RealGM

We have a trade thread where we discuss trading players.

What if the Wizards swapped out Coach EJ? Who's out there looking for work in the coaching ranks?

Here's a few names:

1. Tom Thibodeau
The man coaches defense!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Thibodeau

One of the finest defensive coaches in the league, he helped the Houston Rockets rank among the Top 5 in the league in scoring defense and field goal percentage defense from 2004 to 2007,[1] and has helped his team finish in the league's Top 10 in team defense 15 times.[2] He coached in 87 playoff games and was part of the 1999 NBA Finals as an assistant coach with the New York Knicks prior to joining the Celtics, with whom he won the 2008 NBA Championship.

2. David Blatt
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Blatt
Played for Pete Carril at Princeton. Has coached FIBA, Euroleague, and Israeli League championship. Coached Russian national team to championship in 2007. Currently coaching Dynamo Moscow.

3. Dave Joerger
Coached 4 CBA championship teams in 6 years. Better record than Phil Jackson or Flip Saunders who both got started in the CBA. Coached 2007 NBDL champs.
http://www.nba.com/dleague/dakota/joerger_060526.html

Here's what DX had to say in selecting Joerger D-League coach of the year in 2007:

http://www.draftexpress.com/article/Dra ... ards-2041/

Coach of the Year: Dave Joerger, Dakota Wizards

There were many quality coaches in the D-League this season, all with a variety of impressive credentials that led them to a head minor league coaching position. Coaching in the D-League requires a coach to be responsible for all of the drafting and roster moves in addition to normal coaching duties. There was no coach in the league more impressive than Dave Joerger when it came to in game adjustments and roster moves. Joerger has a great understanding of the game and isn’t afraid to be creative with his in-game adjustments. At the age of 31, he has only lost 1 playoff series in his career, and he will surely receive the chance to lead an NBA team if his career continues on its current path.

4. Bill Laimbeer
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Laimbeer

Bill Laimbeer is the only player, other than his Detroit teammates, to have a winning record in the playoffs against NBA legends, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and Michael Jordan.

Laimbeer has led the Detroit Shock of the WNBA to its third league championship in six years defeating San Antonio on October 5, 2008

Bill Laimbeer is the subject of the Beastie Boys song Tough Guy.[1]

Bill Laimbeer enjoyed great success as a video game character in Bill Laimbeer's Combat Basketball

From same article, Laimbeer as a player fought Bird, Daugherty, and Barkley. Was punched in the face by Jordan and also Parish.

Laimbeer has talked about the possibility of one day coaching in the NBA. The New York Knicks, whose former team president, former Piston teammate Isiah Thomas, once considered Laimbeer as a possibility. The Pistons, presided by former teammate Joe Dumars, had considered the possibility of Laimbeer replacing departing coach Larry Brown, before ultimately hiring former Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Flip Saunders

Skilled big man who'd undoubtably bring Rick Mahorn as an assistant coach. Who better to work with McGee, Blatche, and Pecherov? You think a 6'11" man is going to play Darius at C?

5. Jeff Van Gundy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Van_Gundy

Note: JVG hasn't gotten out of the first round of the playoffs since 1999/2000, despite having a 44-44 playoff coaching record. Had a lot of success with the Knicks.

Other names
6. Dwayne Casey http://www.nba.com/coachfile/dwane_casey/index.html
7. Eric Musselman http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Musselman
8. Herb Williams http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herb_Williams
9. Terry Stotts http://www.nba.com/coachfile/terry_stotts/?nav=page
10. Darryl Walker http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darrell_Walker

I think you have to add Avery Johnson and Flip Saunders to that list. Blatt and Joerger are good additions to the usual suspects. No one listed 6-10 is enticing to me.

A few other assistants:

Mike Budenholzer, San Antonio Spurs

To get a sense of how successful Budenholzer has been as an assistant coach, just know that he came into San Antonio the same year Greg Popovich did. All those rings Pop's got, Budenholzer's got, too.

Budenholzer is an offensive guy, known especially for running offenses in the last two minutes of a quarter. He makes his rounds to summer camps and training sessions working on a number of things, but as the heir apparent to the San Antonio Spurs' coaching throne there's no question where he sits in the hierarchy of the league's top assistants.
Source: http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=9799

• Elston Turner, Houston. Like Budenholzer, Turner's name began to circulate near the end of last season. Turner was Rick Adelman's assistant for six seasons in Sacramento before following him to Houston. He served as Adelman's chief game strategist and organized the Rockets' game plans during the 2008 playoffs. A tenacious defender in eight seasons as a player, Turner is considered a strong communicator who has embraced Adelman's read-and-react offensive system.

"Elston, sooner or later, someone that knows what he does will give him an opportunity," Adelman said.

