Semi OT: Mike brown fired

[Fender]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5213917

 

[jlprk]

It's now 5:44 am Pacific Time. I wondered why so early on a Monday morning. Then I read they had a midnight deadline on a Sunday night.

 

[Mediocre Man]

2 Nate coaching clones, who both had more success than Nate in the playoffs, fired because they didn't have success in the playoffs.


Atta boy Vulcans. Keep Mr Sonic because you are all from Seattle.

 

[BrianFromWA]

the money quote from this whole thing:

After a long and deep analysis of all of the factors that led to the disappointing early ends to our playoff runs over the past two seasons, we concluded that it was time for the XXXXXXX to move in a different direction," Gilbert said Monday in a statement released by the team. "The expectations of this organization are very high and, although change always carries an element of risk, there are times when that risk must be taken in an attempt to break through to new, higher levels of accomplishment.

"This is one of those times."

Not necessarily "Let it bake", is it?

 

[ABM]

Hate to say I told ya so, but I told ya so.

 

[BLAZER PROPHET]

How transparent.

 

[LittleAlex]

Not necessarily "Let it bake", is it?

I think Cleveland left their cake out in the rain.

It's a shame too, since it took so long to bake and they won't every have the receipe again.


Oh no.

 

[Mediocre Man]

I think Cleveland left their cake out in the rain.

It's a shame too, since it took so long to bake and they won't every have the receipe again.


Oh no.

Hahaha. MacArthur Park FTW

 

[BGrantFan]

Big Z and Mo Williams both are wondering what the fuck ownership was thinking by firing Brown.

 

[oldmangrouch]

Interesting situation.

Option A: LBJ told the team there was no way he re-signs, unless Brown is fired.

Option B: the team knows nothing they do will keep LBJ in a Cavs uniform, and this is the first step in a major house-cleaning.

 

[rocketeer]

the money quote from this whole thing:

Not necessarily "Let it bake", is it?

he didn't say there is never a time to "let it bake", he simply said that sometimes risks have to be taken. when your superstar player(and the best player in the league) is a free agent and many people think he's a lock to leave, what does "letting it bake" even mean?

 

[Mediocre Man]

Big Z and Mo Williams both are wondering what the fuck ownership was thinking by firing Brown.

Ownership was thinking that Brown wasn't the reason the team did so well. It was the best player in the league that won those games for them. A coach should be able to help you strategize through the playoffs, but even with James, Shaq and Jamison, Brown couldn't help them get out of the second round.

Ownership had some foresight, and the Cavs fans are lucky to have them.

 

[julius]

Ownership was thinking that Brown wasn't the reason the team did so well. It was the best player in the league that won those games for them. A coach should be able to help you strategize through the playoffs, but even with James, Shaq and Jamison, Brown couldn't help them get out of the second round.

Ownership had some foresight, and the Cavs fans are lucky to have them.

Yah, the same ownership that had some foresight also hired him in the first place.

 

[Mediocre Man]

Yah, the same ownership that had some foresight also hired him in the first place.

I believe they think he served his purpose that he was brought in to do. He aided in some way in molding Lebron into the player he is now. Now they need a coach that can take them to the next level.

 

[tlongII]

I believe they think he served his purpose that he was brought in to do. He aided in some way in molding Lebron into the player he is now. Now they need a coach that can take them to the next level.

Not gonna happen since LeBron will be in Chicago. Phil will be in Chicago coaching the LeBron-led Bulls to championships during the next few years.

 

[BGrantFan]

the money quote from this whole thing:

Not necessarily "Let it bake", is it?

Trading for Shaq and Jamison = "let it bake"?

 

[BrianFromWA]

Please. They gave up garbage (BenWallace and Sasha+2nd rounder for Shaq; an immediately-cut Z and the 30th pick for Jamison) for good players. Did they trade any of their "core" for either of those players? Any of their top 10 guys? It's not even on the "Outlaw/Blake for Camby" front, where LAC were at least getting useful players. For It'd be like us sending Pendergraph or Patty Mills and JPEC for them. That's not risking anything.

It's not like they said "Varejao's good, but let's flip him for Rondo and see what happens". Or "Mo Williams chokes...let's get a package together to go after Joe Johnson". Or "We'll never win with LBJ, and he'll probably bolt if we don't...let's trade him summer of 2009 to see if we can get something of value for him". That would entail risk in an attempt to improve the situation. This Brown Firing is the first salvo of the owner doing something risky to make the team measurably better.

