Rick Adelman

[mojomarc]

So here's the thing: the odds of Houston resigning Rick go up if he continues to outperform expectations considerably like he is. Unfortunately, the same thing applies to Nate, and I think PA has now mentally lowered the bar for Nate to about 41 wins despite the fact that the general talent level of the remaining players isn't all that different than what it was last year. I'm really worried that, like all of Nate's career here basically, he's the beneficiary of excuses.

[cucad8]

What excuses did he need to rely on before, when the team was improving? The excuse in his first two seasons that it was a rebuilding team? Other than that, I don't see what excuses were needed or used to justify his performance.

[LicketyBrindle]

So here's the thing: the odds of Houston resigning Rick go up if he continues to outperform expectations considerably like he is. Unfortunately, the same thing applies to Nate, and I think PA has now mentally lowered the bar for Nate to about 41 wins despite the fact that the general talent level of the remaining players isn't all that different than what it was last year. I'm really worried that, like all of Nate's career here basically, he's the beneficiary of excuses.

Exactly right. We need Hou to miss the playoffs which would really help our cause. If they keep playing like they are then the Hou fans will be in an uproar if the owner let's Rick go. Conversely, if there is enough of an uproar by Por fans to get rid of Nate, then that might force PA's hand to making a change. I think things will be much clearer after the all-star break as to what could be brewing.

[PDXKnight]

I've communicated with lickety offline, and I'm pretty confident he knows of what he speaks on this issue. I don't want to say anything more for fear of giving away some of the information he shared with me, but I do think we can take him at his word in this thread.

Fair enough. Sorry for doubting you lickety. I would love to see Adelman coaching the Blazers again.

[mojomarc]

What excuses did he need to rely on before, when the team was improving? The excuse in his first two seasons that it was a rebuilding team? Other than that, I don't see what excuses were needed or used to justify his performance.

Nate was immune his first two years for sure. But don't forget he was also immune his third year due to Greg's injury and last year he was immune from a complete flop in the playoffs because of youth as well. This year he is immune again due to injuries. This guy has more "we can't evaluate him properly because..." seasons than any coach I've ever seen, and I've been around for 41 years come Saturday.

[cucad8]

But he can still be evaluated in those seasons. Regardless of Oden's injury, I don't think anyone had expectations much higher than 41-41 that season. I could be wrong. I think we were about where our expectations had us last season as well. 50-55 wins, playoffs. I can see people looking at some factors as excuses, but overall, I don't see where excuses have been made for him. What were the expectations last year or the season before? I think he was right around where he should have been. You say he was "immmune" Greg's injury year, but immune from what? We still had expectations with that club. He can be evaluated based on what he had to work with, and I think that's what many have done, not evaluate what he could have had, but evaluate the job he did with the pieces he had. Same with this season. You can say oh, he gets a pass because of injuries, but the easier way would be to make a judgment on him now, or the end of the season based on what he was given. Is it an excuse to say he coached well/poorly, etc. with the talent he had available? How is it using an excuse, and giving him a pass?

[Billy]

Nate was immune his first two years for sure. But don't forget he was also immune his third year due to Greg's injury and last year he was immune from a complete flop in the playoffs because of youth as well. This year he is immune again due to injuries. This guy has more "we can't evaluate him properly because..." seasons than any coach I've ever seen, and I've been around for 41 years come Saturday.

I don't think this is entirely true. His third year he went 41-41. A 9 game improvement for a team that was still the youngest in the league. Greg's injury I don't think made him immune, but it did make a 9 game improvement all the more impressive. Especially considering Portland shipped off their top scorer and rebounder to make room for him.

Last year I think you could again argue with improvement and a home court seeding in the first round. Obviously it didn't work out, and he was exposed by Adelman--but I wouldn't say he was immune. Youth was a factor, but again the expectations weren't really there for a second round appearance.

I don't think Nate should have been fired following either of those years. In both cases he exceeded expectations. In 0708 I'd say he cleared expectations by a large amount, considering most people had Portland pegged as a bottom feeder again, yet they finished only a few games out of the playoffs. Last year playoffs were the goal, but again people had Portland pegged at an 8th seed while others still had Portland pegged as missing the playoffs again. Despite that Portland obtained HCA and went 6 games.

This year is different. Oden is down again, but Portland is a vastly different team. The biggest weakness on the team (PG) was improved via free agency as well as through development. The same team that was blowing teams out by 25-30 points last March was all back. But so far they haven't lived up to the billing.