Source: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/w ... index.html

Thanks, Benjammin

5b. Avery Johnson

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avery_Johnson

The GOOD

On March 15, 2006, Johnson set the record for most wins over the course of a coach's first 82 games (the duration of a full season), with 66 wins over the span. Although Johnson ultimately led the Mavericks to the second-best record in the Western Conference, the team entered the playoffs as the fourth seed in the west, due to the structure of the 2006 NBA Playoffs seeding.

In April 2006, Johnson was rewarded for this success with the 2006 NBA Coach of the Year Award.

In June 2006, after defeating the Memphis Grizzlies, the defending champion San Antonio Spurs, and the Phoenix Suns in the first three rounds of the playoffs, Johnson led the Dallas Mavericks to their first ever NBA Finals appearance. However, the Mavs were defeated in the series by the Miami Heat, losing 4 straight after winning the first two games.

On December 31, 2006, Johnson became the fastest head coach to win 100 games by defeating the Denver Nuggets.

The NOT TOO GOOD

In the 2006-07 season, Johnson's Mavericks had the best record in the NBA with 67 wins and entered the playoffs as first seed. But his Mavericks eventually lost to the 8th seed Golden State Warriors, led by former Mavericks head coach Don Nelson, in one of the biggest upsets in recent NBA history.

With his win on November 18, 2007 against the Grizzlies, Johnson became the fastest coach to reach 150 wins.

But following the 2007–2008 season, the Mavericks, under Johnson, were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs for the second year in a row. A day later, on April 30, 2008, Johnson was dismissed as head coach of the Mavericks.

Dave Joerger was hired as an assistant coach by Memphis in 2007.

Looking at the prospects so far brought forward, my preferred order would be:

1. Tom Thibodeau
2. Mike Budenholzer
3. Bill Laimbeer
4. Avery Johnson
5. Jeff Van Gundy
6. Flip Saunders

I'd prefer an up and coming guy with solid credentials to a re-tread. I think Avery Johnson has a lot to prove and will have learned from his first go-around. I'm not excited by JVG or Flip Saunders but they are improvements to EJ in any event. There are a number of former NBA players who may eventually be good NBA head coaches, but I wouldn't put them before the six listed above.

Hitting me at my weak spot. Either of the Dave's have been on my radar for a while. Blatt I think was running Maccabi Tel Aviv when they won the Euros (with Jasikecius IIRC-- Maceo Baston, Anthony Parker... I forget why I was following them. Maybe becuase Sarunas played next to Navarro in in Spain? And I'd seen him play at UMD?). And Joerger was kicking tail in the minors every damn year pre- and post- D-league. I respect CBA experience from the bad old days.

The only difficulty: both have succeeded best when they have GM roles and control over roster moves. Both ID and recruit better talent than their counterparts and win that way.

But on the positives: Every year he's coached Joerger had multiple Defensive first teamers, often with a DPOY in whatever league he's coached. In-game tweaking is his metier (according to minor league message boards and the comment sections of Dakota based newspapers. It's not like it's easy to find video here).

And David Blatt for his part runs a crisp and wicked Princeton hybrid. Multiple attacks from multiple angles. Easier offensive transition from this squad, similar starting principles.

Drawbacks: both have a tendency to piss off their respective owners and frontoffices. Not sure how they do with players. I recall their players liking Joerger (not sure about Blatt) but that often happens on winning teams.

Also: Laimbeer is in my top five favorite NBA villains. In the conversation with Reggie, Oakley, Stockton, and I dunno who else.

Both Dave Blatt and Dave Joerger are intriguing prospects. I may even prefer one or the other to JVG and Flip Saunders and going the re-tread road. It is just a bit of a jump for either Blatt or Joerger, but fortune favors the brave.

Spurs fans rave about Budenholzer. He has learned from one of the best and I think he has a very bright future. Clearly EG likes Thibodeau. I think Laimbeer would certainly be a lot of fun, and not dull. He has an intense will to win, and I think he will be a successful NBA head coach if given the chance.

Thanks guys, interesting thread. I know nothing about this but my gut says Thibodeau would do well here and so would Laimbeer.

I wouldn't be surprised if Abe leaned heavily on EG to "keep it in the family." (read: hire someone with ties to the franchise.) First name that pops to mind in that regard is Greg Ballard, he won a ring with the Bullets in 78 and has served in assistant coaching capacities semmingly forever with Atlanta. I've never heard him hyped as a future head coaching prospect - but hype is usually just that: hype.

daSwami wrote:I wouldn't be surprised if Abe leaned heavily on EG to "keep it in the family." (read: hire someone with ties to the franchise.) First name that pops to mind in that regard is Greg Ballard, he won a ring with the Bullets in 78 and has served in assistant coaching capacities semmingly forever with Atlanta. I've never heard him hyped as a future head coaching prospect - but hype is usually just that: hype.

