Attn: Basketball Nerds: RE Nate Mac

[OddEnormous]

I would definitely consider hiring Nate to coach a young, rebuilding project. He seems pretty good at it. I think he'd make a fine college coach. I wonder if Phil Knight could convince him to take over the Ducks?

I would not consider hiring Nate to take over an NBA team on the cusp of taking that next step into playoff relevance, since he has not yet shown he's good at it.

Since Nate is currently the coach of a team that is on the cusp of taking that next step into playoff relevance, and since he's been the coach this season of an injury decimated team that has apparently overachieved (again), I think there is little chance that he will be replaced before he gets one or two more chances to show what he can do in the playoffs.

Since there's nothing I can do about it one way or the other, I'll just sit back and watch. And drink heavily.

I agree. He will get another chance. And the team next season barring injury will play boring walk it up, kill the clock basketball, probably finish between 3rd and 6th in the Conf and lose in the first round for the 3rd year in a row followed by a year long lockout.

Keep drinking.

 

[noknobs]

I would not consider hiring Nate to take over an NBA team on the cusp of taking that next step into playoff relevance, since he has not yet shown he's good at it.

Well he hasn't shown he's not good at it either.

KP was apparently incapable of midseason trades, a little while ago...

and since he's been the coach this season of an injury decimated team that has apparently overachieved (again)

Weird how his teams keep overachieving for some odd reason. What a head-scratcher.

 

[OddEnormous]

Well he hasn't shown he's not good at it either.

:shakeshead:

Weird how his teams keep overachieving for some odd reason.

Based on what?

 

[MrSelfDestruct]

Well he hasn't shown he's not good at it either.

KP was apparently incapable of midseason trades, a little while ago...



Weird how his teams keep overachieving for some odd reason. What a head-scratcher.

He is a great motivator from what I can tell. However, he had a hell of a time at the beginning of the season with rotations and other things when the team was at full strength. The team was winning, but they were playing far from great ball.

I'm pretty much in complete agreement with BBert on this one. And I too will be drinking next season.

 

[OddEnormous]

He is a great motivator from what I can tell.

Has the team looked motivated to you this season?

I agree with you. Had no idea what was going on at the start of the season. The team came out lackluster and were not ready to play. They didn't actually improve until the roster thinned out.

 

[noknobs]

:shakeshead:

Since I assume that means you think he has proven he can't take over an NBA team on the cusp of a championship, please enlighten me. I'm interested to hear about all those teams he's coached that were ready for a championship but which he proved incapable of coaching them.

He hasn't even had that opportunity yet here in Portland. I don't understand the need to automatically assume the worst about him before he even has a chance to prove you wrong.

http://sportstwo.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2256631#post2256631

 

[MrSelfDestruct]

Has the team looked motivated to you this season?

I agree with you. Had no idea what was going on at the start of the season. The team came out lackluster and were not ready to play. They didn't actually improve until the roster thinned out.

At times, yes. At others, absolutely not. I was referring more to past seasons with that comment though.

 

[OddEnormous]

Since I assume that means you think he has proven he can't take over an NBA team on the cusp of a championship, please enlighten me. I'm interested to hear about all those teams he's coached that were ready for a championship but which he proved incapable of coaching them.

He hasn't even had that opportunity yet here in Portland. I don't understand the need to automatically assume the worst about him before he even has a chance to prove you wrong.

http://sportstwo.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2256631#post2256631

I can not judge what he does in a world that does not exist where he magically is put in charge of a team who is "on the cusp."

I can however judge what he has done in the real world over his TEN YEAR career.

Nothing except collect nice articles about how young and up and coming he is and bore me to tears for 3 /12 quarters every night.

 

[OddEnormous]

At times, yes. At others, absolutely not. I was referring more to past seasons with that comment though.

got it.

 

[noknobs]

I can not judge what he does in a world that does not exist where he magically is put in charge of a team who is "on the cusp."

I can however judge what he has done in the real world over his TEN YEAR career.

