Canzano Reports (Hey stop laughing!) Nate being offered extension

[Natebishop3]

Think about this, though. Nate was able to coach a team starting Blake/Roy/Batum/LMA/PrzyOden to 54-wins, with a bench of Rudy, Sergio, Bayless, and Outlaw, to 54 wins. This was with 18 PER Oden/LMA, and not beastly Oden for 21 games last year, or beastly LMA this year.

Was that team a contender, or were they just ridiculously overcoached into the 2nd-best record in the West? Outlaw, Blake, and Rudy were the 3/4/5 leading scorers on that team, and they were #1 in the NBA in offensive efficiency.

That's a hell of a coaching job, isn't it? Yet you were complaining about the coach, and even wanted the Blazers to tank last season so you would be "right" about Nate being a bad coach. I am glad that you're waffling about Nate, because look at the 2008-09 roster, and tell me what other coach gets 54 wins.

Go back and look at what I said. I never said I wanted the team to tank so I could be "right" about Nate being a bad coach. I said a part of me hopes the team loses so Nate gets fired. It was something said in the heat of the moment because the team was sucking in preseason and he was starting Blake over Miller, yet you've mentioned it at least a dozen times since then like it was an idea that I was championing. It was an offhand comment about how I was unhappy with Nate as the coach, but keep on remembering it with your own selective memories.

 

[Sug]

Please give me a list of replacements so we can analyze the options together.

Ditka

 

[Sug]

I think Nate doesn't sign the extension and moves to the L*kers next year.

Word on the street is that the replacement has already been selected from within.

To clear up any confusion, I meant the coaching decision with the Lakers. I think it was Spears that had that.

 

[barfo]

Word on the street is that the replacement has already been selected from within.

Player-Coach Brandon Roy?

barfo

 

[Sug]

Player-Coach Brandon Roy?

barfo

Sorry I meant the LA job not our spot.

 

[BrianFromWA]

Player-Coach Brandon Roy?

barfo

You mean they'll finally make it official?

 

[Mediocre Man]

Please give me a list of replacements so we can analyze the options together.

This is always the easy way for someone who supports keeping Nate to argue, But let me ask you this.....

Would you have thought it was a good idea to fire Paul Westhead and hire unproven assistant coach Pat Riley? Keep in mind that Westhead had won an NBA title the year before and made it to the playoffs the year he was fired.

My point is that you never know what coach is going to be able to get your team to the next level. Nate does a great job of getting every ounce of juice out of this team, but his entire body of work shows that he hasn't been able to take any team to the next level.

 

[crandc]

Please give me a list of replacements so we can analyze the options together.

We have a winner!!

All the "fire Nate" crowd seem to think the ghost of Red Auerbach is available. He's not. If you want to dump Nate, who do you put in his place? The best coaches have gigs, the retreads are retreads, and I don't see any hot assistant coming down the pike.

Nate may simply be the best available coach at this time.

 

[STOMP]

My point is that you never know what coach is going to be able to get your team to the next level. Nate does a great job of getting every ounce of juice out of this team, but his entire body of work shows that he hasn't been able to take any team to the next level.

Which of Nate's clubs rank with Riley's various championship clubs in terms of talent?

I want a coach that can get the most out of what he has and don't place the blame on him for what he doesn't have. I also don't blame the coach for players sustaining injuries just prior to and in the playoffs. If Portland enters this year's playoffs relatively healthy, I like their chances of advancing against anyone but Stern's Lakers

STOMP

 

[oldmangrouch]

I do find it interesting that people always seem to cite Nate as a guy who "gets all he can" out of players.

If that is true, why is the team so inconsistent? Why do they go through prolonged stretches where they play like a 20 win team, with no energy and horrible execution?

 

[BlazerCaravan]

I do find it interesting that people always seem to cite Nate as a guy who "gets all he can" out of players.

If that is true, why is the team so inconsistent? Why do they go through prolonged stretches where they play like a 20 win team, with no energy and horrible execution?

Because he bites at adjustment; once the (very hard, omg, just kill me now please, I'm canceling my season tickets) adjustment period is over, then the team plays well again. I liken it to a bison or a battleship: very solid, and hard to stop, but also not exactly the most maneuverable. Hard to turn, but very good at moving forward.

 

[maxiep]

This is always the easy way for someone who supports keeping Nate to argue, But let me ask you this.....

