1. Larry Brown old genius never could control Alan Iverson 2. JVG young coached an overachieving Knicks to the finals seems to attract controversy 3. Pat Riley old feuding with reffs has rings coached Kareem, Ewing, and Morning Raven
http://bbs.clutchcity.net/php3/showthread.php?s=&threadid=58030 that pretty much covered everybody possible except Riley, and Riley is a long shot given his antics the last couple years
I am curious. If Brown want to change team so often, is it wise to hire him as the rocket coach? What will happen if he want to retire next year? I prefer JVG.
This isn't a bad discussion to have. My thoughts on the candidates who have come up the most: Larry Brown Pros: Well-respected and proven winner. Strong X's and O's coach with good offensive system. Known for his ability to develop young talent and bring out the best in even meager teams. Pretty firm disciplinarian but rarely loses players. Cons: Known for his wanderlust - has stayed in Philly for six years and that is his longest tenure. Tendency to openly and publically criticize players. Often makes rash decisions when it comes to personnel. Jeff Van Gundy Pros: Well-liked. Known for his defensive ingenuity and creativity. Never loses players despite being having a pretty stern hand. Has been successful under difficult circumstances and with a wide variety of player personalities. Cons: Lacks the same offensive creativity he has on defense - tends to stifle players offensively with slow-down ball. Despite hype, doesn't have the pedigree of other candidates. Criticized for bailing out on his team when the pressue of the New York spotlight got to him. Mike Dunleavy Pros: Knows the organization well and lives in Texas. Strong track record of leading teams to the playoffs. Deals well with players and is well-liked. Keeps disagreements in the locker room. Generally good X's and O's coach who likes for his teams to push the ball and be agressive defensively. Cons: While he is liked by players, he has lost some teams. Not particularly creative on the offensive end of the floor. Could be firmer with players. Doc Rivers Pros: Inspires terrific loyalty among players depsite his penchant for discipline. A quick study with a good understanding of the game. Not afraid to take chances. Pushes players to be agressive on both ends of the floor. Cons: Still relatively young with little coaching experience. Has shown some slowness in adjusting to in-game situations. Pat Riley Pros: Long pedigree brings experience, respect among players and notoriety among fans. Strong presence in the locker room - inspires fierce loyalty. Preaches defense first but rarely stifles offensive creativity. Loves working with big men. Cons: May be past his prime - some think he may have lost his passion for the game. Famous but also infamous for sideline tirades and need to be in charge of every decision. Has been labelled an egomaniac.
That would be the question of Brown. He's not gerunteed to stay around for long. That leads to Dunleavy. JVG is a 3 or 4th choice. His style of basketball goes against what Les has been asking for. Les wants to pack the house every night while he wins. JVG's brand of basketball is just as boring to watch as Rudy's was. Les doesn't want to slow down the game and play tought defense, he wants to pick it up, put on a show and win it all in the process... Don't get me wrong, winning will bring the fans regardless so JVG's not out of it, but I don't think its going to happen... I could be wrong, its happened before..
Pat Riley is a horrible GM, which makes Pat Riley the coach bad for the past years after his Knicks days.
Out of all the coaching candidates everyone wants, you also have to look at the current team and see what they actually need in a coach. Our team has: - 2 superstars to grow around in YAO and FRANCIS - International players in YAO and BOKi - deep,young, athletic, inexperienced in playoffs Basically we need a coach who has experience with young, talented players. A coach who has a track record and one who has been to the playoffs and won games. A coach who knows the importance of raising the team behind marquee players. And a coach who has coached international players. DUNLEAVY has coached SABONIS and has had deep talented teams and taken them to the playoffs. BRowN has had to handle IVERSON and has that playoff experience. RIVERS is still young but is turning out to become a good coach. JVG has handled the top superstars in his tenure as coach. I pick Dunleavy b/c of his ties to Houston and because he has coached young, deep, talented teams (in relation to Houston) in PORTLAND. itzIce
This seems to be the only fear that the anti-Brown crowd has, and it makes little sense to me. Everyone agrees that Brown would greatly improve this team next season. After missing the playoffs 4 years in a row, the Rockets are not in a position to worry about what happens 2 years from now and that is why I don't understand why people make such a big deal. Even if he did leave, he'de leave the team in great shape (like he did in Indiana and would be in Philly) and with 2 young superstars. Thus, the Rockets would again have their choice of any coach.
