all i can say right now is that jvg is under a HUGE pressure, with boss bursting into rich and becoming demanding, team with considerable amount of talented players, and fans all around the world that hated him since 200 years ago. poor man.
i would go with Leonard Randolph Wilkens, NBA's career leader in coaching wins (and losses LOL), who somehow led the 03~04 NY Knicks into the playoffs
If Van Gundy isn't coaching the Rockets next year, I think a strong effort should be made to get Del Harris to abandon the Mavs and come to Houston instead.
I'd like to burst into rich soon myself. Then I could be rich Richirich. Not quite sure what you meant by boss bursting into rich, but hey those computer translation programs can be a bit dicey at times. But I can vouch that Washington and Jefferson definitely never liked Van Gundy. They told me at lunch one time. Welcome Activeman - you sound like you could be an interesting poster. You also sound like a contestant on a reality Superhero TV show. It will be interesting to see what Gundy can make of Morey's mix of new players. Can JVG really coach an offense? Stay tuned.....
The real question is who will coach after the coach that comes after Van Gundy??? My vote is to hire the lovechild of Phil Jackson and Jeannie Buss. That kid's gonna have a good pedigree of coaching, business, and the most important fact, he'll have a totally unproven record!!
If Van Gundy is fired, there are no currently available Pro head coaches that I would prefer. Barring Carlisle somehow magically coming available, or Les doing the unthinkable and hiring Stan Van Gundy to replace Jeff Van Gundy, I would go for some fresh blood. I know Elie is a popular choice here, but I'd rather someone with a better coaching record at some level. My choices, in order: John Calipari, Tom Thibodeau, Tubby Smith, and Roy Williams.
don't forget Billy Gillespie of Texas A&M. he's the only reason the Aggies got to the tourney last year, and the only reason they are a preseason top 10-ranked team. he can do the most with the least, compared to all the other coaches you named, and boasts a defensive emphasis that would even make Van Gundy blush. he's a hoss, straight-up.
phil jackson. for the simple reason that he was able to somehow coach shaq and kobe and what do you know? we have a simliar pair ( which i believe can be greater) that can do the job. too bad he loves kobe . i would want to see what rudy T would do with tmac, yao and the others.
Here is a new and fresh idea... How about we wait until the END of the season to ask this question instead of cluttering up the GARM with threads filled with bad vibes like this one....
1. P. J. Carlesimo 2. Adelman These are really the only two options. We don't need a young coach. Obviously Rudy T. and Larry Brown would be great names, however, both have serious health concerns...
I think Les and LB have houses in the Hamptons...I think it was reported that Les had some problems living near his team's coach or something...
