Portland hires

[DJ]

Chauncey Billups.

 

[tlance]

I like this hire.

I don’t believe it will make them much better, but Chauncey deserves a shot.

 

[The Q]

I like this hire.

I don’t believe it will make them much better, but Chauncey deserves a shot.

i would’ve gone with like a casell if they wanted to go this route

What makes chauncey “deserve” a shot after a single year of coaching at any level?

 

[The Q]

Portland is in a really tough spot

capped out. Gonna be close to the tax if they just keep Powell.

little to no depth. And dead weight in Jones, with no first left to move him

And only the small mle available

they really need to find a way to turn cj into bigger depth and trust Simons to take the next step imo.

philly might be the best fit for both teams to get what they need.

 

[tlance]

i would’ve gone with like a casell if they wanted to go this route

What makes chauncey “deserve” a shot after a single year of coaching at any level?

Seriously?

He has been up for multiple NBA jobs from head coach to GM positions.

He is extremely well connected and has worked in the NBA for a long time, even if covering it as an analyst for most of his post playing career.

More than 1 way to build a coaching resume, and Billups has a strong one.

 

[The Q]

Seriously?

He has been up for multiple NBA jobs from head coach to GM positions.

He is extremely well connected and has worked in the NBA for a long time, even if covering it as an analyst for most of his post playing career.

More than 1 way to build a coaching resume, and Billups has a strong one.

So you’d be ok if a team hired Barkley tomorrow?

 

[tlance]

So you’d be ok if a team hired Barkley tomorrow?

Do you think Barkley and Billups are the same?

Barkley is the analyst equivalent of shock jock. Billups is extremely intelligent, well prepared, a good communicator and he knows the game.

No Barkley shouldn’t get a coaching job unless as a gimmick in the Big 3 or something.

 

[The Q]

Do you think Barkley and Billups are the same?

Barkley is the analyst equivalent of shock jock. Billups is extremely intelligent, well prepared, a good communicator and he knows the game.

No Barkley shouldn’t get a coaching job unless as a gimmick in the Big 3 or something.

I just don’t think a cushy studio gig is anything that “deserves” an opportunity.

not like grinding out as an asset coach like casell, or Craig, or even udoka

 

[tlance]

I just don’t think a cushy studio gig is anything that “deserves” an opportunity.

not like grinding out as an asset coach like casell, or Craig, or even udoka

Well, that is fine I guess.

But there are a lot of skills needed to be a good head coach. Honestly Xs and Os aren’t that important. Communication skills and relatability are both huge.

You don’t need to be an assistant coach to display those skills. As long as Billups hires a competent staff and delegates responsibility well, he will do fine.

The larger concern is what Portland does with the roster.

 

[The Q]

Well, that is fine I guess.

But there are a lot of skills needed to be a good head coach. Honestly Xs and Os aren’t that important. Communication skills and relatability are both huge.

You don’t need to be an assistant coach to display those skills. As long as Billups hires a competent staff and delegates responsibility well, he will do fine.

The larger concern is what Portland does with the roster.

Don’t disagree with most of that.

I guess I just take issue with “deserves”

he may have some natural talent and charisma. Fine.

but a guy with little experience and a checkered past is not a guy I’d say is a slam dunk “deserves” guy. JMO. YMMV

I agree the roster is an issue.

it feels like they’re one player away, but they aren’t getting that player with their small mle.

depth is an major issue for them though and if they can’t play Jones and his d that’s just a killer wasted salary slot

they are going to need to get really creative to find some cheap role players. Overseas, waiver wire, two way guys on other teams

everywhere

 

[tlance]

Don’t disagree with most of that.

I guess I just take issue with “deserves”

he may have some natural talent and charisma. Fine.

but a guy with little experience and a checkered past is not a guy I’d say is a slam dunk “deserves” guy. JMO. YMMV

I agree the roster is an issue.

it feels like they’re one player away, but they aren’t getting that player with their small mle.

depth is an major issue for them though and if they can’t play Jones and his d that’s just a killer wasted salary slot

they are going to need to get really creative to find some cheap role players. Overseas, waiver wire, two way guys on other teams

everywhere

I think that is fair.

Plenty examples of former player who have stepped in to HC jobs with no prior coaching experience.

Some have worked pretty well.

All depends on the person and the situation.

 

[The Q]

I think that is fair.

Plenty examples of former player who have stepped in to HC jobs with no prior coaching experience.

Some have worked pretty well.

All depends on the person and the situation.

Iirc the reason for the dearth the past decade or so was because of a really bad run during the 2000s.

I recall reading articles documenting how bad they were

 

[The Q]

I think that is fair.

Plenty examples of former player who have stepped in to HC jobs with no prior coaching experience.

Some have worked pretty well.

All depends on the person and the situation.

the gm is so much more important than any Coach.

if a team is winning, barring weird circumstances (like kawhi or to cross sports the Trent Williams medical stuff) the player is likely not going anywhere

Portland has a good gm, but his misses have been really bad (2016 fa and 2017 draft) that have really killed the franchises best chances to win it all.

now he needs to turn McCollum into a better fitting player or players.

 

[tlance]

the gm is so much more important than any Coach.

if a team is winning, barring weird circumstances (like kawhi or to cross sports the Trent Williams medical stuff) the player is likely not going anywhere

Portland has a good gm, but his misses have been really bad (2016 fa and 2017 draft) that have really killed the franchises best chances to win it all.

now he needs to turn McCollum into a better fitting player or players.

Yeah, I agree.

A good coach can make an impact, but the vast majority of NBA coaches are competent enough to win with good players.

Also why I think hiring Billups or choosing Udoka over Carlisle are both valid moves.

They might work, they might not, but the organizational culture and the ability of the people assembling the roster are definitely more important in terms of long term success than the coach is.

 

[trojanfan12]

I guess I just take issue with “deserves”

Seems to me that it's the employer that decides who "deserves" the job. That typically comes down to who the employer believes best fits what they are looking for/needs.

A candidate could very well be more experienced, more decorated, etc. and still not be the right fit.

If you have, for example, a lineup of young, athletic players who are at their best flying up and down the court...are you going to hire Phil Jackson and his 11 rings to come install the triangle? Or are you going to hire a coach that will install a system that fits your roster even though he lacks Phils resume?

 

[msgkings322]

So you’d be ok if a team hired Barkley tomorrow?

Steve Kerr had no head coaching experience when hired (GM I believe)

 

[trojanfan12]

the gm is so much more important than any Coach.

Yes and no. Obviously, we all know that without talent, the coach isn't winning and getting that talent is the GM's job.

But, the coach has to get that talent on the same page and playing well enough together to reach their potential as a team. That takes the right coach.

For example, Del Harris was able to get the Shaq/Kobe Lakers to win a lot of games, but it took Phil to make them champions. You could say the same re: Mark Jackson and Kerr with the Warriors.

 

[tlance]

Yes and no. Obviously, we all know that without talent, the coach isn't winning and getting that talent is the GM's job.

But, the coach has to get that talent on the same page and playing well enough together to reach their potential as a team. That takes the right coach.

For example, Del Harris was able to get the Shaq/Kobe Lakers to win a lot of games, but it took Phil to make them champions. You could say the same re: Mark Jackson and Kerr with the Warriors.

Yes, but I also think the Dell Harris example is overblown.

He coached Shaq and baby Kobe. They weren’t going to win that year anyway.

Phil did win more than most coaches probably would have, but Harris also didn’t have the same opportunity.

Kerr/Jackson is a better example.