Billy Donovan...

[Thunderhead]

Nepotism doesn't mean that someone completely unqualified gets the job, it just means he was hired over BETTER and more deserving candidates because he has a relationship with Presti. If you disagree with that then we see the situation completely different. I think Donovan is Brooks light, so he doesn't really fit the reasons Presti stated for making a change. Yet, reports are that not only was he Presti's first choice, he was his only real consideration. Why would the worst fit be the first choice?

Who is unequivocally better, to the point where you need to capitalise the letters?

Gentry - good resume, proven NBA coach but his biggest successes have been as an associate head coach/offensive coach
Messina - great CV, but like Donovan he has no experience in this league
Malone - thought he was impressive in Sacramento, but it's one thing going from a lottery situation to a contending one

Of course you can name 4-5 assistants in this league who don't have head coaching experience either, and they would IMO be just as, if not a bigger risk than Donovan.

But it was an unnecessary risk. One more time, if you take an unnecessary risk, then your hire better be a slam dunk upgrade. Maybe we have that in BD, maybe not. TBD .

Team was already very good, Presti just trying to become great.

[Thunderhead]

He seems to fit into OKC's value probably even more so then Brooks, and that was probably one of the main reasons people were scared when they fired Brooks that the culture of the team may go downhill.

Donovan to me has to be an upgrade on Brooks, I mean it's been quoted by players who have been traded here mid-season and had to adjust and Brooks himself that there really isn't much of an offense in structure, he just lets guys make their own plays and puts 100% faith in his players. Whilst Donovan has said he wants guys to play what's in front of them and make their own plays but he is a lot more structured and he demands accountability (which will help when Westbrook goes hero mode) from his players. He also won't be as stubborn as Brooks and won't play favorites with lineups.

David Thorpe says Donovan will be no diff than Brooks, in regards to offense.

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=12788586

He may not know, but I know you don't know................ we gonna have to watch this play out.

[Thunderhead]

Local radio poll , note Brooks vrs Donovan

[Thunderhead]

Podcast with good discussion of the BD hire

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2015/04/nba-a-t ... ves-future

[QPR]

Nepotism doesn't mean that someone completely unqualified gets the job, it just means he was hired over BETTER and more deserving candidates because he has a relationship with Presti. If you disagree with that then we see the situation completely different. I think Donovan is Brooks light, so he doesn't really fit the reasons Presti stated for making a change. Yet, reports are that not only was he Presti's first choice, he was his only real consideration. Why would the worst fit be the first choice?

Who is unequivocally better, to the point where you need to capitalise the letters?

Gentry - good resume, proven NBA coach but his biggest successes have been as an associate head coach/offensive coach
Messina - great CV, but like Donovan he has no experience in this league
Malone - thought he was impressive in Sacramento, but it's one thing going from a lottery situation to a contending one

Of course you can name 4-5 assistants in this league who don't have head coaching experience either, and they would IMO be just as, if not a bigger risk than Donovan.

But it was an unnecessary risk. One more time, if you take an unnecessary risk, then your hire better be a slam dunk upgrade. Maybe we have that in BD, maybe not. TBD .

Team was already very good, Presti just trying to become great.

Isn't the point to become great? Brooks may have done that with a healthy roster, but if you believe what has been coming out over the past day or so, Presti had made the decision he needed a change well before now. And surely he has proven by now he doesn't make snap decisions.

Regardless, I was just responding to the assertion that Donovan was hired over better candidates - who are they?

Thorpe's comments are interesting - he does say they are quite similar, but he also says Donovan understands spacing better than any coach in the college game, which is an area Brooks struggled with at times.

[sipclip]

He seems to fit into OKC's value probably even more so then Brooks, and that was probably one of the main reasons people were scared when they fired Brooks that the culture of the team may go downhill.

Donovan to me has to be an upgrade on Brooks, I mean it's been quoted by players who have been traded here mid-season and had to adjust and Brooks himself that there really isn't much of an offense in structure, he just lets guys make their own plays and puts 100% faith in his players. Whilst Donovan has said he wants guys to play what's in front of them and make their own plays but he is a lot more structured and he demands accountability (which will help when Westbrook goes hero mode) from his players. He also won't be as stubborn as Brooks and won't play favorites with lineups.

David Thorpe says Donovan will be no diff than Brooks, in regards to offense.

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=12788586

He may not know, but I know you don't know................ we gonna have to watch this play out.

