Rob Hennigan is now an official NBA General Manager. It’s the sort of job promotion that every personnel or front office worker likely dreams of, and Hennigan definitely deserves the chance. Now that the Orlando Magic have their man officially in house, some of the explanation of what took place behind the scenes is beginning to emerge.
In an interview with the Orlando Sentinel, team CEO Alex Martins gave his reasons as to why they went with Hennigan over others and what their selection process was like. You can check out the full transcript below:
"When we began this process, we clearly stated we had several primary goals in our attempt to identify a new general manager, starting with an individual that had operated within a championship organization. Secondly, [we wanted] someone who had a strategic focus and had the ability to develop a long-term strategic personnel plan for sustainability for success.
"And we believe we’ve found the individual who fits that profile perfectly in Rob Hennigan. Rob has operated in two of the most successful organizations in our league over the last decade, having his initial experience in what could be characterized as one of the most sustainable organizations for success with the San Antonio Spurs.
"We felt that a majority of the individuals that we interviewed and focused on fit the criteria. As we went through that process, we felt that Rob set himself apart from the other finalists with his vision, with his approach towards process and procedure, his detailed plan for building a successful basketball operation and a strong focus on innovation in so many parts of the basketball operation.
"Whether it be a holistic approach towards player development or the utilization of analytics in the decision-making process of player personnel, Rob brings a great deal of innovation to the role. And we feel that it will allow us to build a basketball operation that will be sustainable in its success for a long period of time."
Hennigan’s work can be seen in the Oklahoma City Thunder roster currently playing in the 2012 NBA Finals. While his team is on the ropes against the Miami Heat, it’s clear that they are built to be competitive over the long haul.
For more on the Orlando Magic, check out SB Nation blog Orlando Pinstriped Post.