That's the problem for us, i think, but they've a new ownership from last year and to me seems a bit strange that nothing has been said about his situation at this point...but we'll see.
Yeah, im on the Messina bandwagon now. I don't really want any re-treads like JVG. I love the guy, but i just think the NBA has passed him up and he was never anything special in the first place other than D. You need balance in todays NBA. Go get Messina and pay Sergio Lull whatever he wants to come be our starting PG to let Patrick Beverly go back to being a high energy 3 and D player off the bench. Go bring Luis Scola back so he can retire a Rocket. Great locker room guy and a leader and DMO's favorite player. Resign DMO. Let Dwight walk. Let TJones walk. Trade Brewer and KJ. Sign Jared Dudley for an extra SF and small ball PF. Good Shooter, great locker room guy. Sign Joakim Noah. If you can't afford him, get Bismak Biyombo. If you can't afford either, start Capela and get a backup big with strength and size. Preferably a veteran. Is Emeka Okafor ready to come back? Hometown discount? Get a true 7 footer for size off the bench and insurance. Draft Gary Payton II and Wayne Selden with our 2nd round picks or trade them both for a high first if Thon Maker drops and make a project out of Maker. Noah or Biyombo/Capela/7 footer DMO/Beasley/Scola/Dudley/Harrell Ariza/Dudley/Dekker Harden/Ariza/Lull/Bev/Selden Lull/Bev/GPII
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Except for, you know, the rookies that got extensive playing time under JVG. Luthor Head played 2300 minutes as a rookie (4th on the team). Chuck Hayes played over 500 minutes as the third PF on the depth chart. So who are the future superstars that couldn't get run under the tyrannical JVG Steve Novak Vassilis Spanoulis Stephen Graham John Lucas III Brandin Knight Andre Barrett Torraye Braggs Spanoulis, Knight, Barrett, and Braggs combined to play a grand total of 121 games between them, 44 of which were for a different coach and JVG. Stephen Graham went on to a spectacular 4ppg career for seven different teams. John Lucas III was out of the league for three years after his time with JVG, then peaked as a 15 mpg role player with the Bulls before bouncing from team to team each season (4 teams in 5 years). Steve Novak is the prize of this group, a competent 3 point shooter that can't defend a mop and bucket. Unfortunately for Steve, Shane Battier was playing 36+ minutes per game of lockdown defense and shooting 42% from the land of three. JVG hating rookies was a myth. JVG didn't want to play people in games that counted that couldn't play.
This is why JVG is my top choice for the coach of this team. No more sycophantic pandering to Dwight. Perform or GTFO.
As a fan, you want your team to give a crap, and I don't get that feeling from this team. I have to admit, I've only seen a handful of games this year, but its not completely because the team is struggling. I find it really hard to watch such lazy basketball, and I'm sure a ton of fans feel the same way. Under the JVG, I use to watch all the games to the last minute, even if it was a blowout. We need a coach that will hold players accountable. We need a coach that can actually stop the other team out of a timeout. We need a coach who won't take **** lying down from anyone. Not the league. Not the refs. Not the media. I don't know if hiring JVG will result in a championship, but it would be alot better than it has been since we hired mchale and jb.
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Important questions to consider: Who can get Harden to play effective defense? Who can get non-Harden players to create for themselves and the team? Who can get them to do that with Harden on the court? Who can help develop the young talent to become key contributors playing for peanuts? Who can adjust to Morey's revolving-door roster changes? Who would be an asset in recruiting Durant and other talent in free agency? --------- Bottom line is that both of these guys are extremely similar and the defining characteristic (for me) is the ability to implement the appropriate culture. This is what gets you through the good times and the bad, without losing your players hearts and minds. This is what allows your team to persevere and become champions. Besides Pop, this culture is readily apparent in teams coached by Rick Carlisle, Brad Stevens, Terry Stotts, Mike Budenholzer, and of course Steve Kerr. Hell, you could make the argument that Spoelstra, and now Joerger and Clifford fit this requirement as well. The main guy I see that can fulfill most of these requirements and best implement this culture is JVG.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">NBA coaching scuttle: Hearing Ettore Messina will get a very legit look from the Lakers if they can't lure Luke Walton out of Golden State.</p>— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNSteinLine/status/725180467184443393">April 27, 2016</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The Lakers already know the European coaching legend's work after Messina's stint as a Lakers assistant and now he's got Spurs appeal, too</p>— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNSteinLine/status/725180906281914369">April 27, 2016</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Interesting quotes from JVG that show his thoughts on another supremely talented Houston guard who didn't fit the mold: From 2003: From 2012: Granted, Francis was a shooting guard in a point guard's body and Harden is a point guard in a shooting guard's body, and Harden is way better than Francis ever was, but I find the parallels illuminating.
Harden is a shooting guard in a short power forward's body playing point guard. He is NOT a point guard.