Dunleavy also had Vlade when he first came on the scene so the arguement that Sabonis didn't need coaching doesn't float for those of you thinking about it. Dunleavy is my first choice at this point. I was trying not to take sides but a couple days of thinking about it and he's the man. He works for Les too. 1. Continues the Rocket player to coach method. 2. Won't cost nearly as much as Brown, Riley and probably JVG too. 3. Coaches up tempo on O and solid D principles. 4. Has worked with every type of player imaginable at some point in his career. From Magic to Sheed he's had the whole spectrum of attitude and talent. 5. Lives in Texas and knows the mentality of the Texas Fan. He won't be uprooting the whole family and moving to the other side of the country like the others will. 6. He's been in the finals and rarely fails to make the playoffs.
You're approaching this the wrong way. Its not about the fans, well beyond our willingness to pay for tickets and merchandise. This will be Les's first major hire. Promoting Rudy from within wasn't a big deal at the time. He's going to want this Coach not to just improve the team but to take them all the way. He definately doesn't want to start going through coaches on a regular basis. Two to four years isn't going to be long enough for Les. My opinion...
Who's this Boki guy? I don't recall seeing him during the season, but then again, I only watched about 75 of the games.
I thought that the rocket want a coach who can bring a championship. If we keep changing coach every two years , will we have to start all over again?
Yeah... I've been thinking about the process and Brown does seem to run out the mouth at times about his players(doesn't keep things in the locker room at times)... If I had to go with someone right now, I'd go with Mike Dunleavy... He knows the organization well and can work well with CD and Les Alexander... I'd like them in this order: Dunleavy Brown Van Gundy Rivers Riley Just think Mike Dunleavy will do a good job here and is a stable coach(no chances he will leave in the next 4-5 years-that can't be said about Brown or Van Gundy)... Mike Dunleavy at this point seems to be the guy I'd root for...
I think it's premature to start assuming Brown is gone in 2 years. His last stint, 6 years, puts him among the longest running head coaching tenures in the NBA. His wanderlust is a part of the package, granted, but it seems to be slowing down a bit with age. Either way, if it weren't for that aspect, we wouldn't have a shot at the best coach in the game...as it is, we apparently do. Let's not out think ourselves. If Brown is available, he's the man. I also disagree with the assesment that Brown never handled Iverson. I think he is directly responsible for the maturity in Iverson's game, and handled him as well or better than anyone else. Proponents of Brown say that he is a mountain climber...that his big thing is challenges. He has historically taken on teams that others couldn't make work, and made them work. He intentionally took on Philly at a time when Iverson was being talked about as A) among the bigger talents in the game, and B) uncoachable. He has handled him, made that team into something people said it couldn't be, and has had repeated head to heads with The Answer...I suspect that in his mind he has both climbed that particular mountain as far as it can be climbed, and tired of the emotional wear of having a star player constantly straining at the leash. There are challenges in Houston, new ones...but there is also Yao, with a personality and coachability the complete opposite of Iverson. Coaches dream of having a highly skilled potentially dominant big man who is team oriented, works hard, listens, and has basketball sense. I suspect that Larry would be here for quite a while...but whether the players who refuse to play within the system or defend would be around for more than 2 years is another question altogether. On the other hand, when this is the coach who got Iverson to play defense, team ball, and change to a position he initially refused, and you're Steve Francis...how exaclty are you going to argue? I think he could be exactly what the doctor ordered for Steve. He demands accountability, and Steve has had too much comfort for his own good. ANd it's not like Brown is a drill instructor; he builds teams around star talents, and I am willing to bet that under him Steve and Yao would take more shots, and be the focus...but they will have to do it within the structure of the offense Larry implements.Yao would have little problem doing that, and if Steve does, if he refuses to do what even Allen Iverson did for Brown, than we don't want him here under any coach.
If JVG coached teams play excellent defense, then that seems to bode well for the Rockets offense since we have young, fast, athletic players who can run the floor and convert on fastbreak opportunities off turnovers or missed field goal attempts. I can't see him (or any caoch for that matter) telling the current set of players we have to slow it down if they have opportunities to push the ball up the court.
You think Larry will quit after 2 yrs for no reason? After a few years, he will move on if he thinks he can not improve this team and compete for the championship any more. If I were Les, this is a perfect candidate for the job. In a few years, if he does not like the result, he would have an easier time for change than he had with Rudy.
