The all inclusive potential coach guide (2020-2021)

and then fires them unilaterally because they didn't slit the throats of the referees at halftime.

 

It remains to be seen if Tilman will PAY for top notch assistants. If he does, I will give him credit. I bash Tilman alot, justifiably, but if Tilman pays up for a coaching staff, I will give him credit.

 

It appears Griffin is in the midst of some domestic abuse issues. I think the Rockets should steer clear there.

 

He hides in their closets when they sleep at night.

 

I like him, but not as much as you. I would be comfortable with him as the new head coach.

 

From Tilman's usual CNBC segment today :

They asked him about possibly replacing D'Antoni with Becky Hammon. He said the coaching search begins and ends with the GM.

"You can talk to me about business all day long, but I personally wouldn't know what coach to hire. That's why you have a basketball operations team that's made up of a half-a-dozen people that use all kinds of analytics and experience and they'll make a recommendation to me as they do about everything. I'm the sign-off guy, ok? That's it. I wouldn't know how to interview a basketball coach. If you want me to go interview a CEO for a company, I'll be the first one to say I'm better than anybody else. To be successful in business, and I say this in my book, you better know what you know, and you better know what you don't know, and I surely know what I don't know when it comes to basketball."

They said Daryl Morey is the GM and he ran into some trouble around this time last year when he made some comments about China, then asked "is his job safe?" Tilman's response :

"Daryl Morey's job is safe, and I'm sure he's going to pick the right head coach".

He went on to compliment the Lakers, that they made adjustments, played great, and smiled saying "... and they have Lebron James".

 

Here's my two cents on coaching candidates to watch:

JVG: Daryl Morey wanted to hire him in 2016 and Les nixed it
Chris Finch: Morey tried to "force" him onto the staff as coach in waiting during the Adelman years. Remember that being a source of contention?
Stephen Silas: He was Morey's recommendation this past time with Lionel Hollins as the lead assistant. Les picked D'antoni instead.
Ty Lue: The Rockets tried to get him on board as an assistant this year and he turned them down.

Those to me are the four names that would be at the top of my shortlist in terms of expectations.

After that:
Kenny Atikinson: He was here before, they liked him, he believes in modern offense
Dave Joeger: Rockets have been tight with him.
Sam Cassell: Obvious historical connection. Long time assistant. Don't know anything about him other than that.

 

So ironic

 

I had to dig around to find this story about JVG, Morey, and data, but I laughed my ass off when I first read it years ago. JVG holding Morey's feet to the fire :

Jeff Van Gundy to Daryl Morey when he flinched at using analytics to make a decision: ‘Either you believe in this sh-t or you don’t’

https://nba.nbcsports.com/2015/02/2...-either-you-believe-in-this-sh-t-or-you-dont/

 

After a few days of research and thinking it through. Kenny is my #1 choice. He basically was fired because KD Kyrie and DeAndre Jordan didn’t want to be coached.

he was basically running the same offense and his defense emphasizes rim protection and allows mid range shots.
I think he could be a future star coach and there is familiarity.



Ty lue and Mark Jackson are terrible ideas.

Almost anyone else who is actually possible is fine.

Silas and Finch are my next two favorites.

 

my 1st choice as well

 

Like Atkinson but how do you explain Nets doing better after he left?

The stories about him loving all the spotlight and credit worry me on such a vet team.

 

He wasn't fired for performance, he was fired clearly because Durant wanted to bring in his guy. The Nets played 2 games without him if we are being serious. He won his last game there in a blowout against the Spurs. The bubble was like a new season and they did get swept in the first round. That team was not full of many of the actual members of the roster and you cannot even compare the teams. If Vaughn was the answer, they would have hired him. He did a good job but they wanted whoever Durant wanted.

I don't think Kenny needs the spotlight or credit. I think he wants guys who will buy into his system. He instills confidence to his players and Kyrie and KD didn't want or like that. They don't need anyone telling them they are special and they definitely don't want critique. James Harden is the most humble superstar in the NBA when it comes to learning and listening. I don't think Russ is a problem either. MDA got along with both and CP3 seemingly well. He didn't get along with Kobe, Carmelo or even Pau Gasol. Kenny wasn't starting DJ and didn't want to start him. That rubbed the new stars the wrong way. Hopefully he comes and hopefully Jarrett Allen follows.

 

Yeah that's true. Plus Joerger's reputation probably scares off GMs too.

It really comes down to Lue, Silas, Hammon. We will probably get out bid for Lue. I'd be very happy with either Silas of Hammon as a fall back.

 

I like Atkinson's pedigree too, coached under both MDA and Bud. The scheme he used with Nets is similar to MDA scheme used first season in Houston, heavy PnR.

But 4 years as Nets head coach, in the much weaker East, KA had a .383 W-L record never finishing higher than 4th in their division.

The public reason for letting him go may not have been performance related but performance is most definitely a contributing factor.

How could it not?

 

They got better every year with him. They literally blew out the Spurs and he stepped down the next day. Maybe if he was fired after the season we could debate why he was fired. He clearly didn’t want to manage the egos Especially when they weren’t on the court this season and they didn’t want to be managed.

 

I don’t know man I’m kind of weary of hiring someone who is going to run similar system to MDA.

And he coached under MDA and the Easter conference MDA.

Two guys too stubborn to make adjustments in the playoffs.

Not sure I want somebody like that.

 

Is popovich not on the list for a reason?

 

Yes because as much as he’s all of our top choice he isn’t coming.

 

KA was pacing to finish with a worse record this season than his best season (season prior). Nets already had 34 losses when season interrupted (40 total losses season before). KA's best season as HC is .500, that should be noted.

And this season's Nets were much more talented with inclusion of superstar Kyrie Irving and was .452 when let go.

Again, I have no problem if Rockets hired KA as HC, he would be a better fit than JVG, Joerger, Fizdale, Mark Jackson, Thibs (everyone'sfavorite at one point), etc.

I am just warning everyone to temper their expectations.

KA advantage is that hiring him would not require wholesale overhaul of Rockets systems, and especially the roster - but there are other candidates we can say the same: Gentry, Silas, Finch.

Nick Nurse would be my dream coach if he were available.