very interesting post. I think coaching does affect player development, especially over the longer term. So in that respect I think coaching has a big impact. But I take your point.
Good post as usual. I agree with you, the youngsters are evolving and that's the most important thing, but eventually his job is also creating a team that looks good on the court. I think our offense after having played 50 games still looks really disjointed and disorganized. Spacing looks bad even playing with 5 men out (and we get no advantages of our p&r's cause of that, for instance), we keep watching possesions where players look confused about where they should be, we keep watching a lot of bad ISOs (not sought but improvised ones), or we see moments like this: Also, yep, I see controversial his last comments about Sengun/Wood. That's a very important topic to operate even this next deadline, we're talking about our current best player and a potential building block, and he's basically stating that they can't coexist together and that the franchise will have to choose between both of them, when reality is Silas practically has not even tried it, and this season is also conducive to try those things... Defensively, (and here I recognize this is something that drives me crazy), after 50 games played, still nobody boxes out!! (...) We could talk about more details... but in short, I think some legit criticism can be launched at him, definitely, and right now I would doubt if he's the coach to keep for the next season.
The real question is why are we trying to hold this type of standard for a non contending team with a rookie coach when these complaints should have been voiced many years for MDA reign of lame duckness.
That's the thing that's causing you confusion though. He's NOT eventually supposed to put a pretty product on the court. They're only judging by individual progress at the moment. It's obvious. It's why I'm never surprised or infuriated with what they do, even if I may disagree. He's doing what he's supposed to do. Imo there are dozens of coaches who can do this job, it's the players that matter by far the most.
Well, he's the head coach at the end of the day. And if you are not able to organize the team, that's going to affect the development of the players too. For instance, we all agree that Mobley looks really good, but no doubt that playing for an organized team that works well without him beforehand, is helping him to build his confidence and to integrate him. Creating good collective dynamics is one of the most important aspects at the development of a young player.
I get what you mean but the team doesn't believe it's important yet. I think it's close to impossible to prioritize rookies, showcase pouting vets and also put the best group on the floor. These are competing interests, it's not an environment for winning games and that's by design. If you see it the way they see it, everything they do makes sense. They only care about individual development and accumulating assets. Everything else is secondary at best.
If they are so worried about pouting Wood and unhappy Ego, they should have shipped them out eons ago. The inability to just execute on so many levels is what makes this whole situation so dull and bleak. You can bet that Tilman is reluctant to pay for a veteran coach, even someone like Atkinson who was wanted by our fanbase.
They're just fine with Silas. His test this season is about player development. Next season about wins. The product on the court will look bad the rest of the season. The greatest coach on earth would need a year to whip these guys into NBA shape. Just enjoy the positives, the rookies are developing fast. That one fact is likely to be far more important than who our coach was in 2022. Don't worry so much about a detail as small as whether we had the 20th or 50th best coach in the NBA at this time. Even assistants can manage this extended training camp-like season. If you're worried about the players, they're all responding well. Sengun will get more minutes, Green will get better. Everyone has their own ideal minutes distribution in mind but they benched Theis for Sengun, they certainly care about his development in their own way. They seem really intent on featuring Wood and it coincides with his value a soon-expiring asset who doesn't want to be here. Otherwise our picks situation amazing. Cap situation amazing. Things are going really well.
It is not even about wins. A functional ownership and FO management would know that you should be able to execute and not just wait it out. I will give credit right after the trade deadline. Wins will come naturally when good decisions are made, I am not seeing that. I am probably one of the few posters that is more worried about brass, management culture than the average Joe here. I won't say that I do not care about the players at all but I do value the whole picture. You cannot just “Shut up and listen” me here.
In a nutshell, I am not a cult follower.....I will stay observe the team for as long as I am here for sure. All for development, but it won't enshroud the mistakes being made in a mist.
But you're waiting for an imaginary thing bro, they don't care about wins. They're not going to come, so you can just get mad now and get it over with. Their definition of good decisions is not the same as yours. It's not going to line up, so I'm not sure what you're waiting to see.
I even agree that the definition of theirs is another one. Not waiting actually. We as fans can only do as much as to point out their mistakes, the things that they do and then undo, what is called erasing their own mistakes and wasting valuable time. I have pointed out in the past that the Houston basketball environment is a lax and loose one, the media is in cahoots with the organization, there is hardly anything critical. The GM can do what he wants without ever being questioned in the public light. That is our job here to at least take notice, write accounts on it. Within reason, when our time allows it, mind you.
Atkinson was my pick. proven developmental guy. Silas seems to be a great coach for vets. Would've been good for harden. even though the rockets look disorganized which rebuilding teams often look, they still are near the top of the league in generating open looks. I just don't see him trying to develop the young guys. he's still prioritizing vets and trying to win meaningless games at the expense of giving JG and alpy more reps.