Former Knicks GM Scott Perry on NBA Front Office Decision Making: Building 2000s Pistons, Drafting Durant and Oladipo; Scouting Process Valuing Character, Team Identity, and Different Perspectives

Learning Basketball

Ep. 50 Learning Basketball with Scott Perry @ScottPerryGM

Scott Perry is the host of the Hoop Genius Podcast with decades of front office experience spanning from GM of the New York Knicks to Assistant GM and VP of Basketball Operations with the Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic, Sacramento Kings, and Seattle Supersonics.

Today we learn about Scott’s journey into basketball scouting from college player and coach to NBA front offices, lessons he’s learned to form his evaluation process, and dive into the inner workings of how front offices make decisions, build an identity, and ideally create a sustainable contender over the long haul.

Timestamps:00:00 Introduction & Background and Unexpected Opportunities in Basketball

08:50 Lessons from Dad, Lowell Perry, Breaking Barriers in NFL

14:05 Building a Successful Team Identity with Joe Dumars and John Hammond

20:47 The Importance of Character in Player Evaluation, who players are as people matters just as much as talent

24:18 Drafting Kevin Durant and Victor Oladipo with 2nd overall picks in Seattle and Orlando, respectively

32:27 How Front Offices Make Decisions + Vertical Integration Communication from GM to Coach to Player

37:35 Lesser Known Realities of Front Office Life

42:11 Advice to aspiring Scouts and Favorite Memories as New York Knicks GM
46:42 Influence of different perspectives like Sam Presti, Rob Hennigan, Matt Lloyd helping develop scouting process