The Wizards' next coach

fishercob · Post #1 » by **fishercob** » Tue Jan 14, 2014 3:39 pm

Mods: do we already have a thread for this? I thought we did, but can't find it. Feel free to merge.

9,6,9,6,1,3,3,12

Those are the defensive rankings of teams coached by Stan Van Gundy (12 being the final disastrous year in Orlando).

While all of those teams had dominant centers, they also featured a bevy of seemingly mediocre defenders -- Rashard Lewis, JJ Redick, Turkoglu, Jason Richardson, Damon Jones, Antoine Walker, etc. SVG gets great effort and the very most out out of his teams. Gortat loves the guy -- would seemingly lay down in traffic for him.

After publicly doubting John Wall, SVG has since said that John has proven him wrong

He has embraced analytics (read that linked article) an is quintessentially DC -- smart, sarcastic, and a terrible dresser. I think he'd be great here and am thus sure we haven't the slightest shot at hiring him.

Jay81 · Post #2 » by **Jay81** » Tue Jan 14, 2014 3:57 pm

Whitman was a fine defensive coach last year right....when we had a defensive center

fishercob · Post #3 » by **fishercob** » Tue Jan 14, 2014 4:06 pm

Jay do you really think Witt is as good of a coach as SVG?

Dat2U · Post #4 » by **Dat2U** » Tue Jan 14, 2014 4:16 pm

SVG would be a fine hire. His gruff personality and expensive price tag may keep Teddy from buying in though.

Considering how we still have an interim (read: cheap) coach leading a roster that includes 3 recent top 3 picks and the fact that Ted hasn't even considered firing anyone while their still under contract (read: to avoid paying two salaries at once) it hard to envision a scenario where Ted breaks open his wallet for a big name.

Dark Faze · Post #5 » by **Dark Faze** » Tue Jan 14, 2014 4:20 pm

I think he's solid but he's got too much of a history of being tuned out by his players. Called the master of panic by Shaq, completely tuned out by Dwight. Had negative things to say about Wall. I don't think he's a bad coach, but we really don't need to go that route right now.

I really like Lionel Hollins for a couple of reasons: 1. He developed a lot of his talent. Got the most out of guys people didn't think too highly of in the beginning with Gasol, Allen, Z-Bo, even Conley. He knows how to win. I like how he butted heads with management. He's not a lameduck kind of guy who just wants to do what he's hired to do and get out. He'd give Ernie a piece of his mind and make Leonsis take a closer look at this team.

Post #6 » by **miller31time** » Tue Jan 14, 2014 4:27 pm

I know he has his struggles in the playoffs but I am all aboard the George Karl train. I think what he's able to get out of his players in the regular season is absolutely amazing. He's taken average rosters and made them near-elite teams.

And he'll always get points in my book for not giving JaVale McGee a role he clearly didn't deserve.

verbal8 · Post #7 » by **verbal8** » Tue Jan 14, 2014 4:39 pm

Dark Faze wrote:I really like Lionel Hollins for a couple of reasons: 1. He developed a lot of his talent. Got the most out of guys people didn't think too highly of in the beginning with Gasol, Allen, Z-Bo, even Conley. He knows how to win. I like how he butted heads with management. He's not a lameduck kind of guy who just wants to do what he's hired to do and get out. He'd give Ernie a piece of his mind and make Leonsis take a closer look at this team.

Not a bad option. I think Nate McMillian would have some similar advantages. McMillian hasn't had much success in the play-offs. However getting 48 and 50 wins in the West with a team built around Aldridge/Batum and Matthews seems pretty impressive to me.

What could happen with an established coach hired mid-season and a lack of dramatic improvement is after the season, EG gets a cushy job in the front-office and a new GM is hired.

Another option would be to replace EG after the trade deadline and let a new GM bring in some 10 day contracts and evaluate the team. However that would probably only actually happen in an EG retirement/internal promotion for GM scenario.

Higga · Post #8 » by **Higga** » Tue Jan 14, 2014 5:16 pm

I like Stan Van but he's been out of the game a couple years now right? I don't like hiring guys who have been away from coaching. You get the possibility of a guy who may not have the fire.

I want a young up and comer that can grow with our kids. Like our version of Scott Brooks or Erik Spoelstra.

Wizardspride · Post #9 » by **Wizardspride** » Tue Jan 14, 2014 5:39 pm

Don't want Stan.

I don't question his coaching acumen but he's the kind of personality that starts to wear on a player.

If you think Randy is a little "gruff", well then magnify that by 1000 and you have Stan.