I think Nate will be under fire for this season (if it continues) regardless of the injuries sustained. He had more than enough time to show everyone that he was incompetent by starting Blake over Miller, and by limiting Oden's minutes and touches early and often for a variety of reasons. It was fairly clear that regardless of the Oden situation, Nate was/is refusing to make adjustments in a timely matter.

I still doubt that Portland will let him go. I'm afraid that you may be right, and that he might receive a pass for this year given all of the injuries. I just don't feel that he's truly gotten any passes before--other than perhaps his first 2 seasons when he was trying to much through the crap he inherited.

[Wizenheimer]

This year is different. Oden is down again, but Portland is a vastly different team. The biggest weakness on the team (PG) was improved via free agency as well as through development. The same team that was blowing teams out by 25-30 points last March was all back. But so far they haven't lived up to the billing.

I think Nate will be under fire for this season (if it continues) regardless of the injuries sustained. He had more than enough time to show everyone that he was incompetent by starting Blake over Miller, and by limiting Oden's minutes and touches early and often for a variety of reasons. It was fairly clear that regardless of the Oden situation, Nate was/is refusing to make adjustments in a timely matter.

I still doubt that Portland will let him go. I'm afraid that you may be right, and that he might receive a pass for this year given all of the injuries. I just don't feel that he's truly gotten any passes before--other than perhaps his first 2 seasons when he was trying to much through the crap he inherited.

for me it's certainly different this season even though I've been harping on Nate's defensive schemes for a while.

Nate's indecision on the PG situation preceded the injuries to Oden, Outlaw, and Rudy. And it was Nate's decisions on what to emphasize (nothing apparently) in the preseason that had Portland start the season in such disarray and so out of sync.

We've also seen the issues about how to utilize Oden and when. And how all that developed into chemistry issues and problems with offensive flow, not to mention wildly inconsistent rotations.

At a certain point, the coach is accountable for those problems and I think we're well past that point.

Now, whether or not KP sees things that way or how Paul Allen sees things I don't have a clue. Nate certainly, by his decisions (or indecisions), has implied that KP has stuck him with a disjointed roster. If KP doesn't see things that way, there may be a chance the FO is thinking about the advantages of a coaching change.

Personally, I'm all in favor of a coaching change where I probably wouldn't have been at the beginning of the off season. I think when you add the considerations of the remedial offensive sets, the passive defensive schemes, and the mishandling of the preseason and the rotations, the scales are just tilted too heavily against giving Nate one more season. That's assuming of course that the track of the season remains similar to what it is now.

[mojomarc]

My point was that the same things Wiz is pointing out as issues this season (remedial sets, passive defense, rotations) were all problems in previous years, but because of various excuses very few were critical of him. He was given a pass, basically, one that I never felt was warranted. This season, I'm afraid, he'll be given a pass again. That's all.

[Billy]

I think those are great points Wiz.

Bringing up the remedial offensive sets and passive defensive schemes is also another good thing to look at when looking into the developing criteria for evaluating Nate.

So much was made of the simplistic offense. Nate did a good job of deflecting the scrutiny by claiming that the team wasn't ready for an expanded play book due to inexperience. I think by and large he was probably right. So many young teams are bad because the coach simply cuts them loose. They aren't required to show discipline and many times don't learn how to win until they move onto other teams or a new coach is brought in along with some veterans. Nate for his part seemed to do a decent job of teaching the right basics to these guys.

Fast forward to now, and the playbook is the same. Further adding justification for a change in my eyes is the fact that anytime a change was even thrown into the mix, if Roy/Aldridge objected, the change was out. We saw this from complaints about the usage of Oden on the offensive side, as well as Miller. You just can't have a coach breaking like that. If Nate really wants to make a change he should be able to do it, and he should be in a position where he can punish a player(s) if they don't want to come along. I feel Nate's developed relationships with certain players that prevent that from being possible.

Furthermore, this team is now what I would consider a veteran team. They are still young, but at the very least the regular season should be old hat. They should know enough about their own abilities, as well as each others to know where someone will be on a cut, or where someone will be after a screen. That was the whole point in bringing in 12 guys that were all roughly the same age wasn't it? Bring these guys in, let them struggle and figure it out for themselves, and they'd be better for it. Instead the coach seemingly has as much trust in this group now, as he did 4 years ago--and that's with the addition of a top-tier "orchestrator" PG.

