Could Larry Brown be the guy?

[coolhandluke121]

Many observers believe Brown is interested in coaching again. Also, there have been indications that he is keen of playing gm regardless of whether he's actually given the title or not (witness the clashes with Isaiah). While I don't think it's necessarily a good idea to make him gm, I think the Bucks are desperate enough for a big-name coach to concede full control to a guy like Brown. He might even come at a discount if he gets to play gm and coach. Also, Karl and Brown are good friends, and Karl always maintained that Milwaukee was the best franchise he ever worked for in terms of the front office and ownership. A good recommendation like that could make Milwaukee seem appealing to Brown, who seems bent on coaching for every team in the league at some point.

The biggest knock on Brown is that he will trade young players and draft picks and overpay to keep mediocre veterans, mortgaging the future to get to the playoffs now. The Bucks would be solid for 3-4 years but their best wouldn't be good enough, and Brown will depart with the team facing another rebuilding project.

I for one would love to see Brown coach the Bucks. I think there are certain players on the team who want to win but just don't know how and weren't convinced that Porter, Stotts, and LK had the answers either. But I think they would tune in to Brown because he is one of the few coaches with a strong enough reputation to come out of a battle of wills on top, making Redd - I mean the players - look stupid.

Regarding trades, Brown has said Bogut could be very good and he probably would be disinclined to trade him. As far as Yi, CV, Mo and this year's pick go, let's just say I wouldn't mind one bit if they were traded for veterans like JO, AK-47, Miller, Arenas, Marion, Brand, Haslem, or any other veterans who would make the Bucks better now. In fact those are exactly the kind of moves I want to see the Bucks make.

[MickeyDavis]

As a coach, yes. As a GM, no .

[coolhandluke121]

As a coach, yes. As a GM, no .

I agree completely, but my implied premise is that giving him full control might be the only way to entice him to coach here. Would it be worth it?

[raferfenix]

I'm not sure if we'd have to or would be willing to give Brown full control, but I bet we'd give him much more input than he'd get anywhere else. George Karl had a whole lot of input without technically being GM, so even if Brown isn't able to wrench control from Ron Walter he might be willing to come here if he has a prime seat at the decision table.

[Neapolitan Buck]

As a coach, yes. As a GM, no .

[Neapolitan Buck]

As a coach, yes. As a GM, no .

[MickeyDavis]

Well it would certainly cement Kohl's philosophy of having a "one year plan" every year.

[unklchuk]

If he comes here, my guess is Brown will have less player control than he'd be led to believe. There will be a "broad understanding" that Brown's input will be "highly valued" and Kohl will make a show of following that input when he doesn't care and overriding it one way or another when he does care.

I used to think Coach Brown had the focus, intensity and smarts to get a lot out of his team. Gradually, although I'm no expert on him, I came to wonder if the parade had moved to a different street, and Brown was marching to his own drummer. With few watching or listening.

[MickeyDavis]

If I was a highly successful coach whose last gig didn't work out and I wanted one last shot, the last place I would want to go is Milwaukee to work for Herb Kohl.

[raferfenix]

If I was a highly successful coach whose last gig didn't work out and I wanted one last shot, the last place I would want to go is Milwaukee to work for Herb Kohl.

How many owners are willing to go with Brown's style of one year plans though? Brown is also known to like challenges, and he'd have a tough time finding one as tough as here.

Granted after NY he may want a more stable situation, however, he also assuredly won't be looking to go into a situation where he'll have a power struggle. If we offer him more power than other teams would we'll be a real enticing destination (and how many teams are so desperate to give him much in the way of GM duties?).

[MickeyDavis]

Brown has done nothing to deserve GM duties.

[jokeboy86]

He's not coming here. In NY, he clashed with Dolan and Thomas and it ended badly. Also Kohl clashing with Karl or anybody else who previously worked here didn't make news nationally. Larry Brown will bring the national media to Milwaukee immediately and if he clashes with Kohl it will make the national news in a big way. I could even see it making the rounds on sports talk radio and ESPN talk shows. Kohl doesn't mind that although this franchise has been bad, it isn't really trashed as much nationally like other franchises.

[THE DINJ]

With Brown on the sideline maybe we wouldn't have to have a fire sale on our players.

[drew881]

Look at Larry Brown's track record...It is good, yes, but also remember that he takes teams, tries to get to their "limit" and then ditches them. Does anyone care to remember that before coaching the Knicks and Pistons, that he coached the 76ers, the Pacers and the Clippers? I am probably leaving out teams that I have forgotten as well. I don't think we need a 2-3 stint with Larry Brown, in which he will probably sour halfway through and want out. He has real commitment issues.

When looking at HOF coaches (in college or pros), I am much more impressed with the coaches who have had long tenures (Sloan, Phil Jackson (Bulls and Lakers), Popovich, Tomjonavich, etc.) than I am with coaches who have accomplished feats at multiple places.

I'd rather hire another young coach, taking the chance that he becomes our coach for the next 10 years, rather than hire someone who we know is only short term.

[paulpressey25]

Larry Brown has always had massive say over player personnel moves wherever he has gone, save for the Knicks. It has always been known that he's the coach/gm at his prior stops. So I don't see anything new here if we brought him in. It would be like we did with Karl. Karl had huge control his first couple seasons.

What I'm struggling with is how tired and ill he was in New York a year ago. Like Rudy T., I'm just not sure this guy has the motor to commit to a full three years with us given his health issues and age. And that is what it will take IMO.

[JustinCredible]

I would LOVE to have Larry Brown as the next coach. He would be on the top of my list. As a GM I agree with the rest of you....no way. Having complete control never seems to work out.

[DanoMac]

Maybe it's just me, but I don't even think I'd want him as coach. I'd take Carlisle over him in a second.

And honestly, I think Mark Jackson would be a great head coach. I think if a team were to give him a shot, they'd be hitting the jackpot.