MDA already "re-wrote" Rockets history, most wins in franchise history, pushed greatest team in NBA history to breaking point, COTY, maximized Harden into 3× scoring leader, Harden into MVP candidate every season, Harden led NBA in assists his first season, maximized Westbrook - most efficient season since his MVP season, top 3 offense every season, top 6 defense in 2 of 4 postseasons, revolutionized NBA basketball - AGAIN. And every single season of his 4 years, MDA had to reinvent the Rockets due to massive turnover in roster or injuries. In 2 of last 4 seasons, his assistants have also been turned over. Do Rockets need more re-writing than that? I'd rather have rings.
The other team has its back against the wall. They're playing with a greater sense of urgency, too. Neither team (2020 Nuggets, 2015 Rockets) was clearly superior, but both were certainly in the same ballpark, as shown by those regular seasons. This wasn't the 2007 Mavs-Warriors. It still matters, yes, just as it would matter if they lost the first three games of that same series to that same opponent. Also, I disagree that nobody's saying he's a terrible coach. (Maybe not here, but certainly on Twitter.) People are outright mocking it and laughing at it. I agree that he's not a great coach, but I think overall his record is very good, and he's likely to be one of the better hires made this year. Could you do better? Maybe, but it certainly isn't a terrible hire.
Here's a question and I'll even play the role of random ignorant fan: Changing the culture of the team has been brought up by some who wants Rivers here as coach. In the past 20 years, when has a coach managed to change the culture of the entire team for the better with an owner of Tilman's ilk and, to extend this even further, how many times have this led to a Finals appearance? I only ask because Tilman has proven to be more of a Robert Sarver type than a Micky Arison or Peter Holt type that allowed pretty much full autonomy to his front office and coach. Even Dan Gilbert had to swallow his pride and lucked out with LeBron coming back in order for the Cavs to achieve their success. Basically, asking or expecting a coach to change the culture without a change in the owner's philosophy of team building is a tall task, even for Doc.
One important thing about Doc: He's a known commodity who can get a talented team into the playoffs on a regular basis. Hire him and you have a reasonable expectation of how your team will perform. You know what you're getting. All of these other guys with zero HC experience are total crapshoots. We all love Sam, but he might totally fail as a head coach. Lue has a very small sample size, but at least it's a successful one. Even the retreads like JVG are unknowns after not head-coaching a team in more than a decade.
MDA is gone. Aaron Gordon isn't walking through that door. Tilman is our owner. I want a guy who is brought in to be the future face of operations. That's Doc.
Just saying you may be setting yourself up for disappointment if you believe Doc can "re-write" Rockets history after MDA. Those shoes may be too big for Doc to fill. And if Doc is hired, the expectations maybe too unrealistic around here. If an inexperienced coach is hired, the honeymoon period would be much longer and more fair IMO.
https://www.thedreamshake.com/2020/...ng-search-odds-with-doc-rivers-now-in-the-mix Here are your latest odds, courtesy of Bet Online. Rockets Next Head Coach Sam Cassell 3/1 Tyronn Lue 4/1 Doc Rivers 5/1 Nate McMillan 5/1 Jeff Van Gundy 6/1 Stan Van Gundy 7/1 Brett Brown 8/1 Kenny Atkinson 9/1 Chancey Billups 10/1 Jason Kidd 10/1 Ime Udoka 12/1 Wes Unseld Jr. 16/1 Becky Hammon 18/1 Darwin Ham 20/1
Tilman is a fresh face in the NBA. If he doesn't have the right people guiding him, he's going to run this ship into an iceberg. Tilman isn't Jerry Jones or Dolan yet. What happens in these last years of Harden will change everything. Doc Rivers could be the guy who comes in and shows Tilman the ropes. I love Daryl Morey but he's not a guy who knows how this works. He clearly doesn't know how to work the politics of the NBA.
This is the biggest reason why I don't want Doc. On the surface it sounds stupid to not want a proven coach that can get your team to the playoffs but digging deeper, what can he do to get this team over the hump? With MDA, at the time of his hire, I was super skeptical but he said "F*ck it I'll play Harden at the point and see what happens" and he unleashed Harden's next level. At this point, what could Rivers offer? An unknown/unproven coach has high risks for sure but you can't make omelets without cracking some eggs right? Toronto was spinning its wheels with Duane Casey as a head coach and managed to fire the guy the year he won COTY and took a shot with Nurse and it paid off. Same with Boston going with Stevens. Sure he was successful at Butler but it was still a risk to take on a college coach to lead your franchise (they took a shot with Pitino for Pete's sake). We all know Harden can drag a team to the playoffs on his own even without a good head coach right? So I'm not concerned about making the playoffs if our players are healthy. I'm concerned about getting this group to the next level. Can Rivers do that? That's where I'm in the group of "No"
re-read what I wrote. re-write THE FUTURE. Hiring Doc isn't about today or tomorrow, it's about how this franchise is ran for the next 10 years. The Clippers wouldn't be where they are today if Doc wasn't brought in. They'd be in Seattle. A Doc hire isn't about the xos or the victories. Of course any less than a championship is an absolute bummer and Harden deserves one, no coach is a guarantee in this aspect. It's about the kind of guy he is and the impact he leaves on the franchises he is a part of. I promise you, if Doc didn't get traded there, the Clippers would have fallen apart after that Sterling drama. He kept that ship together for as long as he could. Sometimes a leader of men is what you need in a coach. Maybe the Clippers need a tactician at the helm.
I give some credit to Ballmer. One of the best, if not THE best, owner in the NBA. His wallet is wide open, he gave Doc everything he asked for and then some.
Balmer wouldn't have bought the damn team to stay in LA if Doc wasn't there to provide stability. You are ignoring crucial information to make your argument. If Doc wasn't there, Balmer would have bought the team with the intention to move them to Seattle. They would have been sitting ducks waiting to be moved and instead Doc re-wrote that team's future. The league would have allowed him to buy a struggling franchise and move them to an open market. Balmer is from Seattle, there is a reason why he was ready to buy the team and it definitely wasn't to keep them in LA. The stability and market value that was created by CP3 and Doc Rivers made it obvious that the team belonged in LA. It will be interesting to see if the Clippers move to that new facility or if they end up moving to Seattle in the future.
To me, Doc Rivers is the equivalent of Jeff Fisher. He'll get you into the playoffs more seasons than not, especially given a good roster. He's way high on the list of all-time victories. Seems to be respected by his players. The big difference is that Doc actually has a trophy to show for his efforts.
If you are looking for a culture guru or FO whisperer then give me Jerry West. You know, the same guy Ballmer brought in to right the ship in LAC to transition Lob City triumvirate of CP3-Blake-DJ to Kawhi-PG13. As GM, West built the Showtime Lakers as well as the Shaq-Kobe Lakers. As consultant, West changed MEM from bottom dweller to playoff team. Also guided GSW into dynasty and best team ever assembled. https://www.persources.com/the-jerry-west-effect-dynasties/
I 100% absolutely think the Rockets need a guy like this in the organization. I like Daryl as the GM, but he is toxic for much of the media, he's toxic for ex players and he's toxic to a lot of the NBA culture. Having a figurehead guy who's involved could help the image of the team so much.
Not for Doc's success in making sure the team made it through the storm of Donald Sterling. Ballmer is a great owner. He spends what is needed and spends where he can. He's rich and wants a winner.
