Time to give Nate McMillan props

[Cake]

We've been crushed by injuries to a lot of rotation players and somehow we're still near the top of the division standings. For as much unwarranted criticism as he gets for not letting the team run as much as some people would like/not playing the right players enough/whatever other crap people want to make up...he's done an excellent job of coaching this team.

Good work Nate McMillan.

 

[Mediocre Man]

As a lot of us have said, Nate is a good coach for a team that isn't supposed to win. What Nate struggles with is coaching a team that has a lot of talent on it.

But it's great that he has finally done what a lot of us that critcize him have been saying he should do for over a year.

I think instead of saying the team wins in spite of Nate, I will say this.

Nate gets victories because of the team, the team doesn't get victories because of Nate.

 

[Pinwheel1]

We've been crushed by injuries to a lot of rotation players and somehow we're still near the top of the division standings. For as much unwarranted criticism as he gets for not letting the team run as much as some people would like/not playing the right players enough/whatever other crap people want to make up...he's done an excellent job of coaching this team.

Good work Nate McMillan.

Nice effort. But don't waste your time. The fans on this board who never played the game past the end of their driveway know what it takes to be a good coach. Forget what other coaches and players say. Nate sucks.

 

[MrJayremmie]

Good job Nate.

I've never been a Nate hater. I think he has done a good job every year he has been here, and is doing a very good job this year with the hand he has been dealt.

 

[Tince]

Nate has continued to prove he is a good coach. However, even this stretch won't change the mind of the Nate haters. Some people think the measuring stick of a good coach is if they have won championships, and I'm sure even if Nate won one championship with this team they'd be saying, "well with the amount of talent we have, he should win at least one championship."

I think the NBA players and executives think highly of Nate, and I don't expect that to change.

 

[Sheldon Shape]

As a lot of us have said, Nate is a good coach for a team that isn't supposed to win. What Nate struggles with is coaching a team that has a lot of talent on it.

But it's great that he has finally done what a lot of us that critcize him have been saying he should do for over a year.

I think instead of saying the team wins in spite of Nate, I will say this.

Nate gets victories because of the team, the team doesn't get victories because of Nate.

This.

 

[SnakeOiler]

As a lot of us have said, Nate is a good coach for a team that isn't supposed to win. What Nate struggles with is coaching a team that has a lot of talent on it.

But it's great that he has finally done what a lot of us that critcize him have been saying he should do for over a year.

I think instead of saying the team wins in spite of Nate, I will say this.

Nate gets victories because of the team, the team doesn't get victories because of Nate.

Your opinion of Nate is tired and has no basis. You are proven wrong over and over. Find something else to bitch about.

 

[BrianFromWA]

Uh, "no basis" and "proven wrong over and over"? Even if all we started with were Nate's starting lineups and his insistence on forming his opinion of them before a game (preseason or otherwise) has been played, there's "no basis" for saying "he struggles with coaching a team with a lot of talent"?

Personally, I think instead of imploring other posters to find something else to bitch about, we start examining our own opinions and removing the dogmatic aspect from them.

 

[mgb]

I agree Nate has done a great job. Kudos to him and his coaching staff! And not just this stretch. He's done well the whole time he's been here. He got us 54 wins last season with talent. That was better than most expected last year getting our expectations even higher. Great job!

 

[ABM]

Nate gets victories because of the team...............

Yep, they're rockin' spots 10 thru 15.

 

[Mediocre Man]

Your opinion of Nate is tired and has no basis. You are proven wrong over and over. Find something else to bitch about.

I have actually been right over and over again.



Open up your mind and you will see that.

 

[EGame]

He has done well and one thing I like is he is given Bayless a chance and even if he has a few bad plays/mistakes, he is still leaving him in letting him learn from them. Granted, Nate would have never given him this opportunity if injuries hadn't poured on us (esepcially the injuries to Rudy and Roy for the 1 game), but since they did he is given Bayless a chance. Of course, with some of his mistakes/forced shots he does make he could just replace him with Miller, Blake, or Webster, but instead he is letting him play and learn. Little did he know before all of this, Roy and Bayless mesh pretty well and if Blake is on from 3 or have Rudy in when he returns at the end of games, the lane opens for Bayless and Roy to attack and if it gets clogged up, they can kick it out to the other open Blake/Rudy/Martell for 3.