Defensively it's always been a nightmare, but this year I think it's very fair to really scrutinize Nate. Whether Oden or Przybilla was in there--it shouldn't matter. Guys should know how to play defense, and Nate should at the very least throw in some different looks. Instead the scouting tape on Portland's defense from 07-08 is just as valid today as it was then.

[Shem]

Something about the comments today reminded me of something that Nate and KP were not on the same page. Nate screamed for veterans the last few years while KP wanted all young talent. In some ways KP has given in by the signings of Howard and Miller.

The query would be is how KP feels about Nate continuing to coach the Blazers. Like is he convincing KP that Miller doesn't fit, that Bayless can't be a point guard, etc?

Because for each win the Blazers get, especially wins like on Sunday against the Heat and Thursday against the Suns, I would seem the less likely he's going to be fired after this season, especially considering the injury situation the Blazers are in.

I could almost hear KP say: "Nate carried this team through the hard injury trials."

We'll just have to see.

[DaVoiceMaster]

The more injuries Portland has and the longer the injured players stay injured, the more I expect to see Nate next season. It's hard to fire a guy who doesn't have a lot to work with. Same could be said for Adelman and Houston.

[LicketyBrindle]

My point was that the same things Wiz is pointing out as issues this season (remedial sets, passive defense, rotations) were all problems in previous years, but because of various excuses very few were critical of him. He was given a pass, basically, one that I never felt was warranted. This season, I'm afraid, he'll be given a pass again. That's all.

Unfortunately, I think this is probably true. The first thing I said to myself after all of the injuries was that now Nate will get another pass. I think that the way the team was playing and the baffling moves and substitutions that Nate was doing early on were really starting to frustrate and wear on the players. Even the media, which never questioned Nate for the first few years, were starting to raise some eyebrows in their reports. Now, after the injuries, the focus has now shifted off of Nate, and to me this is the worst thing possible. Nate just isn't the right coach for this team if we intend to make a run for a title.

[LicketyBrindle]

I've communicated with lickety offline, and I'm pretty confident he knows of what he speaks on this issue. I don't want to say anything more for fear of giving away some of the information he shared with me, but I do think we can take him at his word in this thread.

Fair enough. Sorry for doubting you lickety. I would love to see Adelman coaching the Blazers again.

No worries, Oden. No harm no foul.

[TBpup]

LicketyBrindle....Billy gave you my direct office number which is fine. I'm with clients off and on throughout the day so if you get my v-mail, just leave me a number and time that is good to reach you.

[LicketyBrindle]

LicketyBrindle....Billy gave you my direct office number which is fine. I'm with clients off and on throughout the day so if you get my v-mail, just leave me a number and time that is good to reach you.

Will do TB. Talk to you soon.

[peltoff]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/spo ... 94261.html
Dec. 31, 2009

Rockets owner Leslie Alexander said Thursday he was going to extend the contract of Rockets coach Rick Adelman in the coming weeks.

Adelman, whose winning percentage with the Rockets is better than any coach in franchise history, had gone into his third season with the Rockets in the final guaranteed of year of his contract, with the Rockets intending to address his contract situation in the off-season.

“I’m going to pick up his option,” Alexander said. “We’re going to do it soon, relatively soon.

“I think he’s done a terrific job. He’s taken a team that has lost two key starters and he melded the team and he’s won. That’s what we want here. He’s very self-effacing. He only cares about — which I love — is the team and winning.”

Alexander did not have a precise timetable for making the move, but said it would be done by the All Star break.

Alexander said that he had decided to pick up the option on Adelman’s contract based on his coaching, but also praised how Adelman handled Tracy McGrady’s comeback attempt and the team’s eventual decision to try to grant McGrady’s trade request.

“When I read his comments all t he time, I couldn’t help but think this is the truth. There is nothing that was in any way protective or trying to obfuscate. He was just saying what was the reality. He wants as a coach to win every night and Tracy wasn’t ready to participate in that.”

McGrady, granted a leave of absence on Monday, likely will not be back. Alexander had decided to make Adelman will be.

[peltoff]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/spo ... 22123.html

The Rockets officially picked up their option to extend coach Rick Adelman’s contract for another season as expected last week, but did not stop there.

Rockets general manager Daryl Morey said he has begun talks to also sign assistant coaches Elston Turner, Jack Sikma, T.R. Dunn and R.J. Adelman.

"We did it (the Adelman extension), and now we’re working on bringing the assistants back as well," Morey said. "They’ve done an incredible job in very difficult circumstances. To not only have a great game plan every night, but to have brought the players along to help us win now, is a testament to the whole staff."