<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>A league source confirms @<a href="https://twitter.com/WojYahooNBA">WojYahooNBA</a> report that the Washington Wizards have fired Flip Saunders as head coach.</p>— David Aldridge (@daldridgetnt) <a href="https://twitter.com/daldridgetnt/status/161853732370391040" data-datetime="2012-01-24T16:51:51+00:00">January 24, 2012</a></blockquote> <script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> No doubt Saunders will get another chance somewhere, but I've always thought he was overrated. I suspect Wall will thrive when they find someone less reliant on running set plays.
I wouldn't be so sure Flip Saunders gets another chance somewhere else. He's not a good coach and can't connect with players.
Saunder is a good X and O coach. He's not a good people guy. The kids in Washington need some mentoring.
I think there's plenty of doubt. I'd say the NBA has an unofficial two strikes rule with major coaching flops. His tenure at Detroit was horrible, and the Wizards are miserable. In the NBA, successful coaching is 80% getting your multi-millionaires to go all in and leave it all on the floor nearly every night. It's mean to say, but the NBA has become fairly brainless from an Xs and Os standpoint. Getting spoiled brats that are set for life bleed for the team? That's the real trick.
He averaged what, 60 wins a year in Detroit? And made the ECFs three years in a row? They didn't start sucking until he left. Like I said, I think he's overrated. I don't disagree with those who say he has trouble connecting with players. But I'd be highly surprised if his coaching career ended here.
Terrible decision, he was the best coach available. Reminds me of soccer where they fire great coaches to hide the fact that the team sucks.
No he's not. Nobody thinks much of Flip Saunders now. Don't know why you feel he's overrated. Don't let ESPN's talking heads fool you by saying "it wasn't Flip's fault" they have a poor roster with knuckleheads. This is true but it doesn't change the fact he was a sorry coach who the players gave up on. Players quitting on an old shoe to such an extent is a death sentence to a future hc job.
Living in the DC area, sports talk radio has been calling for Ernie Grunfeld's firing all season. Surprisingly, they decided to fire Flip instead. Grunfeld's moves as a GM have been horrendous: -After missing 66 games due to a torn MCL, throwing caution to the wind, the Wizards signed Gilbert Arenas to a 6-year, $111 million dollar deal. Mind you they offered him $124 million, but he voluntarily took less, realizing how bizarrely high the offer was in comparison to what other teams were offering. -In 2009, traded Etan Thomas, Darius Songaila, Oleksiy Pecherov and the Number 5 overall pick for Mike Miller and Randy Foye. The Wolves selected Ricky Rubio with the 5th overall pick. -Signed an aging, declining Antwan Jamison to a 4 year, $50 million dollar contract -After Saunders attempted to suspend Andray Blatche for poor conduct, Grunfeld overruled him and tweeted that Blatche would be playing. -Whenever Saunders attempted to discipline Arenas, Grunfeld overruled him. The guy regularly undermines his coaches, has zero ability to assess talent, and signs bad players to rediculous contracts.
Goes beyond average wins. He inherited the championship Pistons that were pissed about Larry Brown stabbing them in the back. First year was a honeymoon (64 wins)...except the players chirped a little bit and Ben Wallace straight up quit on him. Then the other players came back and slowly started to tune out Flip until he lost them (53 win season, 11 game drop). Sheed reverted to sulking and disappearing. When Dumars fired him, he didn't dance around the fact that the players wouldn't listen to him. Flip's a nice guy, does a fair job, but he doesn't command a lot of respect in the locker room and isn't great at getting guys in line.
But after the 53 win seasons, they won 59 games in 07-08. I know Flip clashed with both Wallaces, but my understanding was that the main reason he was fired was because Dumars wanted to blow it up (which he basically did by trading Chauncey for AI the next year). Anyway, I guess we'll see what happens.
Any chance Cassell taking over ?? I don't know why Sam is there, though he could give John Wall some pointers.