 

[ABM]

I have actually been right over and over again.

Such as?

 

[Mediocre Man]

Such as?

Miller should start
Bayless should play more
The team will be better if Roy adapts to Miller
The team would be better with a shortened rotation
The team will not succeed unless they get easy baskets
They need to attack the rim


A lot of you guys hate it, but most of the "Nate haters" have been right about most things.

 

[ABM]

Miller should start
Bayless should play more
The team will be better if Roy adapts to Miller
The team would be better with a shortened rotation
The team will not succeed unless they get easy baskets
They need to attack the rim


A lot of you guys hate it, but most of the "Nate haters" have been right about most things.

Miller should start - Many said that. even me. Nate worked him in as he could, while keeping Blake's head "right"

Bayless should play more - Injuries made that happen

The team will be better if Roy adapts to Miller - That's on Nate??

The team would be better with a shortened rotation - Again, injuries

The team will not succeed unless they get easy baskets - Sure, Blame Nate

They need to attack the rim - That's been a process. Still not refined

 

[drexlersdad]

props homie

 

[Mediocre Man]

Miller should start - Many said that. even me. Nate worked him in as he could, while keeping Blake's head "right"

Bayless should play more - Injuries made that happen

The team will be better if Roy adapts to Miller - That's on Nate??

The team would be better with a shortened rotation - Again, injuries

The team will not succeed unless they get easy baskets - Sure, Blame Nate

They need to attack the rim - That's been a process. Still not refined

Seriously, ABM????

Blake's head means nothing to this team.
Bayless proved he should have been playing all along. You proved my point
Roy adapting to Miller is absolutely on Nate. Him even considering starting Blake was stupid
The shorteed rotation should have happened without the injuries....Again, you proved my point
I will absolutely blame a coach that has been coaching for 9 seasons and always been towards the bottom in easy baskets
It's been a process for how many years?

 

[ABM]

Seriously, ABM????

Blake's head means nothing to this team.
Bayless proved he should have been playing all along. You proved my point
Roy adapting to Miller is absolutely on Nate. Him even considering starting Blake was stupid
The shorteed rotation should have happened without the injuries....Again, you proved my point
I will absolutely blame a coach that has been coaching for 9 seasons and always been towards the bottom in easy baskets
It's been a process for how many years?

Say what you want, but, meanwhile the Blazers keep winning. Nate's current record is 19-9.

 

[WillG]

100% agree with Mediocre Mans points.

Nate is terrible. The team wins have come as a result of player talent developing through experience, despite a coaching style that shackles them.

 

[Mediocre Man]

Say what you want, but, meanwhile the Blazers keep winning. Nate's current record is 19-9.

Yep, just not because of Nate

 

[STOMP]

from where I sit Nate has seemed to do a fine job. Admittedly I only get to see a small fraction of what he does and so by judging him I'm only taking a stab at matters, but he consistently seems to keep the many Blazer players worthy of PT focused on the task at hand and team oriented. Those are not small matters and only go to a coach that has the respect of his guys.

STOMP

 

[BBert]

With all due respect ABM:

Miller should start - Many said that. even me. Nate worked him in as he could, while keeping Blake's head "right"

It was obvious to everyone except Nate. Blake's head was so "right" he was having his worst season as a Blazer. Until he was benched. If coming off the bench makes Blake play like last night, it was long overdue.

Bayless should play more - Injuries made that happen

Exactly right. The only things Nate has done right this season, he was forced to do.

The team will be better if Roy adapts to Miller - That's on Nate??

Absolutely. Instead of filling Roy's head with misguided delusions, Nate should have been in charge of the rotation from the beginning.

The team would be better with a shortened rotation - Again, injuries

Again, circumstances beyond Nate's control. Hard to give Kudos for that.

The team will not succeed unless they get easy baskets - Sure, Blame Nate

OK, I will. It's Nate's offense and it is designed to set up tough shots in the last seven seconds of the clock. Good thing we have an all-star to pull it off. I love Bayless and Miller and Roy attacking the rim. Free throws are good.

I've never been a Nate basher, but he really disappointed me this year. Now that the team is depleted, maybe he is the right coach again. Personally, I think sitting at home watching the team on TV may have given him some perspective. Whatever it is, I'm loving the result this week.

