Larry Brown did an EXCELLENT job of getting that team to overachieve. Not to take anything away from them, but they lacked in individual talent but made up for it with team cohesiveness - on BOTH sides of the court. I give Larry Brown MASS props for that. I think LB would have had a heart attack watching the Rockets average something like 18 turnovers a game, though. Much like JVG, LB's system thrives on limiting the number of offensive sets the opponent gets and not giving up anything in transition.
Larry Brown is a better coach than Van Gundy, most likely. But he's a vagabond, and Van Gundy is a more loyal guy. In the short term Brown would have been better, but in the end he's a double dealing vagabond snake, and I'd rather we had Doug Collins than Larry Brown.
So our team would've been worse, since Yao isn't ready to be the man who carries the weight of the team on his shoulders? I don't think Brown would be thinking of sticking around long enough to develop that. So I doubt he would make any kinds of trades that would have lessened our team.
Yes, I think we would have accomplished more this season (and in the future) with Brown at the helm. However, I seriously doubt the Rockets could have pulled off what the Pistons did. Their players are smarter, craftier, and play much better as a team. I lived in LA in the late 80's early 90's and having hated the Lakers for so long I became a Clipper fan so I could follow a local team. Man, it was tough sledding being a Clipper fan; and then they did perhaps the only smart thing the organization has ever done and hired Larry Brown to coach. Dude actually took the Clips to the playoffs TWICE. Something more impressive than his recent championship, IMHO. I've been a huge Brown fan ever since, and was really pulling for him to be the Rockets coach.
Brown may be something of a vagabond, but I don't recall him walking out on his team mid-season like the "loyal" JVG.
....maybe people wouldn't complain so much about our "shoot first" guards! I glad the Pistons won so it can so some of these people in here and in general that the key to an NBA champion does not have to include a "pass first" PG!
It's ridiculous that Larry Brown seems can't gain any credit even after his team almost swapped Lakers, the team almost swapped Rox. How many people really believed Piston could beat Lakers before the finals? Now it is not because of him, but Piston is a better team. Didn't people post threat that Championship team must have a top 5 star?
That Lakers team is not as good as you give them credit for. We could have gone 3-1 over Lakers if a couple of shots fell or if refs called games fairly. Again, this lakers team could have been beaten by Spurs if not for Fish's shot. Again, this lakers team had great difficulties to win the sam-less Twolves. Lakers were lucky to be in the finals, and they got many help from refs before the finals. Not taking any credit from Pistons, but let's not overstating what they have accomplished here.
I know Lakers was beaten in this series. However, we shouldn't discredit their run to the final when Malone was healthy. Before game 3 vs Spurs, Lakers played bad even against Rox, but after that, Lakers was clearly the better team. In fact, I was very disappointed in Spurs. They simply melt down. As to the Wolves, I think it was clear their were no-match for the Lakers in that series.
Lucky? The Lakers beat both San Antonio and Minnesota 4-2. And both teams had home court advantage. When you have the home court and can't win more than 2 games in a 7 game series- you got beat. Some people have an excuse for everything.
Yeah whatever........had Larry Brown replaced your idol Rudy you still would have sulked and complained.
I agree. I hate the Lakers, Shaq, Kobe and especially Karl Malone but I have to give them props. Yes Fisher made an incredible shot that took the life out of the Spurs in game 6 of that series but that doesn't explain the Laker's domination of the Spurs in games 3 and 4 and through most of game 5. At the same time even though Cassell was hurting and didn't play game 6 of that series the Lakers had ailing players too but still convincingly beat the younger more athletic T-wolves. For all of the flaws of the Lakers that seem so obvious to so many it was only the Pistons coached by Larry Brown who exposed those flaws. A team that individually has less talent than either the T-Wolves are Spurs and probably even the Rockets.
If Larry Brown were our Coach, may be SF can develop as well as the latest NBA finals MVP - Chauncey Billups. SF and Billups share many similarities in physical abilities and were both score-first players last year. After a session, Billups turns into a well-balanced PG that win a champion. While watching Billups play, I talked to myself that Francis definitely capable to play at similar level. What's the difference? Is it the teaching of Larry Brown? Can JVG deliver similar teaching to SF? For Sishir Chang, talking about the talent, Richard Hamilton is a far better scorer than Cat, which score consistent 20+ in playoffs (I dont even bother to dig out Cat's stats). Ben Wallace just dominated the board against Lakers. I would love to see Yao and Cato do so. JJ is delivering a good service, but who else can stop Kobe like Prince did? As mentioned, SF 's development is lagging behind Billups IMO. KH
If he was shooting to build a Championship Team in two/three seasons he would have completely rebuilt the Rockets because he only has TEAM players on his teams . Our Guards would have gone because they dont/cant play the team game.
Are you sure? I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure he was only there long enough to take them there once. Bill Fitch took them another time. The Clipper team Brown coached actually had GOOD talent. Danny Manning, Mark Jackson, and Ron Harper all in their primes ... Loy Vaught and Gary Grant weren't too shabby. You have to wonder how they only went 41-41 in their best year.
Had Sam been healthy, Twolves would have beaten Lakers. If they made Billup the MVP of finals, what would they have made a heathy Sam? Spurs lost that series on Fish's shot. I admit that TD's shot before it was also lucky. It was a match of luck, Lakers came out on top. Can you honestly say that the officiating was consistent all the way? What I see is Lakers got a lot of favorable calls until they call games fairly in the finals. I just don't think this Lakers team is the best team in the west this year.
Well, Lakers were equally dominated by Spurs in game 1 and 2. Lakers were behind Rox in games 1 in most of the game. Cassell to Twolves is like Kobe to Lakers, or Kidd to Nets. His injury was fatal to Twolves, while the injuries Lakers had to deal with in that series was not serious. Playing with injuries is routine and I am not giving Twolves any excuses. But you have to admit injury is related to luck. Look at Webber, you don't think it was bad luck to Kings and good luck to its opponents?
