If we want a replacement for Terry

[damianlillard]

if we did fire stotts. i would give a serious thought on mark jackson

 

[KingSpeed]

I'm not advocating, but JVG would be a coach that is built more for playoffs than Terry is

Terry won a championship in Dallas. JVG never won anything. That said, if we have to fire Stotts, JVG would be my first choice to replace him.

 

[Minstrel]

I wouldn't be at all enthusiastic about hiring a re-tread who's been out of the (coaching) game for a decade.

If the team fired Stotts, I'd hope that it was because they had a young up-and-coming coach lined up. Someone who's been coaching during this era of the NBA and has fresh ideas about where the game goes from here.

 

[WillG]

I think we need a change regardless.
The team has been playing with a nihilistic attitude for long enough that, on most other teams, we wouldn't even be having this conversation - the coach would have been canned.

We've already seen the invigorating inclusion of the Nurkinator. Now we need to complete the refresh.

The stank of this years dysfunctional team needs to be eradicated. . .

 

[blue9]

The stank of this years dysfunctional team needs to be eradicated. . .

You can practically see the stink lines coming off of Terry.

 

[Nate]

if we did fire stotts. i would give a serious thought on mark jackson

Hell motherfuckin NO

 

[ripcityboy]

if we did fire stotts. i would give a serious thought on mark jackson

 

[MickZagger]

"Bad" isn't quite the right word. Most coaches just aren't noticeable difference makers. A very few are fucking awful, or great, with about 90% in the mushy middle. I think part of it, is that so much of success in the NBA comes down to the five guys that are out there on the court succeeding or failing for a lot of other reasons that don't have anything to do with the guy yelling at them from the bench.

I dunno, there's a little more to it than that. A lot of the credit should go to the guys with the clipboards on the sidelines who are whispering in the head coaches ear. Scouts as well. The Lawrence Franks of the NBA. But when the opposite team has a Lebron or a Steph Curry, its all moot.

 

[Nikolokolus]

if we did fire stotts. i would give a serious thought on mark jackson

You mean the guy who couldn't win with Steph Curry and Klay Thompson? Jackson is one of those ten-percenter coaches that makes their roster worse.

 

[riverman]

Stotts will stay...the roster will have to be better 1-10 by training camp

 

[Mediocre Man]

Terry won a championship in Dallas. JVG never won anything. That said, if we have to fire Stotts, JVG would be my first choice to replace him.

Luc Longley won 3 championships, and Karl Malone and Charles Barkley have 0. What's your point?

 

[stampedehero]

F Fire them all. We have been conditoned to losing.

 

[andalusian]

I honestly do not believe Terry is the problem. He is a fine coach when given a good roster, and at times can even succeed with a crappy roster (last year). He is not a miracle worker. This year is basically last-year's roster with more injuries.

 

[Shaboid]

I honestly do not believe Terry is the problem. He is a fine coach when given a good roster, and at times can even succeed with a crappy roster (last year). He is not a miracle worker. This year is basically last-year's roster with more injuries.

This years roster also seems less motivated or less focused. I think some of that can be attributed to the coaching staff. Hard to say.

 

[andalusian]

This years roster also seems less motivated or less focused. I think some of that can be attributed to the coaching staff. Hard to say.

Not being close to the team, I can not tell. But, if the options are between the coaching stuff somehow losing their mojo or the players feeling comfortable after they got giant contracts and an injury bug - I am going with #2.

 

[Shaboid]

Not being close to the team, I can not tell. But, if the options are between the coaching stuff somehow losing their mojo or the players feeling comfortable after they got giant contracts and an injury bug - I am going with #2.

Totally reasonable. Even if there is some blame that can be laid on the staff for the teams lack of motivation or focus, hard to say if it is enough to require a staffing change.

 

[Orion Bailey]

"Bad" isn't quite the right word. Most coaches just aren't noticeable difference makers. A very few are fucking awful, or great, with about 90% in the mushy middle. I think part of it, is that so much of success in the NBA comes down to the five guys that are out there on the court succeeding or failing for a lot of other reasons that don't have anything to do with the guy yelling at them from the bench.

Let's dissect this a bit. I think it has alot more with how the league is built.
Radio guys they other day touched upon it I think Isaaac and Zuke.

In Baseball and Football, when a rookie is brought in from college or the minors, there is only one thing. How can that player make the team better. If that player doesn't make the team better, he doesn't play. It's very much a team first thing and not about number's and selfish play. If you are in it for yourself, you wont go far. You need to invest in a team and then the numbers will come.

In Basketball, it is 100% opposite entering the league. It's all about the big payday and defense doesn't earn that. SO players come in knowing they need to put up numbers to get paid. Players come into this league way more selfish than in other sports...and that makes them MUCH harder to control. More often than not players in the NBA don't come to understand what it takes to win until well into their first big contract and sometimes into their second. Only after they have the money and their priorities are focused on winning do they understand the individual sacrifices team ball requires.