 

[toutlaw25]

Thanks Nate, for running rotations you should have done at the start of the season, but are now forced to because of injuries. PROPS!!

 

[Kaydow]

Yep, just not because of Nate

I agree with a lot of what you say. I still have to ask . . . what is an Ass Clown?

 

[The_Lillard_King]

The thread was a nice attempt. Nate is known around the league as a quality coach. Some SA writer just pointed out that Nate outcoached Pop (which he did). The Blazers are at 20-12 with Oden and Joel out for the season and Howard starting games.

Yet a thread that starts out as props to a coach turns into a Nate bashing debate (like many other Blazer thread) Imagine if the Blazers were losing?

Nate is riding the coattalis of this incredible finely tuned basketball machine called the Blazers. Hell a 9th grade coach could do better than Nate . . . really some on here believe that.

 

[The_Lillard_King]

I should say this to posters that get tierd of the coach being bashed (even when winning) . . . go to most boards across the NBA abd the coach gets blasted on many team boards.

I think some would be surprised at some of the coaches being bashed (just like those fans would get a kick out of the Nate bashing going on here). Blaming the coach is going to be around as long as there is sports. If not Nate then it will be the next coach . . . knowing it will always exist no matter the coach makes these posts easeir for me to read.

 

[ABM]

The thread was a nice attempt. Nate is known around the league as a quality coach. Some SA writer just pointed out that Nate outcoached Pop (which he did). The Blazers are at 20-12 with Oden and Joel out for the season and Howard starting games.

Yet a thread that starts out as props to a coach turns into a Nate bashing debate (like many other Blazer thread) Imagine if the Blazers were losing?

Nate is riding the coattalis of this incredible finely tuned basketball machine called the Blazers. Hell a 9th grade coach could do better than Nate . . . really some on here believe that.

Exactly.

Some folks just want to find reasons to complain, rather than look at the realities of the season (new players - specifically, Miller; early very busy schedule - i.e., limited practices; injuries; etc.)

Me? I'm choosing to let everything play out and just enjoy the season. All this other whiny stuff serves no purpose to me. Even if Nate were doing as badly as some claim, I'd still give him the benefit of the doubt to get things worked out over the course of the season. He's done very well with his teams up to this point. IMO, He deserves that much.

 

[The_Lillard_King]

Exactly.

Some folks just want to find reasons to complain, rather than look at the realities of the season (new players - specifically, Miller; early very busy schedule - i.e., limited practices; injuries; etc.)

Me? I'm choosing to let everything play out and just enjoy the season. All this other whiny stuff serves no purpose to me. Even if Nate were doing as badly as some claim, I'd still give him the benefit of the doubt to get things worked out over the course of the season. He's done very well with his teams up to this point. IMO, He deserves that much.

Hey I like being on the same thought plane with you . . . maybe I'm not that far out there.

Niether us are saying to give Nate a free pass. At the end of the year, evaluate what he has done, where the players and team are and make a decision then.

To do some bizzaro knee jerk reaction and fire a coach when the team is 20-12 and the best player is playing at top level doesn't make a lot of sense in my simple basketball brain . . . maybe these posters have analyzed things to a level beyond KP and realize Nate isn't helpinbg the team, but that though seems very far fetched.

Let's enjoy the season knowing in the end at least Nate and company will be classy in win or defeat . . . and hopefully most fans will to.

 

[ABM]

To do some bizzaro knee jerk reaction and fire a coach when the team is 20-12 and the best player is playing at top level doesn't make a lot of sense in my simple basketball brain . . . maybe these posters have analyzed things to a level beyond KP and realize Nate isn't helpinbg the team, but that though seems very far fetched.

Kinda where I'm at with it, as well.

Have I screamed at Nate on the television? Sure, who hasn't? But, again, he's doing an overall credible job given the circumstances. It makes no earthly sense to me why folks haven't moved on from where things were to begin the season.

 

[andalusian]

Seth Godin once said that there are around 1800 statues in the different parks of New York, and not one of them is of a critic...

There are critics that offer constructive criticism, and there are those that just yell at the top of their lungs for attention. Nate is not a critic. He does something. Sometimes it will be right, sometimes it will be wrong, but at the end of the day, his record is fantastic. There is a good chance there will be a painting of Nate on the Rose Garden "walk of fame" section, not of the critics...