McMillan's Staff Uneasy About Job Security

[Masbee]

Nate McMillan is a top Coach of the Year contender in Portland, so I (like you) never expected him to figure into this conversation, but one coaching source said that McMillan's staff has at times this season shared some of the same uneasiness about its job security that Blazers general manager Kevin Pritchard has been subjected to lately in spite of Pritchard's popularity with Portland fans

http://espn.go.com/nba/dailydime/_/page/dime-100402-03/coaching-moves-ahead

I am surprised by the restlessness in the Blazer's front office this year. What is going on? What is the endgame here?

 

[MIXUM]

if nate gets fired... most posters will need a new excuse for players bad play.

 

[RagingBull04]

It's got be difficult as players on this team knowing that your owner doesn't believe in you and what has been built here.

Way to throw in the towel Paul

 

[Nikolokolus]

I'm guessing that PA and the Vulcans have maybe soured on this current iteration of the team. Perhaps they've seen the same (mostly) stale offense that many of us have or have seen the plateauing that has occurred in the team's "stars" (LMA in particular) and are getting antsy. None of this really seems fair -- in light of all of the injuries -- but sometimes sports isn't about fair, and it's always about high expectations and production.

 

[BlazerWookee]

http://espn.go.com/nba/dailydime/_/page/dime-100402-03/coaching-moves-ahead

I am surprised by the restlessness in the Blazer's front office this year. What is going on? What is the endgame here?

"One coaching source" = "Mark Warkentein's been drinking and texting again"

 

[BlazerWookee]

It's got be difficult as players on this team knowing that your owner doesn't believe in you and what has been built here.

Way to throw in the towel Paul

It's got to be difficult as players on this team knowing that your fans actually believe stories like this to be even vaguely true.

 

[Nikolokolus]

"One coaching source" = "Mark Warkentein's been drinking and texting again"

Mark Warkentien: The Blazers new bogeyman.

 

[barfo]

It seems to me that the coaching staff should be uneasy about their job security. Since Nate is, by choice, on a one-year deal, that means no security for any of the asst. coaches.

barfo

 

[OddEnormous]

if nate gets fired... most posters will need a new excuse for players bad play.

You can't just cut and paste your old posts in a different order and expect to get away with it.

That's just lazy.

"If we don't Nate bad kpee homers excuse for never playoffs fired excuse Howard new PG Kool Aid."

 

[barfo]

It's got to be difficult as players on this team knowing that your fans actually believe stories like this to be even vaguely true.

Also, it's got to be difficult as fans of this team not knowing that sportswriters make up stories like this to sound vaguely true.

barfo

 

[SlyPokerDog]

I like and think highly of Bayno and Monty. I'm a huge Maurice Lucas fan but with his health I'd like to see him move to the front office. Currently the best big man coach on this team is Juwan Howard. (I'm not discounting Camby just pointing out that he hasn't been here long and hasn't had much time to work with the younger players.)

I think for Nate to take a team to the next level he needs a Tex Winter type of assistant. Who? Not really sure. Not a lot of wise old sages available. Lute Olsen?

MJ said he'd let Larry Brown out of his contract. I'd almost like to see Brown come here for 2 years and let him groom Monty to eventually become the head coach.

While I think highly of Nate and appreciate everything he's done I just don't see him growing more as a coach. He's built a great foundation, under appreciated by many in here, I just don't see him guiding a team to the promise land.

 

[OddEnormous]

I'm guessing that PA and the Vulcans have maybe soured on this current iteration of the team. Perhaps they've seen the same (mostly) stale offense that many of us have or have seen the plateauing that has occurred in the team's "stars" (LMA in particular) and are getting antsy. None of this really seems fair -- in light of all of the injuries -- but sometimes sports isn't about fair, and it's always about high expectations and production.

I find myself agreeing with almost every one of your posts.

I'm honestly not sure what to make of this team anymore. They were pretty fun to watch last year and I was looking forward to this season.