Actually we do know. He runs a motion offense and that isn't going to change now that he is in the nba while Brooks ran an iso offense with the use of on ball screens.

[Thunderhead]

Who is unequivocally better, to the point where you need to capitalise the letters?

Gentry - good resume, proven NBA coach but his biggest successes have been as an associate head coach/offensive coach
Messina - great CV, but like Donovan he has no experience in this league
Malone - thought he was impressive in Sacramento, but it's one thing going from a lottery situation to a contending one

Of course you can name 4-5 assistants in this league who don't have head coaching experience either, and they would IMO be just as, if not a bigger risk than Donovan.

But it was an unnecessary risk. One more time, if you take an unnecessary risk, then your hire better be a slam dunk upgrade. Maybe we have that in BD, maybe not. TBD .

Team was already very good, Presti just trying to become great.

Isn't the point to become great? Brooks may have done that with a healthy roster, but if you believe what has been coming out over the past day or so, Presti had made the decision he needed a change well before now. And surely he has proven by now he doesn't make snap decisions.

Regardless, I was just responding to the assertion that Donovan was hired over better candidates - who are they?

Thorpe's comments are interesting - he does say they are quite similar, but he also says Donovan understands spacing better than any coach in the college game, which is an area Brooks struggled with at times.

Hey, the problem with taking this risk, is that the potential gain is small , in comparison to the amount of risk assumed. Its like an investment, where you stand to make very little profit, for high risk. In investing, the amount of risk you take should be commensurate with the amount of possible return.

Offense will be the least of BD's challenge, keeping team chemistry at the level Brooks did, will be Job One.

Spacing ??? When Presti sends Brooks the players he's had to work with , did you not see a SG who is defensive specialist ? Did you not see an untradeable contract given to an center who had the worst offensive game in the NBA ??? Where has all the floor spacers been ? DCook ? DFish ? Presti finally, this past season brings in a 3P guy.

And btw, when Brooks had his best offensive team, he had Kevin Martin to space the floor, and Harden before that.

[Thunderhead]

He seems to fit into OKC's value probably even more so then Brooks, and that was probably one of the main reasons people were scared when they fired Brooks that the culture of the team may go downhill.

Donovan to me has to be an upgrade on Brooks, I mean it's been quoted by players who have been traded here mid-season and had to adjust and Brooks himself that there really isn't much of an offense in structure, he just lets guys make their own plays and puts 100% faith in his players. Whilst Donovan has said he wants guys to play what's in front of them and make their own plays but he is a lot more structured and he demands accountability (which will help when Westbrook goes hero mode) from his players. He also won't be as stubborn as Brooks and won't play favorites with lineups.

David Thorpe says Donovan will be no diff than Brooks, in regards to offense.

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=12788586

He may not know, but I know you don't know................ we gonna have to watch this play out.

Actually we do know. He runs a motion offense and that isn't going to change now that he is in the nba while Brooks ran an iso offense with the use of on ball screens.

I can tell you right now, that you don't know. You've just made a tremendous over simplification. There's nothing BD has done in the past, that will clue you in as to what he will do with an NBA team , with the players on that team. He's never been there before and very little from the college game will be applicable.

[Thundestruck]

To you in is an unneeded risk. To the guys who spend every day with Brooks and evaluate the job he is doing they thought it was a very necessary risk. To the people who run the team this is a slam dunk upgrade.

Presti doesn't make this move if he doesn't 100% feel like it will be the best for the team or if it would alienate KD. There is a reason KD came out and said he supported the team 100% in the decision to let Brooks go. There was no need for KD to do that but he did.

Don't kid yourself, keeping Brooks another year would have been a massive risk. What if they don't make a move and they fell short again. Then what do you do? Your choices are fire Brooks and let KD enter FA with a brand new coach (and no one knows what next year's candidates would look like) or sign a coach who has gotten the team where it needed to be in 8 years to a massive extension.

[Thundestruck]

David Thorpe says Donovan will be no diff than Brooks, in regards to offense.

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=12788586

He may not know, but I know you don't know................ we gonna have to watch this play out.

Actually we do know. He runs a motion offense and that isn't going to change now that he is in the nba while Brooks ran an iso offense with the use of on ball screens.

I can tell you right now, that you don't know. You've just made a tremendous over simplification. There's nothing BD has done in the past, that will clue you in as to what he will do with an NBA team , with the players on that team. He's never been there before and very little from the college game will be applicable.

