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All Aboard the Luke Walton Bandwagon: check in here if you agree

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by JayZ750, Apr 20, 2016.

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  1. Kam

    Kam Member

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    He will bring in his boyfriend Richard Jefferson as an assistant. I don't want that to happen.
     
    #21 Kam, Apr 20, 2016
  2. Eric00009

    Eric00009 Member

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    Look Luke Walton is not a good coach neither is steve kerr golden state doesn't need a coach....so no thanks to luke Walton he was just looking good cause of the team he coaching any other team he wouldn't be a candidate for any jobs
     
    #22 Eric00009, Apr 20, 2016
  3. Dave_78

    Dave_78 Member

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    Warriors are the perfect storm of smart, skilled and unselfish players. They also happen to have a guy who will go down as the best shooter in NBA history by 100 miles.

    It would not surprise me one bit if Kerr was nothing more than an average coach and Walton turned out to not even be NBA head coach material once this Warriors squad is no more and these two guys move on to new situations.
     
    #23 Dave_78, Apr 20, 2016
  4. Marteen

    Marteen Member

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    Like father, like son?

    <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/b2fyT8-N1gU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
     
    #24 Marteen, Apr 20, 2016
  5. Pizza_Da_Hut

    Pizza_Da_Hut I put on pants for this?

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    This made me laugh uncontrollably. Thank you.

    Even my warrior fan friends are like "Luke Walton walked into a system that was already working, he just maintained it. The dude got everything he did from other people's accomplishments. He should thank Kobe and Kerr that he is even relevant."
     
    #25 Pizza_Da_Hut, Apr 20, 2016
  6. count_dough-ku

    count_dough-ku Member

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    I'm all for hiring an assistant coach from a winning team, but why Luke Walton? Sure, he did a great job holding down the fort in Kerr's absence, but keep in mind that Alvin Gentry didn't exactly do too well when he was plucked from the Warriors staff to coach the Pelicans. Although in fairness, Gentry had been a head coach before and the results were less than stellar.

    Not saying I wouldn't want Walton, but I'm not entirely sold on him turning this team around. I would prefer him to Scottie Brooks though for sure.
     
    #26 count_dough-ku, Apr 20, 2016
  7. Aruba77

    Aruba77 Member

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    Luke Walton? lol ...yeah, i remember some of my slumpbusters as well.
     
    #27 Aruba77, Apr 20, 2016
  8. jdmalle

    jdmalle New Member

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    Kevin Ollie

    I'm surprised his name hasn't been brought up. Respected ex player with coaching experience , also might help recruiting Durant. He might have the pull to turn Harden around as well.
    NBA player Kevin Durant in an interview with Grantland said that Kevin Ollie (who played for Oklahoma City Thunder in 2009-2010) "taught him the ropes", and "changed the culture of Oklahoma City". He also said, “Kevin Ollie, he was a game changer for us. I think he changed the whole culture in Oklahoma City. Just his mind set, professionalism, every single day. And we all watched that, and we all wanted to be like that. It rubbed off on Russell Westbrook, myself, Jeff Green, James Harden. And then everybody who comes through now, it’s the standard that you’ve got to live up to as a Thunder player. And it all started with Kevin Ollie.”
     
    #29 jdmalle, Apr 20, 2016
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 6, 2019
  9. count_dough-ku

    count_dough-ku Member

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    Our roster of players ain't gonna be here next year. Dwight, T-Jones, Terry, and Smith are gone for sure. D-Mo is probably gone. Brewer will either be traded or benched for good. Ariza will be on the trading block.

    I have no idea what kind of roster the Rockets will have next season, but it'll be vastly different from this one.
     
    #29 count_dough-ku, Apr 20, 2016
  10. LabMouse

    LabMouse Member

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    Yes, bring him here. He is a winner whenever he goes. It would be great to have his dad for the TV job in the rockets too.
     
    #30 LabMouse, Apr 20, 2016
  11. JayZ750

    JayZ750 Member

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    Lol. Walked into a system that was working. You (or GSW fans?) realize, don't you, that he was part of implementing that system from the get-go??

    The idea that Kerr isn't a good coach s(you didn't say that, but someone else did, so just noting it here) and this is just a function of having amazing players is ludicrious. Sure, the players continued to improve, but the jump from Mark Jackson Warriors to Steve Kerr Warriors is pure coaching. From day one, Kerr was implementing two things offensively.

    1. Fundamentals, fundamentals, fundamentals. Setting picks. Eliminating turnovers. Here's an article right after day one of practice.
    http://www.mercurynews.com/warriors...teve-kerr-oversees-first-practice-teams-coach

    He's teaching the fundamentals of a 3 man weave the first day. Big on basics. Stressing being fundamentally sound on a team that had just won 51 games the prior year.

    If anyone thinks the Rockets have practice pure fundamentals enough the past few years, they haven't been watching.

    2. A unique and well suited for their squad hybrid of offenses. Triangle, motion weak, etc. See this video from two years ago talking about it:

    <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qY6_bHropV8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

    Defensively, he understood the need to be strong there, and has talked about it, and how to be versatile with it, over and over.

    Sure, there's questions about how much Walton has to do with it, how much he can influence a different group, etc... but at least you know he understands a "fundamental" philosophy that might be simplistic to think about, but is logical and works.

    To be honest, I chose Walton because signs indicate that Les wants a "splash". Rather than a Brooks, or JVG or similar has been hire, I want something fresh and new. Walton accomplishes both.

