OT: Pistons hire Cheeks!

[PapaG]

I didn't forget about Finley, but he didn't have a good series against the Blazers - something like 5 ppg below his season average and shot the ball poorly.

Van Exel definitely killed us, especially in the 4th quarter of game 7. The Blazers were ahead going into the 4th quarter and ended up losing by double digits. I seem to recall Van Exel scoring 16 points in that quarter.

Nellie was smart about going with the hot hand. The Mavs 4 best players were Dirk, Nash, Finley and Van Exel. Nellie started a huge line up of Bradley 7'6", LaFrentz 7'1" and Dirk 7'0", but wasn't afraid to go small when Van Exel was hot.

And that's the difference between a coach like Nelson and one like Mo Cheeks. Nellie made the moves that gave his team an advantage and Cheeks was constantly juggling his line ups in a reactionary manner. Cheeks had so much depth, but he didn't know how to use it to his advantage. He didn't start the big line up of Sabas, Sheed and Zach until game 7. Sabas killed the Mavs in the first half. Hell, he had a PER of 32.0 for the series. Then Nellie went small, with the hot handed Van Exel in the 4th and Cheeks didn't have an answer.

BNM

In Dallas' wins that series, NVE had 8, 12, 14, and then his big Game 7 where he scored 26 points on 10-15 shooting. The first three Dallas wins, he shot 3-15 from three, and 40% overall while attempting 2 FTs total.

NVE really didn't do much to get Dallas the 3-0, considering his season average was 12 ppg, but his great Game 7 skews the memory as to how important he was in that series.

 

[Draco]

I'll be curious to see how Cheeks does. His credentials are just as good as Stotts; both of them had disappointments in their first head coaching jobs.

I think a lot of Blazer fans just dismiss any former players or coaches of the Blazers.

 

[illmatic99]

I also really liked that "Caribbean Queen" song of his from the '80s.

Wasn't that Billy Ocean?

 

[Nikolokolus]

Look on the bright side folks, that's just one more team out of the other 29 we don't really have to worry about.

 

[handiman]

I'll be curious to see how Cheeks does. His credentials are just as good as Stotts; both of them had disappointments in their first head coaching jobs.

I think a lot of Blazer fans just dismiss any former players or coaches of the Blazers.

Cheeks also was a major dissapointment in his second head coaching job, and I'm not sure anyone with realistic expectations would say Stotts was a disappointment. And there's a lot of love lately for ex-Blazers still in the league, so no, not your best attempt.