Mouthing off to players is not all a bad thing. I feel that sometimes it's necessary. The players making the money that they do.. especially the stars... should be mature enough to take a few mouthings when they are not doing what they SHOULd be doing considering the money that they make. The coach should NOT have to take all the blame.. and as much as I admired Rudy for that, I also find that to be his fatal fall. He's too determined to take the blow for his team and too worried about the possibility of the players not enjoying him coaching that the team ended up underachieving. I like Larry Brown in the way that although he is strict, he seem to be very direct with his players and I find him very forgiving as a person. He seem to have the eye for potential and I very well appreciated his positive thoughts on Yao at the beginning of the season. I think he'd make a terrific coach. The one thing about Dunleavy that bothered me is how he seem to have broken down mentally coaching the Blazers.. then again.. who wouldn't? I got the sense that he pretty much almost gave up on them. I feel that he is kinda like Rudy... He came in to a team with Magic leading the way as a veteran leader. Unless Glen Rice can make such an impact, I'm not sure if he'll be able to restore order in this team. JVG... I guess if he can keep discipline he'll be great. But I hope he can still maintain a great relationship with our players because I feel that our players needs more than a basketball coach. We have a couple international players that's adjusting to the US life. We have a star PG with a lot of pride that needs to see the big picture during games and outside of basketball. We have a couple players (I won't mention who), who needs to get in shape to justify the money that we pay them. Then we have players who are obviously good, but needs to take one for the team statistically. Only if the team plays for the BEST OUTCOME OF THE TEAM will this team play beyond the regular season.
I said 2-4 years (his average span) and I didn't say why he would leave, so don't put "no reason" in my mouth. He may decide he's had enough of coaching period. The rocket 'Faithful' may not appreciate him enough, something he's made a point of mentioning for the last several years in Phili. The team may not have reached the final's in 4 years and he may not feel he's the right guy to get us there, at which point we will be looking for another coach, which may happen with anybody. I just don't get the feeling he's going to be coaching much longer, anywhere... Brown is the most qualified and most capable option, i've stated that several times in several posts. My 1 -2 have been Brown and Dunleavy. Now here's the part that makes me believe Dunleavy will be the guy that gets the job and makes him my guess as the first choice: He's local, he's cheaper, and he's a former player. He and brown both have the kind of offense that Les is looking for, they are both proven winners, they are both capable of teaching young talent, and they both have plenty of experience with ego-driven talent. As far as pure coaching ability Brown wins. But Dunleavy may be the better fit. I'll take either and be thankful they aren't Van Gundy.
To add to the List: Paul Silas: Has any coach had to endure anymore than this guy and still kept his team focused. While Rudy was complaining about losing the 3rd best player before the season started and a over the hill wannabe, last yr Silas lost Mashburn for 40 games and the playoffs , David wesley for 15 games and Elden Campbell for time. Did I mention he lost Bobby Phills to a car wreck a yr earlier? No excuses, but for some reason people think he's soft because he's soft spoken. Jim Cleamons: Has paid his dues even though he got a poor deal in Dallas. Is known for being a disciplinarian and Phils right hand man. Has been a assistant since 91 with Phil, but hasn't gotten another coaching chance. Know the triangle in and out and is my personal choice , but wouldn't make the splash the Rockets are looking for. Then again, neither did Carisle or Byron Scott when they were given their first chance. Eddie Jordan: Similar to Cleamons. A assistant who has paid his dues, but in his only coaching debut failed. Has been with scott since being in NJ and was a assistant under Adelman and knows the Princeton offense. Not the big name assistant that everyone wants or is looking for. I really don't have a problem with anyone as a coach, but guys like Larry Brown do worry me. How long will he be here? Remember it was a question mark whether or not he was coming back after the run to the finals. Since then, he hasn't made it past the 2nd rd and for all his greatness, has only been to 1 finals and 1 conf finals. Van Gundy scares me for another reason. His offenses suck. If anyone think Detroit offense is bad or the Rockets this yr, JVG is worse. Those Knicks teams he coached had a still healthy ewing,a sharpshooter in Houston and still good players in LJ,Mason to name a few and had reall scoring droughts. I think this next coach not only has to win in the standings, but also win in the stands. If I had a choice of a coach who could really get this team going that may or not be availiable, it might even be Doc Rivers. For that team to avg 100pts with 1 guy scoring 30 and no one else scoring more than 15 is pretty good. The jury is still out on whether or not he can be a chamionship defensive coach, but his style and the teams he's had have overacheived. If the Rockets can get permission to talk to him and inquire about this job, it would be nice. If he can get this team to over acheive like he did in Orlando with our talent, that would be the best. My first choice is still : Cleamons Silas Rivers Brown