    Two, he's a winner. Riding coattails? Sure... who cares, he's around winning cultures. There's no way to prove the importance of that, but it's important.

    Three, regarding someone like Gentry... you answered your own question. Plus, to be fair to him, that Pelicans team was injured the whole year. I think Gentry probably forced too much change too quick given his roster. He should have taken some of the things he learned and adjusted to fit AD's game. The immediate push to get him shooting more 3's, for example, I never liked.

    Clearly, how Walton would be as a coach on his own team with a different group of players, is up in the air.

    My impression is that he'd have a really solid plan if he came here... PRINCIPALLY because of Harden. This is a duded that so desperately needs a system in place to fit his skill-set. It doesn't have to be what the Warriors are running... but can you imagine some hybrid combination of offenses, with some triangle thrown in there, etc. with Harden?? It makes too much sense, to me.

    Anyway, that's the case I'm laying out!
     
    #31 JayZ750, Apr 20, 2016
    1 person likes this.
  12. kjayp

    kjayp Member

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    Walton, Brooks, JVG... ANYBODY except JBB...
     
    #32 kjayp, Apr 20, 2016
  13. Verbal Christ

    Verbal Christ Member

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    Hell to the no.
     
    #33 Verbal Christ, Apr 20, 2016
  14. Pizza_Da_Hut

    Pizza_Da_Hut I put on pants for this?

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    You're definitely selling me on Kerr, and if you go back to my posts even before he was the warriors coach I recommended him a while ago. I talked about Lute, Phil and Pop being great sources of inspiration to what Kerr could do/be. I'm still not seeing how that makes Walton a great coach. Kerr also did some great things with the PHX Suns team, Sarver is just the embodiment of what Clutchfans think Les is.

    I just don't see that Walton has contributed that much to their success. Again, if you want to roofie Kerr, get compromising photos of him and a stripper, then blackmail him into becoming the Rocket's coach I'm on board. I'm not convinced Luke is the next Kerr.
     
    #34 Pizza_Da_Hut, Apr 20, 2016
  15. AvgJoe

    AvgJoe Member

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    What Stever Kerr and Luke Walton did was fixing GSW offense while maintaining their defense.

    Our problem is rooted in the defense. I am wary on Walton. I personally prefer JVG to fix our defense. But I am half half on Walton vs. Brooks.
     
    #35 AvgJoe, Apr 20, 2016
  16. SamFisher

    SamFisher Member

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    Forecasting whether a coach is going to be good or not is kind of a mug's game.

    Kerr had never coached a game in his life prior to last year. Alvin Gentry meanwhile coached over 700 career games.

    Who the f knows.
     
    #36 SamFisher, Apr 20, 2016
  17. LabMouse

    LabMouse Member

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    Do we need to be convinced that Luke is the next Kerr?

     
    #37 LabMouse, Apr 20, 2016
  18. JayZ750

    JayZ750 Member

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    Well, again, there's always a risk. It wasn't clear that Kerr was going to be a great coach either.

    But if the argument for him was he had Lute, Phil and Pop pedigree. Well, Walton has Lute, Phil and now Kerr pedigree.

    He may not be the "visionary" Kerr proved to be. Who knows.

    But undeniably, Kerr did REAL coaching in every sense of the word. Focused on fundamentals. Had a unique plan in place to help his teams offensive efficiency specific to his players. Made a key rotation change. Great at drawing up plays. Understands X's and O's. Understands matchups. Understands small-ball vs. big-ball. Didn't forget about defense.

    I mean any one of those "coaching" decisions he made on their own would be 1 more than any meaningful "coaching" I can point to from McHale or JBB the past 3 years... well, I take that back, I give McHale credit for two things, both of which occurred in the playoffs last year. Putting JSmith in the starting lineup, and keeping Harden on the bench the 4th quarter of Game 6 against the Lakers.

    But the point stands. We're talking about light and day differences in coaching between these two franchises. The coaching difference is bigger than the talent difference, and that's saying a lot because GSW is STACKED with talent.

    Again, what does Walton bring? It's unclear exactly... but if 50% of it rubbed off he'd already be a top 15 coach and a crapton better than what we have, and better option than JVG or Brooks

    Out of curiosity, what do you think the Warriors would do if Kerr was no longer their coach? A coaching search, or just hire Walton to be the head coach?

    Partially true and valid. They did get better defensively... but they also already were good there.
     
    #38 JayZ750, Apr 20, 2016
  19. mac2yao

    mac2yao Member

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    What had Kerr proven as a head coach? Obviously, a lot will rely on interviews and such, but I'd rather gamble on someone unproven who's well-regarded and has worked under smart people than trot out a retread.
     
    #39 mac2yao, Apr 20, 2016
  20. SamFisher

    SamFisher Member

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    Do you have any backing for this? Frankly this sounds like a ridiculous trope.

    Mark Jackson had them running dunk contests in practice, but Kerr came in and made them throw thousands of 2-handed chest passes becuase he FOCUSED ON FUNDAMENTALS and the result was GOOD became GREAT because he FOCUSED ON FUNDAMENTALS.

    Maybe Kerr was just in the right place at the right time. It happens, you know, in fact it happens a lot more often than we want to believe in life. But instead we can put together a silly narrative about hard work and focus and fundamentals and say "yay we live in a just world"
     
    #40 SamFisher, Apr 20, 2016
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