Would you have thought it was a good idea to fire Paul Westhead and hire unproven assistant coach Pat Riley? Keep in mind that Westhead had won an NBA title the year before and made it to the playoffs the year he was fired.

My point is that you never know what coach is going to be able to get your team to the next level. Nate does a great job of getting every ounce of juice out of this team, but his entire body of work shows that he hasn't been able to take any team to the next level.

Magic. Kareem. Worthy. Wilkes. Cooper. Nixon. Any of us could have coached the L*kers and won titles.

 

[PapaG]

Magic. Kareem. Worthy. Wilkes. Cooper. Nixon. Any of us could have coached the L*kers and won titles.

Plus, Magic Johnson was the reason Westhead was fired. Contrary to popular belief, Westhead was not a fastbreak coach prior to the Lakers firing him. Something snapped creatively after that, and the 1989-90 LMU teams were the other extreme. Also remember that Jerry West coached the Laker offense during Riley's first season.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

FWIW, Wojnarowski intimated on the Rome show today that not only is Nate a legitimate possibility as Phil's replacement in LA, but that Riley will likely go after him to take over for Spoelstra assuming the Heat flame out in the playoffs as many expect.

I think Blazers management has to be seeing the writing on the wall in terms on Nate's options and are trying to avoid a bidding war for his services.

 

[Mediocre Man]

Magic. Kareem. Worthy. Wilkes. Cooper. Nixon. Any of us could have coached the L*kers and won titles.

The point is that Riley was unproven, and had anyone in here been asked if replacing an extremely successful head coach with an unproven assistant coach, and they would have said it was stupid. Yet it turned out just fine. Pretty much every single successful head coach in the NBA was an unproven assistant first.

 

[jlprk]

Please give me a list of replacements so we can analyze the options together.

Some people say that Roy isn't as good as he once was, and we should be looking in the draft for a guard.

I say we should never draft again, because, can you please give a list of the new Roys available so we can go over it together?

Some people say that Grant Hill, Shaquille O'Neal, and Jason Kidd should retire, and their teams should look for someone in the draft.

But I say they should never draft again, because, can you please give a list of the new Grant Hill, Shaquille O'Neal, and Jason Kidd out there so we can go over it together?

Some people say there will be a 2015 Chevy, but do you see one out there? Then it will never happen.

There should never be a replacement for anything if there is any chance involved. Never attempt a trial and error process. Only go where you are certain.

Your list must have only people without risk. Some people say we should get rid of our coach Maurice Cheeks, but please give a list...

 

[Mediocre Man]

FWIW, Wojnarowski intimated on the Rome show today that not only is Nate a legitimate possibility as Phil's replacement in LA, but that Riley will likely go after him to take over for Spoelstra assuming the Heat flame out in the playoffs as many expect.

I think Blazers management has to be seeing the writing on the wall in terms on Nate's options and are trying to avoid a bidding war for his services.

Not because I simply don't want him back, but nate woul dbe stupid to sign a contract with Portland before the summer. He will definately have suitors

 

[maxiep]

The point is that Riley was unproven, and had anyone in here been asked if replacing an extremely successful head coach with an unproven assistant coach, and they would have said it was stupid. Yet it turned out just fine. Pretty much every single successful head coach in the NBA was an unproven assistant first.

Pretty much every sucessful head coach in the NBA was a zygote first.

 

[mgb]

Some people say that Roy isn't as good as he once was, and we should be looking in the draft for a guard.

I say we should never draft again, because, can you please give a list of the new Roys available so we can go over it together?

Some people say that Grant Hill, Shaquille O'Neal, and Jason Kidd should retire, and their teams should look for someone in the draft.

But I say they should never draft again, because, can you please give a list of the new Grant Hill, Shaquille O'Neal, and Jason Kidd out there so we can go over it together?

Some people say there will be a 2015 Chevy, but do you see one out there? Then it will never happen.

There should never be a replacement for anything if there is any chance involved. Never attempt a trial and error process. Only go where you are certain.

Your list must have only people without risk. Some people say we should get rid of our coach Maurice Cheeks, but please give a list...

Your point is pretty bad, in your(all examples) example Roy isn't as good while Nate hasn't drop off any, if he suddenly had us in the lotto consistently then ya look for a new coach.

 

[The_Lillard_King]

I don't think it matters what Nate does for the rest of the year, he will be the hottest commodity as a coach this summer. Unless PA throws an obscene amount of money at him, he will play out the "free agency" this summer.

