I feel so lucky we got Yao Ming in the draft. With the exception of Tim Duncan he is the best big man to come out in years. The Rockets have not had a consistent low post for rebounding, shot blocking and scoring like this since '99. After 1999 Hakeem Olajuwan was inconsistent, had recurring various injuries, and could not contribute consistently like a 22 year old Yao Ming can now. No disrespect to Hakeem Olajuwon who fell to father time. We are very lucky and I am happy to have Yao Ming now. We can watch Dream highlights on ESPN Classic and remember.......
Everybody is missing one of the main points of the thread-starter, which is that it doesn't matter so much how good each player on your team is -- it matters how good your BEST player is. Great players don't rely on coaches to succeed. This is an insult to Ming, in my opinion. Players win championships in the NBA, not coaches. No offense, but this is crap. This is a huge insult to Karl Malone. He came into the league dominating physically. He got to where he is with pure WORK. Go check his FT percentages. Coaches and systems don't make players, it's the other way around.
Uh, Utah is not running a PnR system anymore. The PnR was shut down by zones. Malone is now a primary passer in a more full Motion offense that isn't dominated by Stockton dribbling 10 seconds of the clock and then going around a Malone pick towards the free throw line. Incidentally, he's averaging 6.2 assists over the past 13 games.
Everyone should already know that Yao is, to say the least, YOUNG. Sadly not everyone does. Can he at least play a full season before he's a bust or a legend?
Bull$hit. Tell that to the Lakers. Until Jackson showed up, they couldn't do a thing in the playoffs. And don't tell me that another year under Kurt Rambis would've been the same. The Lakers in their second run were unstoppable, and certainly one of the best teams ever. THAT is coaching. Geez, some people just don't miss a single opportunity to spare Rudy of any possible criticism whatsoever. Ridiculous!
How about Phil Jackson coming to the Bulls, installed the triangle offense and made the rest of the league tremble in the shadow of the Bulls? And I'm not saying that either Yao or Malone won't succeed or dominate without the right system or coach. I am talking about realizing their true potential. Because they have other aspects of game beside their individual game to go with. Being a sole one on one player like Hakeem won't bring out the best of Yao and Malone. Throwing Hakeem in a motion offense is counterproductive to Hakeem's game as he doesn't need it in the first place to dominate and he's not a really good passer in motion. Just different kind of players. My point is consistent, Yao doesn't need to be a one on one player like Hakeem was to have the same impact on a team. Call me cracy, the way Yao is evolving, I think he has a chance to achieve the same stature like Hakeem even he will not be as dominant as Hakeem one on one, unless Yao suddenly finds a killer move that no one can defend. Ring, Jabbar, ring ring. HP, thank you for pointing out that Malone is averaging point guard assist numbers recently in a motion offense.
This is incorrect. Tex Winter was already an assistant even before Collins, and Phil Jacskon was Collin's assistant. Jerry Krause is the one who brought Winter. Phil Jackson did not install that offense. And look who Jordan-the-owner got to coach the Wizards. Besides, both Jordan and Kobe are on record saying they think the triangle is a bull**** system. That system adjusted to them as much, if not more, than they adjusted to the system. Let's be real. Neither the Bulls or the Lakers are running the system that Tex Winter wrote about in his ridiculous 228 page treatise on basketball where is claims there are 24 option of each pass. Yeah, right. I could draw 24 options, too. Just give me some graph paper and markers, and I'll be scribbling away as well. Well, bball is not played on graph paper like football is played on a grid iron with markers. So you see that Malone is flexible in systems, and their systems only change with the NBA stops them. Further, both Magic Johnson and Larry Bird (two "system" guys) both had success and got their coaches fired and still had success. Bill Walton brought his "system" to Portland, and Doc Ramsey knew Walton had a system and only needed to have the role players do it. Ramsey actually was a legendary defensive coach anyhow, and brought that to the team, mostly. The point The Freak is making is there are definitely cases of legends bringing systems with them to the NBA and fully capable of running that under any coach, as long as the coach wasn't in the way of it for some reason and needing to be fired. And Larry Brown is a great example of someone who discarded his system beliefs to let his player choose the system on his own skills...and he got to the finals with that.
QUOTE]Originally posted by heypartner This is incorrect. Tex Winter was already an assistant even before Collins, and Phil Jacskon was Collin's assistant. Jerry Krause is the one who brought Winter. Phil Jackson did not install that offense. And look who Jordan-the-owner got to coach the Wizards. Besides, both Jordan and Kobe are on record saying they think the triangle is a bull**** system. That system adjusted to them as much, if not more, than they adjusted to the system. Let's be real. Neither the Bulls or the Lakers are running the system that Tex Winter wrote about in his ridiculous 228 page treatise on basketball where is claims there are 24 option of each pass. Yeah, right. I could draw 24 options, too. Just give me some graph paper and markers, and I'll be scribbling away as well. Well, bball is not played on graph paper like football is played on a grid iron with markers. [/QOUTE] Phil Jackson didn't install that offense by himself, but what's the difference? He has that ASSISTANT coach Tex Winter that installs it for him. Without Phil's permission you think Tex Winter can just go ahead and order it? Phil went to the Lakers and brought Winter along, installed the offense and the Lakers won three championships. I'm not sure what are you trying to say, that Phil didn't install the triangle offense just because he told his subordinates to do it? I read Phil's book "Sacred Hoop" and I got the impression that Phil appreciated the merits of triangle offense and asked Winter to install it. Whether Jordan and Kobe like the Triangle system is of no revelance, 9 rings have been won based on that system. I don't give a damn to Jordan and Kobe's personal preference. Triangle offense is not Winter's patented strategy, nor was Winter the only one that originated it. Although Winter got to green light to install the offense, it could be modified by Phil and other coaches to suit a particular team. So I don't see the point of dismissing the triangle offense that Lakers run just because it's different from Winter's book. Not to mention that the point whether the actual offense is fundamentally different from Winter's book is debatable itself. Furthermore, Winter has the right to change his perception to the offense as well. If you are still not sold, here's an idea, why don't you try to call Tex Winter and tell him "hey Mr I think you are wrong to say that the Bulls and Lakers ran your triangle offense and here is the proof, your own book. See how is it different?" I am very curious to what Winter has to say. What a detailed and refreashing description on "legends bring their systems to a team". No sarcasm intended. I fully agree with you and I hope Rudy won't get fired because he doesn't copy Larry Brown. I'm talking about some legends need the right coach and system to realize their full potential, you are saying legends bring systems along with themselves and all they need is a coach that doesn't stand in their way. Ok different choices of words but the same result to me - all legends need a coach that let him play his own game, that means the coach that sees what is their game is a good coach for me, and if the coach develops a system that's tailor made for their strengths then that system is a good system. If you are still not sold, here is a solution, why not let those "legends bringing systems with them to the NBA and fully capable of running that under any coach" also be the head coach of their teams when they are playing as well. Head coach and Center Hakeem, head coach and shooting guard Jordan, head coach and point guard Isiah... Les would sure like this idea by saving four millions a year. All head coach and shooting guard Jordan needed was Doc Ramsey as the assistant coach on defense. Screw Phil Jackson and Tex Winter.
