show them drills to make them better.
The Sharks have a huge tryout camp right before the beginning of training camp. I don't know if it would make sense for the Giants to put together a huge tryout camp for overlooked players, but why NOT have a sort of fantasy camp for prospects? If they could pick up even one player who had a chance to make a difference, wouldn't it be worth it? They spend tens of millions to acquire players. How about a few hundred thousand to find that diamond in the rough? Same thing with expanding international scouting.
Much has been made about improving the Giants' analytics. Not to overlook that, but how about improving the scouting staff? The Giants have done extremely well with top 10 picks. That's what they've built their recent success around, and hopefully having two straight top 10 picks in 2018 and 2019 will jump start another period of solid competitiveness.
But they haven't fared well overall with picks below #10. Let's use 2007 as an example.
That draft the Giants had six picks among the top 52. They hit hard with Madison Bumgarner, but then frittered away the other five picks. Tim Alderson, Wendell Fairley, Nick Noonan, Jackson Williams and Charlie Culberson were hardly inspiring picks -- especially with Jayson Heyward, Rick Porcello (my personal pick), Jordan Zimmerman, Giancarlo Stanton, Freddy Freeman and Zack Cozart on the board.
Hard to argue that 2007 wasn't a successful draft with Madison Bumgarner, but the Giants blew the chance for a grand slam and had to settle for a solo home run.
They need to improve their scouting in order to enable them to get better players beyond the top 10 picks. When the Sharks draft outside the top 10 -- which is almost always the case -- they try to pick up a player as good as those in the top 10. They take more risk in order to gain more reward.
Speaking of risk and reward, THAT'S what the Giants need their new GM to be better at. They need more Lincecum's, Bumgarner's, Posey's and Wheeler's -- and they need to be able to find some outside the top 10 picks. Try to hit more home runs, and be willing to strike out on more picks. Most picks aren't going to make much of a difference anyway.
So what can be learned from them?
The feature focused around the 2018 draft. I know very little about the Sharks' first round pick, but the Sharks made it clear that their team has been built around impact players and that they should go for the player with the most potential reward. They felt that by the time they drafted at #21, EVERY player carried risk.
If we look at things objectively, it's relatively easy to fill in the supporting roles on a team through free agency or minor trades. Getting straws to stir the drink is far, far harder. One straw is worth at least half a dozen support players, so why not grab for the gusto with prospects?
The Sharks get their prospects from the US, from Canada, and from Europe. They would be open to a player from South Africa if he could skate, stickhandle, pass and play defense. Likewise the Giants need to broaden their international perspective, which they seem to be doing. But it wouldn't hurt to speed up the process.
The Sharks try to improve themselves with trades and aren't afraid to trade prospects to do so. But of course the Giants first need to have both the solid team to improve and the prospects to add to the solid team, whether through development or trade.
The Sharks have emphasized pedigree. The biggest trade in franchise history was trading for Joe Thornton, a former #1 overall pick. Joe won the MVP in his very first season with the team. Last year they traded for Evander Kane, a former #4 overall pick. That's another way they acquire impact players despite not drafting high.
The video made it very clear the Sharks have a detailed vision of team culture, and explain it to the players impactfully. The Sharks provide nutritional guidance right away to their players as well. They show them drills to make them better.
The Sharks have a huge tryout camp right before the beginning of training camp. I don't know if it would make sense for the Giants to put together a huge tryout camp for overlooked players, but why NOT have a sort of fantasy camp for prospects? If they could pick up even one player who had a chance to make a difference, wouldn't it be worth it? They spend tens of millions to acquire players. How about a few hundred thousand to find that diamond in the rough? Same thing with expanding international scouting.
Much has been made about improving the Giants' analytics. Not to overlook that, but how about improving the scouting staff? The Giants have done extremely well with top 10 picks. That's what they've built their recent success around, and hopefully having two straight top 10 picks in 2018 and 2019 will jump start another period of solid competitiveness.
But they haven't fared well overall with picks below #10. Let's use 2007 as an example.
That draft the Giants had six picks among the top 52. They hit hard with Madison Bumgarner, but then frittered away the other five picks. Tim Alderson, Wendell Fairley, Nick Noonan, Jackson Williams and Charlie Culberson were hardly inspiring picks -- especially with Jayson Heyward, Rick Porcello (my personal pick), Jordan Zimmerman, Giancarlo Stanton, Freddy Freeman and Zack Cozart on the board.
Hard to argue that 2007 wasn't a successful draft with Madison Bumgarner, but the Giants blew the chance for a grand slam and had to settle for a solo home run.
They need to improve their scouting in order to enable them to get better players beyond the top 10 picks. When the Sharks draft outside the top 10 -- which is almost always the case -- they try to pick up a player as good as those in the top 10. They take more risk in order to gain more reward.
Speaking of risk and reward, THAT'S what the Giants need their new GM to be better at. They need more Lincecum's, Bumgarner's, Posey's and Wheeler's -- and they need to be able to find some outside the top 10 picks. Try to hit more home runs, and be willing to strike out on more picks. Most picks aren't going to make much of a difference anyway.