So it is out of bounds for someone to talk about what offense Donovan ran at Florida because he has never run it in the pros. However, a couple posts back you were perfectly okay with throwing out the theory that Donovan will run an offense just like Brooks.

Also we might have had the best floor spacer these team has had since they came to OKC. Brooks preferred Waiters over him.

[Thunderhead]

Actually we do know. He runs a motion offense and that isn't going to change now that he is in the nba while Brooks ran an iso offense with the use of on ball screens.

I can tell you right now, that you don't know. You've just made a tremendous over simplification. There's nothing BD has done in the past, that will clue you in as to what he will do with an NBA team , with the players on that team. He's never been there before and very little from the college game will be applicable.

So it is out of bounds for someone to talk about what offense Donovan ran at Florida because he has never run it in the pros. However, a couple posts back you were perfectly okay with throwing out the theory that Donovan will run an offense just like Brooks.

Also we might have had the best floor spacer these team has had since they came to OKC. Brooks preferred Waiters over him.

No, you did not read what I said, I posted David Thorpes opinion, and go read underneath that, I said Thorpe may not know .

I've read opinions across the board on BD an offense, and this from credible NBA analysts. Its almost stupid how far they vary . Rick Pitino says BD has a highly creative offensive mind.

Fact is, this is like where the price of oil is goin, nobody knows what BD will come up with, or what the Thunder will look like under BD.

You just gotta wait to find out. It could be better, it could be worse.

[Thunderhead]

To you in is an unneeded risk. To the guys who spend every day with Brooks and evaluate the job he is doing they thought it was a very necessary risk. To the people who run the team this is a slam dunk upgrade.

Presti doesn't make this move if he doesn't 100% feel like it will be the best for the team or if it would alienate KD. There is a reason KD came out and said he supported the team 100% in the decision to let Brooks go. There was no need for KD to do that but he did.

Don't kid yourself, keeping Brooks another year would have been a massive risk. What if they don't make a move and they fell short again. Then what do you do? Your choices are fire Brooks and let KD enter FA with a brand new coach (and no one knows what next year's candidates would look like) or sign a coach who has gotten the team where it needed to be in 8 years to a massive extension.

Hey man, KD is always gonna say the right thing . What do you really expect him to say ?

I'm not kidding myself, a bird in the hand , is worth two in the bush.

Presti also traded Harden, trying to be pro-active, and be the smartest man in the room, and we find out down the road that it was not necessary to trade Harden , the Thunder would've been tax payers one year if they kept Harden. Presti failed to see where the salary cap was going and made a wrong decision based upon an erroneous assumption.

He also signed Perk to an untradeable contract. His made as many busts in the draft, as he's hit home runs. He's not perfect. He does not bat a thousand.

And he's trying to be proactive , and I just hope his assumptions for the future are better than the ones he made before he traded Harden.

Smart people make mistakes, and mostly, its due to them not realizing their own limitations. They get full of themselves, and start thinking they never miss .... and next thing ya know, they get humbled.

If anyone has a crystal ball and can see into the future on how this works, I'll gladly yield to your argument.

[Thunderhead]

This move makes me think, that Aubrey McClendon is heavily influencing the ownership group. It would be really interesting to sit in on an owners meeting. This has McClendon written all over it.

Cause this exactly the kind of risk McClendon took, that ended up with him losing his company. They guy was not happy making 25 , 30, or 40 million per year, he leveraged all of his Chesapeake stock and when the market crashed in 2008 , he lost his position in the company and almost lost everything he had.

Pretty soon, guys like Carl Icahn stepped in, became major stockholders, demanded changes in the company, and fired the guy who founded and built the company, McClendon ............because McClendon was addicted to taking risk.

So tell me, bout how these smart guys never make mistakes. It happens every day in the business world.

[Thundestruck]

KD could have said everything he did without saying he supported the team in this decision 100%. IMO, that was a pretty strong statement from KD.

Presti is not perfect and has made mistakes. Although I disagree with the statement he has drafted as many busts as home runs. Without looking it up the only bust I can really think of is Aldrich. I don't consider guys like Jones and Mullens taken late in the first round busts. Presti probably has the best drafting record in the league over the past 7 years. He has hit home run picks in every part of the first round and most of those picks were mocked when he made them.