Nothing except collect nice articles about how young and up and coming he is and bore me to tears for 3 /12 quarters every night.

You are judging him on a world that doesn't exist... that's the whole point... whatever, I guess we each see what we want to see.

 

[Draco]

How about you give us a real option for an alternative?

All I ever hear from the Nate bashers is bitching about his flaws and what he is doing wrong. I think many of them might be people that just want to bitch and complain; they'd be criticizing any coach we had.

 

[maxiep]

Michael Jordan is the best basketball player to ever play the game ... ergo he must be a phenomenal front office person.

Let's not forget the greatness of Magic Johnson or Isiah Thomas as a coach.

 

[jlprk]

Michael Jordan is the best basketball player to ever play the game ... ergo he must be a phenomenal front office person.

No, that makes sense. OddEnormous said that since McMillan didn't do well in the playoffs as a player, he is a bad coach. Nikolokolus replied that if that's true, then since Jordan did well as a player, he should be successful in the front office, which we know that he hasn't been.

Edit: That was a reply to the objections very early in the thread that Nik's comment didn't make sense, not to maxiep's post right before this one. I hadn't read that far yet.

 

[OddEnormous]

OddEnormous said that since McMillan didn't do well in the playoffs as a player, he is a bad coach.

No I didn't.

 

[OddEnormous]

All I ever hear from the Nate bashers is bitching about his flaws and what he is doing wrong. I think many of them might be people that just want to bitch and complain; they'd be criticizing any coach we had.

That's as stupid as me saying, "Oh you LOVE Nate so much, I bet you just love to love Blazers coaches no matter how bad they might be homer."

Please don't draw wild conclusions. there's already enough to talk about.

 

[jlprk]

No I didn't.

I've noticed that before. You save a lot of time by stating what didn't happen, instead of what did. It leaves all possibilities open. You'd be good on a witness stand.

 

[OddEnormous]

I've noticed that before. You save a lot of time by stating what didn't happen, instead of what did. It leaves all possibilities open. You'd be good on a witness stand.

What? You said I said something that I didn't. how am I supposed to respond?

 

[jlprk]

Well, I could say, "I don't agree with the exact words in this thread." Or I could say--

Nate is good at climbing out of a pit. That goes for a bad team improving in the standings, or for a team that's behind to make a comeback in the 4th quarter. It comes from the team being more disciplined than other teams.

He's bad at making a good team into an elite team. That comes from letting loose of the discipline and letting good players use all their talents.

Then the team would have a fast break on offense, and would know how to defend on defense against the same. This team has no uptempo game either on offense or defense. For one squad to learn it on defense, they would have to practice against another squad learning it on offense, during practice. Therefore, the team can't learn defense against the fast break unless they first know how to do it on offense.

 

[WillG]

Whether it's the next coach we have, or possibly the one after (I think/HOPE we have a coaching change SOON):
A lot of guys on here will be looking back with 20/20 vision at just what a negative influence McMillan has/had on this team.

Sure he's a good guy and a good mentor for the young guys, but as a head coach, for the end product that goes out on the court, he's a net negative worth.
He's too commandeering and this stems from his power tripping ego and inability to trust in the players to make the right decisions.
In effect he babies them. How are these young guys supposed to grow into MEN if they're not treated like them?

It must be very frustrating. Look at what is happening to Rudy under McMillan.
This guy is an experienced Olympian and you can see the love of BBall and his confidence being squeezed from him under Nate.
It's no wonder that you see the whole roster play with what can only be described as apathy.

If McMillan leaves the Blazers soon, it will be the day that this roster finally has a chance to bloom, from under oppression, and show what it really can do.

 

[OddEnormous]

It must be very frustrating. Look at what is happening to Rudy under McMillan.
This guy is an experienced Olympian and you can see the love of BBall and his confidence being squeezed from him under Nate.
It's no wonder that you see the whole roster play with what can only be described as apathy.

Bang. Fucking. on.

Wrepped.