http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/ian_thomsen/03/28/iavaroni.coaches/1.html Next In Line In addition to Marc Iavaroni, (Iavaroni is the top assistant to Suns coach Mike D'Antoni, and arguably the No. 1 candidate heading into the summer free-for-all for NBA head-coaching positions, with as many as six jobs potentially available). Rick Adelman: If you think you're a playoff team, hire him. In 14 years with Portland and Golden State, he went to 14 postseasons. And he is low-maintenance compared to some on this list (i.e. see next name). Larry Brown: Everyone expects the Hall of Famer to make a comeback next year -- as he should. He is a far better coach than he showed in New York. But he needs a strong exec who can be supportive without letting him run amok. Just don't offer him five years guaranteed! Del Harris: An excellent teacher with a track record to match, the consigliere to Avery Johnson could be especially useful in bringing out the best in young players. Hire an heir-apparent assistant to complement him on the bench, and your franchise could be set for years to come. Stan Van Gundy: Since his falling-out with Pat Riley, Van Gundy has vanished. But someday somebody is going to hire him as a coach who will max out the talent on his roster. Jim O'Brien: Things did not end well for him in Philly, but O'Brien can point to his post-Pitino playoff run in Boston as proof that his teams will defend and play with toughness. If winning now isn't your priority, then look elsewhere. P.J. Carlesimo: His five years in San Antonio have cleansed Carlesimo of his victimization at the hands of Latrell Sprewell. In previous jobs with Portland and Golden State he was seen as a ranting college coach, but Carlesimo is a fully indoctrinated NBA guy now. Terry Porter: The only question is whether this former Bucks coach sees a future for himself in Detroit as eventual successor to Flip Saunders, or will another team hire him away? Scott Brooks: Like Avery Johnson, Brooks was a self-made NBA point guard who worked and thought his way through an 11-year playing career. Now serving as a respected assistant in Sacramento, it is guaranteed that he will be a head coach sooner than later. Keith Smart: Whether he eventually succeeds Don Nelson in Golden State or is offered a job elsewhere, Smart will earn a better opportunity than he was given as Cavs interim fill-in (9-31) for John Lucas in '02-03. Larry Drew: Hawks assistant is known as a players' coach. It's hard to imagine he won't be given the chance to run his own team someday. Jeff Bzdelik: If the current Air Force (and former Nuggets) coach decides to return to the NBA, he'll eventually receive consideration for head-coaching jobs -- though he may have to serve as an assistant first.
Reposting: ...and none of these guys are better than Van Gundy with the exception of possibly two: Rick Adelman (whom I foresee becoming president for the Blazers, see my link in the NBA Dish) and Larry Brown (why would you want him if you hate Van Gundy?).
Maybe Rudy will come back. Is Kobe under contract? Yao and a first for Kobe and Bynum can come with him. T-Mac can play point guard and Kobe SF or viice versa. Time for T Mac, and Kobe and the rest to have fun playing bball with a player's coach and win some championships. After all Les said he would pay big bucks for a special player and Kobe is special.
also reposting: WTF? What are you proposing here? Are you even proposing anything? Seriously, you think the Rockets should consider getting rid of the potential coach of the year for who? Larry Drew (assistant on the all-powerful Hawks)? Keith Smart (he of the 9-31 record with the Cavs)? I mean, even guys like Adelman and Brown are probably lateral moves. Brown's rep is pretty tarnished lately with the leavings and crap record with the Knicks, and Adelman.. well, it's Rick Adelman, for crying out loud. And again, even if you think somebody like Del Harris or Stan Van Gundy (how weird would that be?) would be a little better, JVG is probably going to be in the top 2 or 3 for Coach of the year! How do you justify replacing him, unless it's for somebody who beat him in that race? come on, man.