No thanks.

dobrojim · Post #10 » by **dobrojim** » Tue Jan 14, 2014 6:40 pm

Larry Brown

dckingsfan · Post #11 » by **dckingsfan** » Tue Jan 14, 2014 6:49 pm

Who is the GM - GM and coach should be on the same page, right?

fishercob · Post #12 » by **fishercob** » Tue Jan 14, 2014 6:55 pm

Wizardspride wrote:Don't want Stan.

I don't question his coaching acumen but he's the kind of personality that starts to wear on a player.

If you think Randy is a little "gruff", well then magnify that by 1000 and you have Stan.

No thanks.

Whose personality did Stan Van wear on in Orlando, other than Dwight -- who by all accounts acted like a child and or psychopath?

Gortat on Stan:

He was a godfather of my career. He basically taught me everything. He gave me the discipline, he told me the most important things in basketball. He taught me what to do, how to act and how to prepare yourself for the game. He taught me basically everything about the game, this guy is always going to be the guy that I'm going to always appreciate for everything he did for me. If one day he's going to be back in the league, I would like to play for him.

Stan strikes me as really, really smart. I love this interview.

GeeWiz · Post #13 » by **GeeWiz** » Tue Jan 14, 2014 7:13 pm

Steps to finding a good coach:

Step 1. Pick any person out of the Spurs organization. Could be a ball boy for all I care.

Step 2. Give this man the starting coaching job.

Step 3. Sit back and just watch.

Post #14 » by **Ruzious** » Tue Jan 14, 2014 7:27 pm

Gary Williams.

I'd be okay with SVG, but I do think it was bizarre in a bad way when he told the media that Howard was trying to get him fired. That was a HUGE mistake by him in many ways, imo. But I think he paid the price and learned from it.

Tricky_Kid · Post #15 » by **Tricky_Kid** » Wed Jan 15, 2014 10:24 am

I think the best coaches right now are George Karl and Larry Brown. Both have Playoffs experience and know how to build a great teams and be succesfull. They can manage well a young players, especially Brown - AI, Eric Snow who was third PG in Seattle, became 1st option PG for Larry in 76rs road to the finals in 2000 year.

I'm not ok with SVG cause his offense is relaying on inside/outside play which was good with best center as Dwight in his prime, and was not effective without him. Gortat or other centers we have aren't good enough to be doubled and create space for 3 point shots.

Tricky_Kid · Post #16 » by **Tricky_Kid** » Wed Jan 15, 2014 10:30 am

fishercob wrote:
Wizardspride wrote:Don't want Stan.

I don't question his coaching acumen but he's the kind of personality that starts to wear on a player.

If you think Randy is a little "gruff", well then magnify that by 1000 and you have Stan.

No thanks.

Whose personality did Stan Van wear on in Orlando, other than Dwight -- who by all accounts acted like a child and or psychopath?

Gortat on Stan:

He was a godfather of my career. He basically taught me everything. He gave me the discipline, he told me the most important things in basketball. He taught me what to do, how to act and how to prepare yourself for the game. He taught me basically everything about the game, this guy is always going to be the guy that I'm going to always appreciate for everything he did for me. If one day he's going to be back in the league, I would like to play for him.

Stan strikes me as really, really smart. I love this interview.

One thing you can tell about SVG. He always was honest in interviews and told like it was. No excuses or blaming some1 else. If team or player played s##t He told about it.

verbal8 · Post #17 » by **verbal8** » Wed Jan 15, 2014 12:13 pm

Tricky_Kid wrote:I think the best coaches right now are George Karl and Larry Brown. Both have Playoffs experience and know how to build a great teams and be succesfull. They can manage well a young players, especially Brown - AI, Eric Snow who was third PG in Seattle, became 1st option PG for Larry in 76rs road to the finals in 2000 year.

I don't think Larry Brown would make sense unless the Wizards pulled off a couple of win-now deals to send out Beal and Porter for players that currently are stars. If they somehow got say Horford and Love to team with Wall, then it could make a lot of sense. With Brown I think his track record of not sticking around is an issue as much as his age. Other than Philly every coaching stint for him has been 4 years or less.

dobrojim · Post #18 » by **dobrojim** » Wed Jan 15, 2014 3:22 pm

I'd take 4 years of Larry Brown. The guy is as good a coach as there is.

FAH1223 · Post #19 » by **FAH1223** » Wed Jan 15, 2014 4:35 pm

Just take one of Poppovich's assistants and make them our HC.

dobrojim · Post #20 » by **dobrojim** » Wed Jan 15, 2014 4:40 pm

We already have a former Popp asst coach on the staff. We could promote from within
if/as desired.