I'm curious what available coaches could make a difference. My opinions of Van Gundy have been up and down this year but who else on the market is better?
Phil Jackson would probably be interested if van Gundy resigns. DOn Nelson,lenny Wilkens,Rudy T or Assistant coach Tom T
I think Van Gundy will a get a pass on this season, due all the injuries, but if not Van Gundy I would like to see Mario Elie as our head coach.
Phil Jackson -cant coach and develop a team with your players , which we hope to have next season. Nelson,Wilkins,Rudt T- Burned out their day has been and gone. Tom T- he has already had his chance as Ast.Head Coach of the Rockets. We now need to think fresh and get away from these paths!!
I am hoping that our fresh coach will be MARIO ELLIE and our new General Manager is Kenny Smith.For experience Ellie could have Del Harris and Rudy T as his assistant Head Coaches.
Mario Elie and Kenny Smith? What have they done as coaches to earn your respect? Kenny Smith as GM? This is the same Kenny Smith that says the only reason the Rockets rank high in points given up is because they slow the ball down. Hey Kenny, check out the FG% defense... I guess slowing the ball down makes that number really good, too. No. Although he may make a good assistant coach for now. Rudy T. No. Love the guy, but he didn't get it done without Hakeem or with Francis and Mobley. That, and he's a sick man apparently. Rick Adelman. Yes, now there's a champion. Why do you want him? He's had loads of talent that never got anywhere for years. Lenny Wilkins. No. A coach that is more known for coaching crappy teams nowhere. Don Nelson. No. Never heard the word defense in his life and teams that don't have defense don't win championships. It's amazing how much of a better defensive team Dallas is since he left. Del Harris. I never was too impressed by him - even when he coached the Rockets. He was better with the Lakers. I don't know... I could've sworn he had a shot to coach a couple of years ago, but decided to remain 2nd fiddle with the Mavs. That's not exactly a sign of a guy that wants to take the reigns. Phil Jackson. If he's available, I'd go for him. He's got a proven record at least, albeit much of it has been with the greatest talent in the NBA.
Guys, Rudy's coaching days are over...his body just can't take the stress, as we saw in the stint with LA. He could possibly be GM, but I don't even see that happening...I think he likes scouting anyway. I think both CD and JVG's future are on next season...CD may not last much longer anyway because of health reasons. I wouldn't be surprised to see Dennis Lindsey take over as GM one day. As far as coaches, Mario Elie is going to be a fan favorite choice. Everyone is going to point at the success Avery Johnson is having. Nelson and Wilkins are done...Del Harris has had his chances, as well as Adelman (though I do think he is a good coach). Phil Jackson would probably be the best choice. It's obvious that he knows how to get the most out of his stars, and have his role players perform at what they do best. I just can't see him coming to Houston though...I think he likes being out in LA where he can easily get away in the offseason, plus he's got the whole Jeannie Buss situation. Oh, and pass on Kenny Smith for anything...he's good at TV and needs to stick to it.
JVG will be back next season. But to answer your question: Don Nelson, Donny Nelson, Del Harris, Rick Adelman, Rudy T?
rmartine: Great thread Everyone else: Please exclude Phil Jackson from the discussion. Totally pointless and will not happen. The guy is locked into a $10MM/yr contract. Give it up! He is not leaving the Lakers to coach ANY other NBA team. The other names besides PJ aren't very good. Mario Elie hasn't done anything as a coach. Very high risk. Could be a good choice though. Kenny Smith? IMO, doesn't have what it takes to be a successful NBA coach. Adelman: Legitimate possibility. Personally, I think his tank is getting near "E". His teams get carved up defensively which is why they couldn't beat the Lakers in the playoffs. Nelson & Wilkins: Stick a fork in both of them. The game has completely passed by Wilkins. Rudy? Yeah right. Carlesimo: Legit possibility. He wants to be an NBA head coach again so bad it hurts, but he enjoys working for a soulmate in Pop. I think it would be better to stick with JVG one more year than to give a long term contract to someone who's never been a head coach before. Maybe someone can come up with a name out there that is a good fit.
Phil Jackson has no record of developing a team that is full of young talent. He is a great manager of high Level experienced talent. this would not be suitable for what we need. I remind you that Rudy T came in without much experience and did a great job in the 1990s.
Getting Phil Jackson means running the triangle offense. That's Phil's schtick. Not that the triangle is a bad thing, but it would be a radical change.