If no one knows anything and we are all just dust in the wind why do you spend any amount of time arguing that this might be a mistake? By your arguments everything is just random chance and a flip of the coin. Donovan could flop or he could be our Popovich. Seems odd to argue no one knows anything yet also argue this could be a mistake.

[Thunderhead]

KD could have said everything he did without saying he supported the team in this decision 100%. IMO, that was a pretty strong statement from KD.

Presti is not perfect and has made mistakes. Although I disagree with the statement he has drafted as many busts as home runs. Without looking it up the only bust I can really think of is Aldrich. I don't consider guys like Jones and Mullens taken late in the first round busts. Presti probably has the best drafting record in the league over the past 7 years. He has hit home run picks in every part of the first round and most of those picks were mocked when he made them.

If no one knows anything and we are all just dust in the wind why do you spend any amount of time arguing that this might be a mistake? By your arguments everything is just random chance and a flip of the coin. Donovan could flop or he could be our Popovich. Seems odd to argue no one knows anything yet also argue this could be a mistake.

KD always says the right thing, ...............always.

I'm only spending time here, cause you challenge my opinion.

And somebody has to bring you pollyanna's , back down to earth.

[Thundestruck]

This move makes me think, that Aubrey McClendon is heavily influencing the ownership group. It would be really interesting to sit in on an owners meeting. This has McClendon written all over it.

Cause this exactly the kind of risk McClendon took, that ended up with him losing his company. They guy was not happy making 25 , 30, or 40 million per year, he leveraged all of his Chesapeake stock and when the market crashed in 2008 , he lost his position in the company and almost lost everything he had.

Pretty soon, guys like Carl Icahn stepped in, became major stockholders, demanded changes in the company, and fired the guy who founded and built the company, McClendon ............because McClendon was addicted to taking risk.

So tell me, bout how these smart guys never make mistakes. It happens every day in the business world.

So analyzing Donovan's offense at Florida and how that could translate to the NBA is pointless because no one knows anything. However, speculating that Aubrey is not only running the Thunder but running it like he did Chesapeake is okay?

[Thunderhead]

Actually we do know. He runs a motion offense and that isn't going to change now that he is in the nba while Brooks ran an iso offense with the use of on ball screens.

I can tell you right now, that you don't know. You've just made a tremendous over simplification. There's nothing BD has done in the past, that will clue you in as to what he will do with an NBA team , with the players on that team. He's never been there before and very little from the college game will be applicable.

So it is out of bounds for someone to talk about what offense Donovan ran at Florida because he has never run it in the pros. However, a couple posts back you were perfectly okay with throwing out the theory that Donovan will run an offense just like Brooks.

Also we might have had the best floor spacer these team has had since they came to OKC. Brooks preferred Waiters over him.

See, this is prime .................. who traded for Waiters ? When he already had, as you say " the best floor spacer these teams have had " .

Who made the trade ? Why bring in Waiters ?

Evidently, Presti thought the team needed Waiters. Doncha think ?

[Thunderhead]

This move makes me think, that Aubrey McClendon is heavily influencing the ownership group. It would be really interesting to sit in on an owners meeting. This has McClendon written all over it.

Cause this exactly the kind of risk McClendon took, that ended up with him losing his company. They guy was not happy making 25 , 30, or 40 million per year, he leveraged all of his Chesapeake stock and when the market crashed in 2008 , he lost his position in the company and almost lost everything he had.

Pretty soon, guys like Carl Icahn stepped in, became major stockholders, demanded changes in the company, and fired the guy who founded and built the company, McClendon ............because McClendon was addicted to taking risk.

So tell me, bout how these smart guys never make mistakes. It happens every day in the business world.

So analyzing Donovan's offense at Florida and how that could translate to the NBA is pointless because no one knows anything. However, speculating that Aubrey is not only running the Thunder but running it like he did Chesapeake is okay?

Brilliant men make mistakes, huge mistakes, every day.

Past success , does not guarantee future results.

[Thundestruck]

Yes he traded for Waiters. He also traded for Steve Novak. Do you think that means he wanted to Steve Novak to play over Kanter? Of course not. It was on Brooks to put together a proper rotation.

Saying Brooks didn't have a floor spacer is flat out wrong. He had one of the best in the whole league. He chose to play the anti-floor spacer over him.

[KD35Brah]

Waiters shot 42% from 3 on 4 attempts per game the last 2 and a half weeks.

Ever since he had that sit down with Brooks.