 

[PapaG]

The point is that Riley was unproven, and had anyone in here been asked if replacing an extremely successful head coach with an unproven assistant coach, and they would have said it was stupid. Yet it turned out just fine. Pretty much every single successful head coach in the NBA was an unproven assistant first.

Riley was taking over a team that had won a title and had two MVP-level players (Magic/Kareem) and solid role players. Plus, as I posted previously, Jerry West helped coach the team during Riley's first season. Also, Riley was already in the Laker organization as an assistant coach, and Jerry Buss was very familiar with him.

I see absolutely no parallel between Riley being hired by the Lakers and some young unproven coach replacing Nate. The situations surrounding the teams are not at all similar.

 

[RoyToy]

The Blazers can't afford to lose McMillan.

 

[zeded]

The universal truth in sports is that wear and tear injuries are due to how the athletes are being trained. This is the responsibility of the head coach and no one else.

Not picking sides or anything, but which injuries were wear and tear?

E-will's? Joel's? Oden's microfractures or exploding knee cap? Where has Oden gotten any 'wear'?

Roy had bad knees in college and little cartilage/meniscus. You could argue that Nate overplayed him due to this limitation, but how do you keep your best player on the bench when he was feeling fine?

I'm not following this argument at all.

 

[handiman]

Not picking sides or anything, but which injuries were wear and tear?

I would classify anything that isn't a dramatic impact injury (like a collision or someone rolling up on your ankle) as wear and tear, fatigue-related. Some coaches always have "bad luck" with similar injuries and never change how they do things... Coaches rarely change their ways on these matters. They either get it or they don't. It's all about identifying the common denominator and eliminating unnecessary risks in the training. This may or may not apply to McMillan - none of us have the necessary view of the team's inner workings to know for sure - but the pattern fits in many ways.

This team is going nowhere (of significance) as long as the injury woes continue, so if there's even a small chance that my hunch is right, it seems worth trying a different direction.

 

[Nate Dogg]

Please give me a list of replacements so we can analyze the options together.

NO shit HCP. I can't think of any.

 

[PapaG]

I would classify anything that isn't a dramatic impact injury (like a collision or someone rolling up on your ankle) as wear and tear, fatigue-related. Some coaches always have "bad luck" with similar injuries and never change how they do things... Coaches rarely change their ways on these matters. They either get it or they don't. It's all about identifying the common denominator and eliminating unnecessary risks in the training. This may or may not apply to McMillan - none of us have the necessary view of the team's inner workings to know for sure - but the pattern fits in many ways.

This team is going nowhere (of significance) as long as the injury woes continue, so if there's even a small chance that my hunch is right, it seems worth trying a different direction.

What were Nate's injury issues when he coached the Sonics? Also, Pat Riley is reknowned for his punishing practices that go far beyond other coaches, yet has he had a problem with "fatigue-related" injuries. You really want to change coaches because of your "hunch" that seemingly has no basis in any consistent application, when compared to other coaches in the NBA?

 

[Masbee]

Please give me a list of replacements so we can analyze the options together.

Best young assistant in the NBA - Monty Williams.

Oops.

 

[PapaG]

Best young assistant in the NBA - Monty Williams.

Oops.

Monty has an MVP runner-up in Chris Paul and a recent All-Star in David West, and is still struggling to keep in playoff position. I'll take Nate over Monty at this point.

 

[Masbee]

Monty has an MVP runner-up in Chris Paul and a recent All-Star in David West, and is still struggling to keep in playoff position. I'll take Nate over Monty at this point.

He aksed for a list.

I have been pretty happy with Nate this season.

Even still, I haven't changed on my opinion from this summer, that it is time for Nate to move on. He needs to move forward in his career and have the challenge of coaching a contending team. We aren't that.

He is a hot commodity in the coaching free agent market. I had little interest in begging him to sign the largest head coaching contract in the NBA. I had little interest in having him as a lame duck coach. I either wanted someone else to come in, or to give a young buck a trial run. We aren't doing anything this year anyway. Start now.

As well as Nate has done, I think Monty - as a rookie head coach - has done incredibly well. If we lose Nate, and Monty is a good coach for years to come, this team, once again, will have shown a propensity for poor long range planning.

 

[STOMP]

Pretty much every sucessful head coach in the NBA was a zygote first.

what goes for pretty much every unsuccessful head coach?

STOMP