I think that the Rockets are Brown's best choice, but I in no way assume that Brown sees it that way. He loves challenges, and LA is a bigger challenge. That said, the ability to coach a potentially dominant big man is very hard to pass up for any coach, even Brown.
Barkley said Larry Brown would fit well in Houston! Hmm...if Larry Brown usually goes to losing teams.....then why would he come here? Unless he is nearing retirement and wants to win.
MacBeth - your posts, while long, always rock. Nice as usual. Thanks for the info, and thanks to the person who posted the records for year before Brown and first year with him. The thing I'm wondering, though, is whether the jump could not also be attributed to a draft pickup? If the record sucks before he shows up, won't the team have a nice high pick in the draft and a possible impact player? And HeyP, Calipari? You've got to be kidding. But, I do agree with your thoughts regarding North Carolina not going with Brown... but was that because he wasn't available at the time? It seems like he always comes up in coaching discussions at UNC... but ultimately, Dean Smith LOVES Roy Williams, right? (And, for now, I'd say rightfully so - classy winner even though he did leave behind kids at Kansas in a way that pisses people off.)
Actually, I want you as coach and I want the 1st overall pick in this year's draft. Since you, Stevie, Yao and LeBron will bring home the hardware next year, a #1 pick looks out of the question.
I'm a big fan of Larry Brown but let me play devil's advocate for a minute. Wait, I think there's a hole in what I'm about to write, but oh well, let's see if you find the facts that blow up this thought. Here I go . . . Arguably, it's far easier to take a team to the first and second round of the playoffs (what Brown has done most of his career), than it is to take a team 1st/2nd round playoff team all the way (what Phil Jackson has specialized in). The highest level of play is harder to attain than just getting into the playoffs. Although Brown is a true basketball savant, he may be limited in another way. It's sorta a question of heart or drive. He has always taken on teams that just don't have the talent to win a championship. Thus, if they don't win a ring, it's really not all his fault. He took them farther then they should have gone and thus, he is regarded as a genius. Brown is all about achieving beyond LOW EXPECTATIONS. Expectations are high in Rocketland. We're assuming that we will get into the playoffs (some day) and want a coach that will take us to the top eschelon of the NBA. We want to compete with the Spurs, Lakers, Kings and Mavs. That's real pressure. (My thoughts are now sounding like that article that Dale Robertson wrote.) If Brown wants to turn the same trick that he has been turning for 30 years, he will go to the clippers. If he truly wants to win a ring, he will come to Htown. His decision will say much about what is truly inside him. I'd be a tad more comfortable with Brown if, at one point in his career, he took a job that required him to win it all. Even if he failed at it. It would show me the drive. Conversely, I'd like it if Phillip once took a job where he wasn't given the best player in the game. Could he teach a bunch of losers to win, like Larry.
Macbeth, I enjoyed your post and I remember practically every minute of that game, half the time Manning leading the break or finishing with pull up jumpers over Stacey King and Harvey Grant. By the way, one small correction. Horace Grant did not play at OU. I believe he played at Clemson or Syracuse, some eastern school. But the OU team was very deep and talented. I think the score was like 50-50 at halftime. I really thought the Jayhawks would collapse the second half too because they had been leading most of the first half and OU came back to take the lead briefly before it wound up tied at the half. But Larry ball came up with the answer. Brown is one great coach. And one constant headcase.
Right...Memory's playing tricks...I think I substituted Harvey Grant for King...and King was better in college. Yeah, it was Clemson now that I think about it...Do you remember the names of any of the other OU stars at the time? Tisdale was gone by then...was B.J. Armstrong there? There was King, Grant, Blaylock, and at least 2 more guys who were 1st rounders...
Nice post McB. Like you said, he's not perfect, but it would be VERY interesting to see what he could do with our talent.
They had another guard.... Ricky Somebody.. didn't they? Really quick-- maybe played 2 years in the NBA.
No, isn't that they guy that played at Rice... and the Rockets bypassed in the draft in favor of Terry Teagle. Ricky Somebody-- I'll think of it eventually. Someone on this board is a big OU fan-- football though. I wanna say Ricky Moore but without conviction. BTW, as I recall both Grants started out at Clemson as I recall. Then Harvey (?) transferred.
Does anyone know the list of teams larry brown quit on? I know Van Gundy quit on NY 12 or so games into the season.
I don't remember details, but I can assure you Brown did not benefit from a high draft pick in Clipperland or San Antonio. You could make that argument in the case of San Antonio with David Robinson. Many would argue the same situation existed in Philly with Iverson, but let's face it. Iverson had been in Philly long enough before Brown got there for everyone to conclude that he was an uncoachable, selfish player. While those critics remain, you hear more people talking about Iverson being the toughest, most aggressive player in the NBA..........and that transformation took place during Brown's tenure. Anyone who's old enough to be around to watch Larry Brown's career knows that at least twice he took on jobs in which people thought Jesus himself couldn't resurrect the fracnshise and Brown did resurrect it and fast.
Excellent find...Man, it's fun going back down memory lane. Only 2 blocks? Hmmm..I thought more, but he was something. I forgot too about his leadership during that game...He was head and shoulders above everyone on his team, and there were times down the stretch when he would really take charge, calm down these guys who had never played in big games before and were really nervous...Watching Scooter Barry take those free throws was like the last scene in Hoosiers, he was soooo scared.When Oklahoma would make a run, Manning would pull the other players together, and tell them it was their game, clenching his fist, waving away big OU plays or calls that went against the Jayhawks and just get everyone to focus...and then he'd go out and make a great play to get the lead back. I wish we could have seen the player he'd have become if he hadn't blown his knee out midway through his rookie year. He was already putting up almost 17 ppg, 7 rebounds, over a steal and a half, and 3 assists a game, having started less than 20 games of the first 30 or so. If memory serves, in his last two weeks before he went down, when he was starting, he was Player of the Week in one and runner up in another, putting up something like 21 pts, 9 rebs, 5 assists, 2 steals and a block and a half a game. As a rookie. Think Lamar Odom, but really smart, bigger ( for the time ) and better inside.
Is Danny Manning the reason that Larry Brown went to the Clippers? In '85 or so I went to the Greensboro Coliseum and saw Danny Manning (from Greensboro) and the Jayhawks play Valvano's NC State Wolfpack with Chris Washburn. Those two guys could have ruled the NBA in the early 90's. Only if....
