I'm willing to take the abuse for this idea, but if he does retire, would he not make a good assistant coach/mentor for our backcourt. Listening to Ainge last night (although I rarely agree with his assessments), I did agree with Stockton being one of the most competitive players ever and knowing the game as well as anyone in the league (his numbers are as good as they have ever been 20 yrs into his career). If Doc Rivers and Byron Scott can be head coaches, why not groom Stockton by giving him a shot with the Rockets. He knows XOs, and maybe he can teach some of his dirty tricks to our peeps. Just a thought.
You've waited this long for your first post and you write this heresy. I believe Stockton would be a great coach but I doubt he would jump straight into coaching when he can still play. If he retires, he would take some time off and hang out before doing something else. It is not like he needs the money. Guys like Byron Scott and Doc Rivers made a little over a million in the prime of their careers. Stockton probably makes more this year than both of those guys made in their entire career.
I can just hear it. "Alright listen up Steve. I used this against Cassell in the playoffs and it worked great. You pull the defender towards you like this and then you fall down. The defender gets called for the foul and you shoot some free throws. Who knows sometimes the other team gets so mad they get a technical."
no abuse coming your way. excellent idea. though i'm not sure he'd have the patience with francis and mobley. rudy could use some help on pick and roll plays... several different variations can come of it. we've seen how francis and yao use it to help yao get better position in the key, but then everybody else stands around and watches. that's all... nothing more. not to mention the sly elbows and cheap shots he could teach francis... maybe even point out to yao the killer mentality that malone has. just as long as he doesn't make his "throwback shorts" a requirement...it's a good idea. nice.
rockbox: If I'm not mistaken, my first statement was 'If Stockton Retires'. I don't recall posting 'If you can't retain content from one sentence to the next'. Do you honestly think those guys are coaching for the money? Could they just be competitive? I'm sure Larry Bird came back for the money too....I bet Magic was flat broke....that response was not thought out very well. The question is, do you think he would be a good asst coach or not, and can he help the Rockets? I've actually lurked since the site started, and since there are so many other worthless threads, why not this one as well.
I wasn't dawgin you. That is why I added the I was just saying that if he retired, it would be because he wanted to spend more time with his family. I doubt that he would jump straight into coaching which probably requires more time than being a player. I can see it in a few years but not next year.
If we hired Stockton as an assistant, it might help us recruit Malone to come play here next year! How would everyone feel about that? (duck)
Right! Might as well make Stockton player/ coach. When Steve/ Mooch screw up, John would sub himself right into the game! You will then hear Bill Worrel cheers ... Stockton to Malone ... Stockton to Malone. I bet Bill will become the biggest fan of the flop too!
Stockton is quitting because he wants to spend more time with his family. Don't count on him to come back to the NBA any time soon after he retires. That being said, it's not a bad idea, though Francis is beyond any hope of being a good PG if you ask me.
yet how many players have retired only to realize how much they miss the game and would like to somehow be a part of it. I think the idea is plausible, just not in the timeframe of next year. As soon as his wife gets sick of seeing him and he gets sick of his kids, he will probably pursue coaching.
Here comes some serious flamebait here, but WTF? I am positive that if Stockton was our point with Steve at the two and Yao in the middle we would be hosting a first round series right now.
The Rockets might well be hosting a first round playoff series, but I wouldn't be a fan of that team. I can't stand Stockton, and while anyone has the right to voice opinions of Stockton as a coach or whatever, I have to say I'm against it. It may be wrong of me as a fan to put class, and good sportsmanship ahead of winning but I do. I don't care if getting Stockton meant the start of a five year Rockets Championship dynasty I would be against it. Stockton's after playing career should be working with the league officiating staff showing them how to catch others who use the same cheap tricks and tactics that he did.
Stockton is like Jordan. He's too competitive to coach a bunch of guys playing the game worse than he would play it.
Why not? As assistant coach.....sure. But why the heck would he want to come to Houston and join his rivals? Wouldn't make sense. He and Francis and Yao would be kinda nice. But hmm.......he really sucked in the playoffs this year. He's 41! What do you expect? Anyways. Great career John!
stockton is the dirtiest player in nba history and i hate the jazz, but over the last few years ive come to grudgingly respect him. pound for pound nobody is tougher than stockton (besides iverson). he plays hard and smart every nite. he is not into all the flash and crap-he just gets the job done. talking of bringing him in is much less heretical than bringing in karla to play pf. he could teach our guards a thing or two, but i dont think that he would ever want to come to houston. if he wanted to coach there would be a dozen other teams knocking on his door.
Stockton was one of the best in the game, But I cant stand his style of play. I would not want him for the coach....really. But I could really careless who the coach is aslong as he brings the team up to be a contender. Steve nash's game reminds me of Stockton's, that is one reason I dislike watching him too. sorry that was random but I think the mavs are so boring to watch.