Other "in the family" guys would be Darrell Walker and Jeff Bzdelik. If they made a move like that, I would be totally and completely disgusted.

I think Ernie Grunfeld should call Avery Johnson ASAP now that Eddie has finally been fired.

How did Musselman and Arenas get along when he was in Golden State? He was a great coach out there but I'm not sure if Gil had issues with him or not.

Laimbeer signed an extension with the Shock last week:
http://www.wxyz.com/content/sports/tops ... 7c81719c7e

I want a coach that isn't going to succumb to Arenas' ego like Eddie has. I want a coach that isn't going to display obvious preference to players, a coach that actually knows how to manage player minutes and rotations.

No way in hell Thibodeau comes back here. I'm guessing we scared him off the first time.

Van Gundy can be annoying, but at least he'd make defense a priority. Same for Flip Saunders. Hell, anyone is a better defensive coach. I know that Avery Johnson has gotten a bad rep from his fallout with Dallas, but he is very talented and deserves another chance.

newslowsad wrote:Laimbeer signed an extension with the Shock last week:
http://www.wxyz.com/content/sports/tops ... 7c81719c7e

I want a coach that isn't going to succumb to Arenas' ego like Eddie has. I want a coach that isn't going to display obvious preference to players, a coach that actually knows how to manage player minutes and rotations.

No way in hell Thibodeau comes back here. I'm guessing we scared him off the first time.

Van Gundy can be annoying, but at least he'd make defense a priority. Same for Flip Saunders. Hell, anyone is a better defensive coach. I know that Avery Johnson has gotten a bad rep from his fallout with Dallas, but he is very talented and deserves another chance.

I'm sure Laimbeer could buy himself out of that contract for the right opportunity in the NBA, rather than the W-NBA.

I vote for Dave Joerger. This team has a lot of youth that needs to be developed. Indeed, this team has a lot of veterans who need to develop on defense. Joerger, coming out of the CBA, seems to be the right fit.

It's a gamble, but that's how you win big. What do we have to lose anyhow? If nothing else, he can be hired on an interim basis to finish out the season. Evidence suggests that he would help a great deal in the individual development of our players even if he doesn't help us win games.

I really like the fact that he is so young. Anybody that young who can manage to distinguish himself so early deserves a good look. JVG was in his low 30's when he first became a head coach. Whatshizname in NJ is a young guy who seems to be doing a good job.

Jeff Van Gundy, the guy knows defense, and he seems to be familiar with the team based on his announcing.

He's under no pressure here, unlike in Houston and New York. His biggest accomplishment for this team would be to get into the 2nd round and win a game.

Rafael122 wrote:Jeff Van Gundy, the guy knows defense, and he seems to be familiar with the team based on his announcing.

He's under no pressure here, unlike in Houston and New York. His biggest accomplishment for this team would be to get into the 2nd round and win a game.

I would also lean towards Van Gundy. He has extensive playoff experience, he would preach defense, and he would know what to do with the big men. He would also be able to put together a fine cache of assistants. I know he's been conservative in the past but I'm betting that his years as a commentator have made him aware of how the game is changing and what is currently successful in the league.

Don't forget - the last time JVG and EG worked together they took a team to the FInals.

I know college guys have a poor track record but there's a few we should still look at.

1) Ben Howland.

Has done amazing things at Pitt and UCLA. hard working defense oriented teams are his trademark. has always been able to do something with nothing. but he's a SoCal guy who left a great job at Pitt to take over the hometown UCLA and holds a marquee college job. would you leave a sure thing lifetime job for the more volatile NBA?

2. JTIII. he's local. he's done a good job at GTown. similar offensive principles. but why would he leave?

others? i dont follow coaches?


unfortunately if i were to bet id place the odds at 1) Tapscott 2) Ayers 3) Bickerstaff 4) Walker 5) Unseld

When do you think a new coach will be hired? Off-season? Mid-season?

I for one am hoping for Jeff Van Gundy to be hired in the off-season. That way we can suck for the rest of the year, and get that high pick in the draft. My only fear with JVG is that he's too structured and strict for these guys who have become so used to Eddie Jordan's laxed still of play, and that he will alienate a lot of players (well, mainly just Gilbert).

Perhaps someone who is a little less structured then JVG, but not as laxed as Eddie; a nice median.

TT is someone who won a championship with his defensive philosophies. He will be respected and he has plenty of experience coaching in the NBA.

LyricalRico wrote:

Rafael122 wrote:Don't forget - the last time JVG and EG worked together they took a team to the FInals.

This is why I believe a JVG hire is on the horizon. Based on his commentary on the Rockets game he seems to know our team very well and is a perfect candidate because he preaches defense. The EJ fire places the reigns in EGs hands and I can only see EG picking someone he can completely trust.