I'm pretty sure we didn't surprise anyone last year either. We either went to Roy or Outlaw.
Like I said, dumping Nate may be just exchanging one problem for another. Feel free to look, but again I'll ask who is clearly better than he is. I think there may be some equals or a bit better, but not a lot clearly better.
I disagree. Last year we were a young team that had missed the play-offs five years in a row. How many top teams spend valuable practice time and scouting time on teams they routinely beat? Do you think teams spend extra time preparing and altering their game plan to stop the Sacramento Kings? I doubt it. So, I think the Blazers did tale some teams by surprise last year, and it took them a while to make adjustments and come up with a defensive strategy to stop the Blazers late in games. They have now made those adjustments and Nate has failed to counter.
Nate seems to hate change. He resisted, irrationally IMHO, benching Blake and starting Miller at PG - even to the point where he would rather force Brandon Roy to play out of position at small forward than bench Blake in favor of a better starting PG.
Outlaw is gone (and wasn't available before he was traded) and every team we play seems to know exactly how to stop our offense in the 4th quarter, yet I don't see Nate adapting. I don't see him making any changes. I just see the same failed 4th quarter offensive play calling over, and over and over. The situation has changed, but Nate stubbornly clings to the familiar - even when it's failing miserably.
The ONLY way I'd be in favor of bringing Nate back next season is IF he's willing to hire an experienced, proven offensive guru, like Tex Winter, and actually turn the offense over to him. I use Tex as an example becuase he's a proven offensive mastermind and happens to live in Salem. I'm not sure if he's still on the Laker payroll, but he's the kind of offensive coach the Blazers need to reach their full potential. It's not going to happen under Nate with his predictable, uncreative, one-dimensional play calling.
Even then, would Nate be willing to turn his offense over to an assistant? When Mo Cheeks was here, that was one of his biggest problems. He actually had some more experineced assistants on his staff, but would NOT accept input from them during the games. Herb Brown quit becuase Cheeks flat out refused to listen to him during the games. Nate, on the other hand, has surrounded himself with less experienced assistants that he has hand selected. They are all "Nate Guys" - basically Nate clones that he has endoctrinated with his own philosophy and limited play calling. So, I doubt if there will ever be any dissenting opinions from anyone on his staff. What chance is there for creativity when they are all basically Nate disciples?
In terms of better coaches, Phil Jackson is the first one that springs to mind. He did not renew his contract with the Lakers. He is pissed at Jerry Buss for passing over Jeanie to run the team and turning it over to his less qualified, less knowledgeable, less involved, less intelligent son, Jim. As soon as the season is over, I think Paul Allen should call Phil Jackson personally and offer him whatever it takes to get him here. There is no salary cap or luxury tax on coaches. Paul has invested a fortune in this team and that will continue to rise as more of our young players come off their rookie scale contracts and get big paydays like Brandon and LaMarcus. It only makes sense to invest comparably in the man who will guide those highly paid players.
What is the contract status of Greg Popovich, Jerry Sloan and Rick Adelman? I'd take any of them in a heart beat over Nate. I'd also give Avery Johnson and Kevin McHale a look. Avery has a career record of 194-70 as a head coach. McHale was a crappy GM, but he is great at developing young big men and his teams always seemed to over achieve when he took over as coach.
Those are just the most obvious choices. If none of them are available, I'd also scour the ranks of collge coaches, WNBA coaches (Laimbeer, perhaps) and Europe. I'd also look at the top assistants of successful teams like the Spurs, Lakers, Jazz and Celtics. Put as much effort into hiring the next coach as Pritchard does in preparing for the draft. IMHO, getting the right coach for this team is more important than who we draft this June.
When it comes to hiring a top notch coach, money talks and Paul Allen has more of it than any owner in sports. Guys that may not appear to be available can suddenly become available if enough money is offered. Everyone has their price.
BNM