So with this league being so player powerful with their needs to put up numbers, it takes a "I don't give a shit if you are the MVP of the league, you will do what I say or sit!" type of coach who can truly make an impact. The reason why most coaches are not noticed, average, meh, is because they lack the balls, the mental sternness and firmness to stand up to the stars/leaders on their teams.
Most coaches are afraid of laying into their star and thus, never make an impact.

Look at some of the best coaches out there. POP, Riley, Jackson, Thibs... all coaches who don't give a shit who you are. its their way or the highway. Yes you adapt to the strengths of the team, but you call the shots.

Cleveland is an anomaly because they have the best overall player on the planet. and surrounded him with a bunch of lottery picks. And even then, when Lou came in he put LBJ in his place at one point.

A strong coach can be a difference maker if he has a good plan, but a good plan will never make it without a strong coach. If you can't get the players to buy into YOUR system, then you are just a puppet to the leader of the team.

Fortunately Stotts has stars that are good natured guys who actually want to win and trust and listen to him. All that's left is Stotts having the right plan. And it start with....

BIG MAN COACH
BIG MAN COACH
BIG MAN COACH

 

[jlprk]

BIG MAN COACH
BIG MAN COACH
BIG MAN COACH

Stotts has no need for such a coach. In the Stotts system, big men play like small forwards. As the video in the other threads shows, Nurkic is being groomed the same as all other Stotts big men.

 

[jlprk]

The team has been playing with a nihilistic attitude for long enough that, on most other teams, we wouldn't even be having this conversation - the coach would have been canned.

In another thread, I called it the self-destructive Stotts system. I'll copy your word choice in future posts.

 

[BBert]

It's the current state of the league. Big men shoot threes. In the case of Nurkic, we hope he spends the majority of his time in the post, passing and scoring around the basket, and is effective with the occasional outside shot when the opposing big forgets to come out on him. Think Sabas.

 

[Hobbesarable]

Think Sabas.

Bring him here as a big man/defense coach and Nurkic will thrive!

 

[bodyman5000 and 1]

Luc Longley won 3 championships, and Karl Malone and Charles Barkley have 0. What's your point?

perfect post. so much dominance.

 

[Jade Falcon]

I've made it no secret my disdain for Stotts. I think he's a mediocre coach at best.

A bit like Jim Harbaugh when he coached the 49ers: he did outstanding when he had an All-Pro Defense, and All-Pro O-Line, and a HOF-bound Running Back putting up record numbers. But once injuries came and people left, he was average at best, and didn't adjust his playbook accordingly. Refused to, in fact. And his plays became predictable and one-dimensional.

That's what Stotts is: average. Never calls the appropriate time outs, never adjust plays after half-time, and never adjusts to the opposing team's Defense.

That being said.....I'm willing to back off my criticisms of him with Nurkic playing now. I got to see just how badly this team has needed a post scorer since Aldridge left when Nurkic played in that Utah game, and I remembered how well we played when we DID have a post scorer. If we can establish similar consistency, and if Stotts develops his schemes around post-plays, then we'll definitely start winning more games in time.

The other part of that equation is....who would take his place if he got canned? Pretty much all the good coaches who are worth a damn are already under good contracts with other teams. And expecting a college-level coach to come in and take us to 50-something wins is asinine.

So....I guess we're stuck with him. Until a legit better option presents itself.

 

[ripcityboy]

Bring him here as a big man/defense coach and Nurkic will thrive!

My friend moved to Lithuania a few years ago with his new Vilnius-raised wife. He told me that a bio-epic about Aryvdis life was released over there in the local theaters. I forgot to ask him if it was any good. Maybe he will send me a DVD of it.... And I wonder what retread American actors they dug up to play his team mates?

 

[Dougnsalem]

My friend moved to Lithuania a few years ago with his new Vilnius-raised wife. He told me that a bio-epic about Aryvdis life was released over there in the local theaters. I forgot to ask him if it was any good. Maybe he will send me a DVD of it.... And I wonder what retread American actors they dug up to play his team mates?

Damn. Thanks for the tip. Hadn't heard of it before. 8.8 out of 10. Made in 2014. Some of the cast-Arvydas, David Robinson, Dameon, Hakeem, David Stern, Marcilious(sp?).....

 

[blue9]

I wonder if it has subtitles...need to search it out if it does!

 

[Hobbesarable]

My friend moved to Lithuania a few years ago with his new Vilnius-raised wife. He told me that a bio-epic about Aryvdis life was released over there in the local theaters. I forgot to ask him if it was any good. Maybe he will send me a DVD of it.... And I wonder what retread American actors they dug up to play his team mates?

Thanks for the heads up on Arvydas Sabonis biopic. I will certainly check it out.