Sometimes there are coaches who are great in the regular season but not so great in the playoffs. Sometimes it takes a change at the helm for the team to reach it's full potential. Do you think the Rockets made the right move by getting rid of Coach of the year Don Cheney for Rudy T? I am not saying replace JVG (YET) but if the team fails in the first round, maybe he is just not the guy to take the team to the next level. DD
we'll see how the rockets fare in the plaoffs. if van gundy exit in first round, I'm sure he won't be bak, hence the non-existence of a contract extension at this point. If we're in the west finals, then jvg will definitely be bak. If we're stuck in between, management will likely extend him as well which is bad for the rockets.
So who do you realistically see us hiring out of that list? And do you realistically think it will happen (even if we fall out of the first round)?
jvg is the one who holds the option of another year. it's his decision to continue. if the rockets progress further, and he's obviously taking that risk, he can ask for more money.
Honestly I think JVG will get an extension. But, I really don't know what Morey wants to do, he is the wild card, if he wants to put his stamp on the team he may be leaning towards someone else. I have always like Rick Adleman from the list above, but with Yao and Tmac, I might lean towards a younger more innovative coach. I do think JVG has some pressure to get out of the first round, which is why it is probably bugging the heck out of him that some members of his team seem to be relaxing a bit at the end of the season. I believe it is a two way option, and if neither agrees, I think JVG gets $1 million, or am I mistaken? DD
none of those coaches are a significant upgrade larry brown? are you kidding me? and people complain about the offense now and the fact young guys dont play. Makes no sense at all. this team has a lot of weaknesses...and coaching is not on that list. wake up
Do not worry - Van Gundy is not going anywhere. He will get his extension-I project for 3 years...... I would argue Adelman is the bettter coach. Jim O'Brien is equal. Ivaroni would be good - but not for this team.
I think both sides are gambling. If he loses to Utah, he gets fired. If he makes it to the second round, he gets a short extension. If he beats Dallas, he asks for a fortune. But it seems Rockets management has more to lose. Van Gundy will have a job next year, with or without the Rockets.
What happened to Donnie Nelson [Don Nelson's Son] I thought alot of people thought he was an up and comer after what he did with the Lithuanians Rocket River
i am a true rockets fan, i hope we do well in the playoffs, shyt, i hope we win it all, but then again i dont see that happening with JVG
other teams will talk bad about the rockets behind their backs if they dont resign jvg.."how could they let him go?" is what they would say. But jvg will not get fired. guaranteed. If the rockets dont perform well and he feels that he has ran out of options for this team, he will quit. One thing you have to admire, jvg isnt affraid to blame himself, even if its not warranted.
Like when JVG took the Knicks to the NBA finals as an 8 seed? Or the next year, when they went to the conference finals again? I know this argument gets trotted out a lot, but that's because it has validity. Jeff Van Gundy has a winning record in the playoffs (.506). Who else is available that you can say that about? The list is three that I can think of: Larry Brown (.519), Rick Adelman (.507), and Stan Van Gundy (.617). Want to make a case for any of those three? As I said before, I view Brown and Adelman as lateral at best, while, even if we wanted to fire JVG and hire his brother, do you think Stan would take the job after we just fired Jeff? I'd bet no. true, but at this point, talk of replacing JVG smells a lot like change just for the sake of change. Conveniently, you leave out the fact that he was not fired when he was coach of the year, he was fired when, the following year, he led the team to a disappointing 42-40 record and missed the playoffs. A team that had been 50-32 the year before (but yet, had gotten swept out of the first round of the playoffs twice in a row- and had never won a playoff series with him coaching - three tries). It's not an equivalent situation at all. Let's say JVG wins coach of the year. Then the Rockets get swept in the first round. Then they miss the playoffs next year. THEN, we have a more equivalent situation, so sure, fire him- but even then, you better find a good replacement. Back to replacing Chaney with Rudy T- I can easily imagine people being a little nervous about replacing the previous year's coach of the year with a head coaching novice. But I'm sure you were all for it at the time- hindsight is 20/20, right? Or is yours more like 20/13? Maybe. I can agree to wait and see how he does in the playoffs- it will be his third trip to the playoffs with this team. But it seems pretty clear to me (from this and other posts of yours) that, posturing like this aside, you've pretty much made up your mind already. By the way, what would it take for you to argue for an extension for JVG?
