Hobbs, Interesting props for TP from LB. I realize Darko has huge upside, but I can't see a 17-18 year-old tearing up the league...maybe I'm dead wrong and he does great things under the tutelage of LB. Yes, I don't give the East much credit. I thought IND had the best shot next to NJ, but they folded early. I thought they had the size and depth to deal with Western teams.
Detroit's in the east. Had the best record in the east. Made the eastern conference finals. Also have the #2 pick in the draft. That's pretty attractive ... but they still won't be able to WIN the championship.
and more likely than not, neither will the rockets. I would pick Detroit, and think they have as good of a shot as us at winning the title if Darko is as good as advertised.
So true. Even with Brown and all the talent in the world, the Lakers, Kings, Mavericks and Spurs all stand in our way. Take the path of least resistance.
If I'm Larry Brown, I probably would choose a team like Detroit over Hou. Remember that they went to the ecf, have the #2 pick coming in and still have cap room to go get a player. Other than Cliff Robinson and the soon to be gone Curry, This is still a young team. Okur and Prince are 21 and 22yrs old,Billups and Hamilton are 26 and 25 then they will add a stud in Darko. Houston ,realistically is at least 3yrs from being serious threats in the west and by then, Phoe will also be one too.
Art - A slight attempt at humor...although there are a few decent beaches in Texas...Galveston's not one.
Believe this thread is dead...Brown chose DET, the reason...doesn't really matter now. On to the next candidate!
Detroit. You go in having made the Conf Finals in a conference that you do not have to face LA, Kings, Mavs, Spurs, and T Wolves more than twice per season unless you meet in the Finals (opposed to beating 3 to get to the Finals).
Darko is not going to be as good as advertised for at least 5 years. The kid is 17 years old. He can't compete with grown men yet. For Larry to win a championship there, they are gonna have to swing a blockbuster trade for Shaq or Duncan. Otherwise, Larry is gonna have to wait 5 or more years to win a championship there. Larry took the Detroit job because of the MONEY! Dude is 62 years old. He is maxing out his retirement plan. His place in the hall of fame is already sewed up. He took the money over the best chance to win a championship. Of all the teams with coaching vacancies right now, the one with the most legitimate shot at a championship in the next 3 to 5 years is the Rockets. Not the Pistons or the Cavs. Will they be good teams? Yes. But they won't win a championship in the next 3 to 5 years unless they get one of the dominant big men playing in the West in a trade. Duncan is too good. Shaq is still too good. And Yao is gonna be really good really soon. There is only one possibility that Larry is thinking in regards to winning a championship with Detroit. He is hoping for another Jayhawk miracle. He is hoping he can get out of the East and face a team in the West that by some miracle has upset the Lakers, Spurs, Ming-Rockets, and somehow that team will be more evenly matched with the Pistons. Or he is thinking that if he can get out of the East that somehow he can pull off a miracle in a 7 game series against a Spurs-Duncan, Lakers-Shaq, Rockets-Yao, Kings-Weber. So, if he can do that, he can have his cake and eat it too. He can take his $8 mill to the bank along with his championship trophy. One problem with doing that however, is that a 7 game series is a lot different than winning a 1 game championship. And besides that when he did pull off the big upset, he had a dominant big man. So, it is really simple. Larry's priorities are this: 1) Make as much money as possible for the rest of his career 2) If possible, win a championship. I really don't think we should fault Les and CD in this if we find out that they made a legit contract offer. That is to say, a contract offer of several years and several million dollars that would have put Larry in the top tier of highest paid coaches. I would be really surprised to find out that Les and CD had not made such an offer. Assuming they had, I go back to what I said originally, Larry was trying to hold Les hostage for more $$$$'s. And if that is so, I don't blame Les for not "matching" some outrageous contract. Think about it. $8 million a year to coach...............is nuts. Almost as nuts as $12-$28 million a year to play ball. Give Les the benefit of the doubt. He is the only owner in this city's history to bring us a championship. He likes to win. This is still the top coaching job available. We will get a good coach. And this team will win a championship before Detroit does, barring Detroit making a blockbuster deal for Duncan, Shaq, or Yao. And they simply aren't gonna get those 3.
Darko may be a lot of thinds, but a C, he is not. Have fun Larry. I hope you get enough money to wipe those tears off when you FAIL to win the championship in your entire career. Houston is 3 years from being a contender? Please. Houston is ONE TRADE away from being a Western Finals contender, and one year of maturity after that trade away from being a CHAMPIONSHIP contender. Yao Ming is not a rookie. Steve Francis is moving tot he 2. If we get any of these players without giving up Steve or Yao, we're contenders already: Brand Rasheed Wallace Gary Payton Brian Grant Antonio Davis Basically, any trade that will give us a 3rd star will make su contenders. Larry Brown will regret his choice. Houston will regret it as well, but no one will regret it more than Larry.
If winning a championship is what Larry Brown is after, then Detroit is definitely not the choice. Only this year, with the elimination of the Kings, Mavs and Lakers did any EC team actually have a chance (I think Spurs overachieved, I simply don't think their talent pool is as deep as those teams). But then again Detroit isn't here is it? To win a championship, Brown would be much better coming to Houston. Although he won't win anything in the next 2 years he will very likely after that, whereas in Detroit, it's just a dream. Now having said that, there are other factors too. Money talks, pure and simple. Even rich NBA SOB's want more money. Then there's the fact with Les and CD. I'm disappointed about just about anything Rockets related right now.
He's 7'1" 253 as a 17 year old and he's played center exclusively in Europe. Chris Kaman, for example, is 7' 255 (and 3-4 years older). How is that not a center? His reach is longer than Yao Ming's.
I don't think it's really that much $$ based, though I'm sure $$ played a factor. Let's face it. He's gonna get more regular season wins in the eastern conference. Heck, immediately, he'll get more playoff wins as well. He's padding the stats with a legit EC contender. More money & more accolades. I'd say that's pretty attractive.
