I'm Wishing the Best for Former Wizards Coach Flip Saunders

Chocolate City Jordanaire · Post #1 » by **Chocolate City Jordanaire** » Sat Oct 3, 2015 1:52 am

I feel badly for him.

Of course I wish good health for everyone, but in this case I was looking forward to Flip having a heap of success with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

He's struggled coaching/GMing for a while but I felt like this season the Timberwolves were all poised to make Flip look like aces good.

Hope he recovers like Chuck Pagano has so far. I hated on Flip's Wizards coaching really hard, but I wanted to see him get his swagger back and start winning with KG. We joke about the guy but real life is tough. I wish him a speedy recovery.

Post #2 » by **Ruzious** » Sat Oct 3, 2015 9:36 pm

And if getting your swag back is good for your health (and I think it is), the draft he had should be fantastic for his health. He got 2 players who are all about winning - and one of them is 6'11. Drafting Karl Townes and Tyus Jones should be great for Flip's health and - less importantly - for the Minnesota franchise.

AFM · Post #3 » by **AFM** » Sun Oct 4, 2015 12:43 am

You're a kind soul CCJ

McFilthy · Post #4 » by **McFilthy** » Mon Oct 5, 2015 10:31 am

Thanks for starting this thread CCJ. I thought Flip was the wrong coach at the wrong time for the Wizards. That said, I don't know who would have been the "right coach" during the Arenas-Crittenden gun show-and-tell and to begin the rebuild that should have started years before that incident.

I was impressed with Flip in how he was very clear he would hold out to get his team the right assets for Kevin Love, even when everyone knew K. Love would be leaving MN anyway. The trade for rookie of the year Wiggins, worth a flyer Bennett and Thad Young looks good. Trading Young for Garnett was sensable from a leadership perspective, bringing his career full-circle back to Minnesota. The Timberwolves now have a solid foundation through trades and drafting; Flip Saunders and Milt Newton deserve credit for that.

I was surprised when he decided to coach the TWolves because I didn't think Saunders was into coaching a rebuilding team, but it helped that no one expected them to be really competitive in the west, so it gave Flip an opportunity to develop the younger players without the pressure of squeezing out some more Ws.

I wish Flip the best. Hope he can recover and, even better, get back to working with the game he loves.

Chocolate City Jordanaire · Post #5 » by **Chocolate City Jordanaire** » Mon Oct 5, 2015 5:49 pm

See below -- (I was in a hurry and hadn't had enough sleep when I attempted to put my thoughts together.)

fishercob · Post #6 » by **fishercob** » Mon Oct 5, 2015 6:38 pm

Doesn't sound good regarding Flip. I hope he pulls through.

Chocolate City Jordanaire · Post #7 » by **Chocolate City Jordanaire** » Mon Oct 5, 2015 9:40 pm

Timing is everything in life...

Flip definitely was not in DC at the right time for him to succeed.

==I recall he inherited Eddie Jordan's guys including injured Gil, but Flip couldn't make the situation post Gungate work. I am sorry that the enthusiasm and optimism over Andray Blatche didn't pan out exactly as Flip envisioned.
==There was optimism. Much optimism.
==Unfortunately, the timing wasn't right. The roster was not balanced IMO. Flip did his best with the Wizards. He gave it a great try.
==All any of us can do is our best.
==Sometimes things don't work outfast enough.

In time, the good ones get back up after they fall. Flip definitely was on the rise in Minnesota. I want that man to enjoy success.

Lord, if it be Your will, give Flip Saunders and the rest of us all the time we need to get it done well. Amen

McFilthy · Post #8 » by **McFilthy** » Tue Oct 6, 2015 10:46 am

I think a coach, in part, is a teacher (John Wooden would agree.) This is probably a stretch, but think I can relate a little to Flip Saunders and his time with the Wizards...
I was teacher for nine years in different situations in public school, elite private school, charter schools in disadvantaged neighborhoods. I'd like to think I was pretty good at teaching. Some years were really successful, some were so-so and some not so good. One year, I was in a school and in a class that was off-the-chain. There were things that 8 year-old children did at school that might land them in jail or a psych ward if they were adults. Though I don't think it was for lack of effort on my part, that year I don't think I did a good reaching/teaching the students and managing/controlling the class. I was in over my head and, looking back, I have to admit I "lost the class." In some way, it was like when you hear a coach "lost the team" or "lost the locker room" and the season was lost before it was officially over and the coach is a dead man walking. I bounced back professionally when I moved to another school the following year, but it still weighs on me to think about that year in those students' educational lives the might have been better.

It had to be hard for to Flip be largely successful in Minny and Detroit and then coach in DC were things went from bad (Gil being hurt, team underachieved) to worse in the aftermath of Gungate; next thing you know Flip is the the coach of a rebuilding team with Andray Blatche and Javale McGee as some of his main players. I think he lost the team. I have to think his experience in DC weighed heavily on Flip's mind and bruised his perception of himself as a coach. Glad he had the opportunity to put the Timberwolves in a good position for future success.

Chocolate City Jordanaire · Post #9 » by **Chocolate City Jordanaire** » Wed Oct 7, 2015 3:09 pm

Teacher in various capacity myself, McFilthy.

Chocolate City Jordanaire · Post #10 » by **Chocolate City Jordanaire** » Wed Oct 7, 2015 3:13 pm

McFilthy wrote:I think a coach, in part, is a teacher (John Wooden would agree.) This is probably a stretch, but think I can relate a little to Flip Saunders and his time with the Wizards...
I was teacher for nine years in different situations in public school, elite private school, charter schools in disadvantaged neighborhoods. I'd like to think I was pretty good at teaching. Some years were really successful, some were so-so and some not so good. One year, I was in a school and in a class that was off-the-chain. There were things that 8 year-old children did at school that might land them in jail or a psych ward if they were adults. Though I don't think it was for lack of effort on my part, that year I don't think I did a good reaching/teaching the students and managing/controlling the class. I was in over my head and, looking back, I have to admit I "lost the class." In some way, it was like when you hear a coach "lost the team" or "lost the locker room" and the season was lost before it was officially over and the coach is a dead man walking. I bounced back professionally when I moved to another school the following year, but it still weighs on me to think about that year in those students' educational lives the might have been better.

It had to be hard for to Flip be largely successful in Minny and Detroit and then coach in DC were things went from bad (Gil being hurt, team underachieved) to worse in the aftermath of Gungate; next thing you know Flip is the the coach of a rebuilding team with Andray Blatche and Javale McGee as some of his main players. I think he lost the team. I have to think his experience in DC weighed heavily on Flip's mind and bruised his perception of himself as a coach. Glad he had the opportunity to put the Timberwolves in a good position for future success.

I won't knock Flip now, but no. I posted starting five to ten games in what he was doing horribly wrong. Kevin, nate, and others didn't agree.

I'm glad we have this thread and search function.

My thoughts are: Get well soon, Flip. Kick ass with the Timberwolves in time.