The team came out flat to start this year, then the injury bug hit and they've spent the entire season trying to get by. Now everyone who's coming back is back and they are getting decent results.

The problem I'm having is how mind numbingly boring this team as become. I find watching this team a chore.

I know a lot of people don't care about that "As long as we win!" but I'm not so sure I agree with that. I like being entertained.... If it's going to be this boring, we better fucking win, win now and win BIG.

But as I was saying, I can't figure out yet if we're boring this season compared to last because we had to be thanks to all the problems we've faced... Or if this is what Nate envisions going forward as the way he want's to play.

I'm not sure I'll be able to judge until next season.

Maybe PA feels the same... It's like, What is this? Are we just going to continue to use all of this talent to try and squeeze games to death 82 times a year?

No thanks.

 

[oldguy]

Preemptive move to make KP and Nate uneasy about their jobs, to lower salary expectations when they start contract negotiations. The Vulcan mind melt.

Go Blazers

 

[THE HCP]

if nate gets fired... most posters will need a new excuse for players bad play.

Spoken like a life-long, die-hard Blazer fan!

 

[Masbee]

I'm guessing that PA and the Vulcans have maybe soured on this current iteration of the team. Perhaps they've seen the same (mostly) stale offense that many of us have or have seen the plateauing that has occurred in the team's "stars" (LMA in particular) and are getting antsy. None of this really seems fair -- in light of all of the injuries -- but sometimes sports isn't about fair, and it's always about high expectations and production.

You know, I would agree with you about this except for one thing:

the vibe I get from the actions and inactions and the statements and non-statements of the management/ownership suite leads me to feel that it is NOT that straightforward:

Review the situation. Decide the team is on the wrong track. Make a new plan. Execute plan.

Where in the actions of the last year do you see any of the above.

I see, politics and in-fighting and reaction and emotion. In short, a lack of leadership.

 

[BGrantFan]

Perhaps Nate's staff is uneasy about their job security since, well, Nate decided to accept year-to-year contracts, meaning either he or the team can decide to part ways at the end of a season, leaving the staff in a bind.

Nah, that can't possibly be the case. It must be due to some sort of ineptitude by Nate, and Paul Allen being bored with winning games and making the playoffs after 6 years of the absolute shits.

 

[BLAZER PROPHET]

I read the book Good to Great, about the CEO of GE (at least I think it was GE- read the book years ago) that rebuilt the company and one of the hallmarks of building a "great" organization as firing people who were doing good work for no reason so all the other employees understood that if they didn't play cut throat around the work place, they might be fired as well. Maybe Vulcan is managing via intimidation.

 

[tlongII]

You know, I would agree with you about this except for one thing:

the vibe I get from the actions and inactions and the statements and non-statements of the management/ownership suite leads me to feel that it is NOT that straightforward:

Review the situation. Decide the team is on the wrong track. Make a new plan. Execute plan.

Where in the actions of the last year do you see any of the above.

I see, politics and in-fighting and reaction and emotion. In short, a lack of leadership.

I see it as a reaction to Allen's illness. I believe the Vulcans are jockeying for power in anticipation of a vacuum at the throne.

 

[Nikolokolus]

You know, I would agree with you about this except for one thing:

the vibe I get from the actions and inactions and the statements and non-statements of the management/ownership suite leads me to feel that it is NOT that straightforward:

Review the situation. Decide the team is on the wrong track. Make a new plan. Execute plan.

Where in the actions of the last year do you see any of the above.

I see, politics and in-fighting and reaction and emotion. In short, a lack of leadership.

I guess if you assume that PA and the Vulcans (PA in particular) make all of their decisions based on logic and reason then you would be right, but that's not been the MO.

 

[ABM]

I guess if you assume that PA and the Vulcans (PA in particular) make all of their decisions on logic and reason then you would be right, but that's not been the MO.

PA's not the accidental zillionaire for nuttin'.