The biggest "risks" the Blazers have taken to get better in the last 5 years were a) drafting ODen instead of Durant (which 30 out of 30 teams would've done) and b) trading their backup PG and their broken backup PF for a recent DPoY at a position where Juwan Howard was starting. They didn't want to risk getting a PG instead of Webster b/c they already had a lotto PG and no SG--so they went with the "culture" and "position" fit instead of taking a guy with red flags. You could say that giving up Zach was risky, but everyone knew Zach had played and lifestyled himself out of Portland. It would be akin to WAS saying they made the "risky" trade of Gil Arenas for an unproven rookie or something.

The "OK" is the enemy of the good and great. I want to pay for a "Great" team. If others want to pay to watch a mediocre team of nice guys who play semi-hard, that's their prerogative.

 

[hasoos]

Yah, the same ownership that had some foresight also hired him in the first place.

Actually I believe he was hired before current ownership was in place.

 

[rocketeer]

The "OK" is the enemy of the good and great. I want to pay for a "Great" team. If others want to pay to watch a mediocre team of nice guys who play semi-hard, that's their prerogative.

healthy portland is a great team. and even injured portland isn't a mediocre team.

 

[Mediocre Man]

healthy portland is a great team. and even injured portland isn't a mediocre team.

Link?


When has Portland proved they were a great team when healthy? At the beginning of this year we were the most healthy, and still played only at a .600 winning % with Greg, Brandon and Aldridge in the lineup.


As a team, Portland finished at .610 for the year. I'm not sure why everyone thinks we would be so great if we were healthy.....unless you are talking about great on paper?

 

[BrianFromWA]

Last year we were young and healthy (discounting Webster) and lost in the first round. That's not Great.

 

[rocketeer]

Last year we were young and healthy (discounting Webster) and lost in the first round. That's not Great.

i wouldn't exactly call oden that year healthy. and miller and camby weren't on that team.

and the blazers were the 3rd best team in the west then anyway. losing to the 2nd best team in the first round doesn't change that.

 

[rocketeer]

Link?


When has Portland proved they were a great team when healthy? At the beginning of this year we were the most healthy, and still played only at a .600 winning % with Greg, Brandon and Aldridge in the lineup.

no batum. no outlaw.

 

[Mediocre Man]

no batum. no outlaw.

Again. When has this team proved they were great, or even really good when healthy?


It's a pipe dream at this point.

 

[hasoos]

Here is what I am going to throw out there. When the shit hit the fan in the playoffs, what adjustments did Mike Brown make to try and help the team win?

Then ask yourself these questions:

1. When Jamison was brought on board, why was he basically reduced to the role of an outside shooter?

2. Why didn't Brown make any adjustments on who was covering KG in the paint?

3. Why didn't Brown try to go up against the aging Celtics by speeding up the tempo a bit? The best way to attack old players is to make them run the court a little bit.

At least when Phoenix made their adjustments, Nate tried to counter them. He just ran out of personnel to fill holes in the team. For Brown, I can't say that. I can't say I saw him adjust one thing to try and win that series.

 

[The_Lillard_King]

Again. When has this team proved they were great, or even really good when healthy?


It's a pipe dream at this point.

How many games during the regular season do the Blazers need to win for you to consider them great?

If it is about the playoffs, having your best player and only all star hurt during the playoffs isn't a good indication of how good this team is

 

[Mediocre Man]

How many games during the regular season do the Blazers need to win for you to consider them great?

If it is about the playoffs, having your best player and only all star hurt during the playoffs isn't a good indication of how good this team is

I guess the same ammount of games during the playoffs that they are on vacation for you to to consider them good, but not great.

 

[oldmangrouch]

"The Blazers would be a great team IF...."

In other words, they are NOT a great team now. Every team in the league has a long list of "ifs" and "buts" to hide behind.

 

[The_Lillard_King]

I guess the same ammount of games during the playoffs that they are on vacation for you to to consider them good, but not great.

Can't really judge the Blazers on this year's playoffs, can you?

 

[Mediocre Man]

Can't really judge the Blazers on this year's playoffs, can you?

There will always be an excuse. I get that. Next year, when we are making threads about who to root for when the Blazers are ousted in the first round, there will be another one I am sure.