Reading the "Next Head Coach" thread, just what kind of team do Nugs fans want?

[JerrySloan]

Until we see whether Kerr's/G.S great regular season results translate to success in the P.O.s - at LEAST WC Finals, we don't have much to go on yet for that model.

The Bulls defense first model of the Thibs era has mostly been derailed by crucial injuries and may be again this year.

The obvious premiere model is the Spurs.

Last but really least - because Denver can never hope to achieve it - is the let's-get-LeBron-and-a-couple-more-legitimate-stars model of the Heat and now Cavs.

Obviously any choice requires being able to corral the kind of players that can make it work, both talent and personality wise, but which do you think is A.) most suitable to Denver and B.) most likely to be achievable?

[JerrySloan]

Well, it is interesting to see that nobody seems to have an opinion as to what type of team they want the Nuggets to be going forward.

[The Rebel]

Well, it is interesting to see that nobody seems to have an opinion as to what type of team they want the Nuggets to be going forward.

It could be because the type of team going forward is going to depend heavily on what happens with the roster, until that is decided you should not decide a system, as your system should fit your personnel, or did you learn nothing from the Shaw mess?

[StunnaStan]

First ill say that while i admire other teams systems, we can't base our system off another. The Warriors system is enforced by 2 of the 3 best jumpshooters in the game right now. The spurs system is has a lot to do with extreme chemistry built over years of staying together.

As for Denver, i think most of us are in agreement that we need to run and use the altitude more. After our last postseason loss, the need to be able to execute in the halfcourt became a big concern.

I personally attributed our lack of half court execution on George Karl at first but now i think it's a lack of isolation skills by the players on roster. The reason karl had the team running so much was because no one on the roster was proficient enough in the halfcourt so he would advise shooting quick baskets in high volumes to maximize shot attemps.

As i said before, i want to see the Nuggets get back to running teams to the ground, but i think we should acquire different players to accomplish the job. Players that are good in half court settings when the game slows down.

As for defense, ill just say that having the shortest pg and pf doesn't help, no matter the schemes applied. Kenneth would be in contention for 6th man every year if he came off our bench.

We need to hire a good coach 1st then pray we hit on draft. And getting rid of the scrubs is imperative.

[JerrySloan]

It could be because the type of team going forward is going to depend heavily on what happens with the roster, until that is decided you should not decide a system, as your system should fit your personnel, or did you learn nothing from the Shaw mess?

Umm, no. The question was "just what kind of team do Nugs fans want."

That clearly asks what YOU want the Nuggets to do, regardless of what the FO/Owner decides to actually do.

We know what the Nugs "braintrust" said and did when they replaced Karl with Shaw. We don't really know what they want the team to be.

Watching the Bulls/Bucks game yesterday it was clear that those calling the shots in building the Bucks have a clear plan in what they have done to improve last year's worst in the NBA team. They may be the tallest, longest team in the league, one of the most athletic and the youngest. They hired Kidd as head coach and he has turned them into a top defensive team in one season.
They have a slight plus in assists, steals, blocks and TOs, leading the league in opponents TOs but committing almost as many themselves and all this without Jabari Parker. They are well positioned to continue to improve, particularly on offense, and become a top 4 EC team next year. So I should have included them as a model.

So, to make it clearer, if you were the GM with free rein to create your kind of Nuggets team, what would your plan be?

[JerrySloan]

As for Denver, i think most of us are in agreement that we need to run and use the altitude more. After our last postseason loss, the need to be able to execute in the halfcourt became a big concern.

I personally attributed our lack of half court execution on George Karl at first but now i think it's a lack of isolation skills by the players on roster. The reason karl had the team running so much was because no one on the roster was proficient enough in the halfcourt so he would advise shooting quick baskets in high volumes to maximize shot attemps.

As i said before, i want to see the Nuggets get back to running teams to the ground, but i think we should acquire different players to accomplish the job. Players that are good in half court settings when the game slows down.

As for defense, ill just say that having the shortest pg and pf doesn't help, no matter the schemes applied. Kenneth would be in contention for 6th man every year if he came off our bench.

We need to hire a good coach 1st then pray we hit on draft. And getting rid of the scrubs is imperative.

I agree with all of the above.

That said, what do you think it would say about their plan if they actually hired D'Antoni? I would have to conclude that they essentially woud have done a 360 degree turn from what they did in firing Karl and hiring Shaw, possibly even indicating that Karl's firing was just as much a personal and money thing than purely about his failure to get out of the 1st round year after year.

[ET Da Gawd]

basically what you said. By firing shaw the way they did, they acknowledged the mistake of firing gk (although many of us would have gotten shaw out of there alot sooner). hiring d'antoni would be like double acknowledgement lol. the thought of d
antoni as coach raises 3 questions for me. how will his defensive philosophys(lack thereof) effect an already bad defensive team? whats his take on our current roster? whats d'antoni going to do differently than gk to attain playoff sucess?

[eathb_au]

I know MDA has been rumored but I really don't think it will happen. I can see us hiring Malone or Brooks but honestly I'm expecting Hunt or a college coach.

[StunnaStan]

Interesting quote by flip Saunders regarding his goals for Timberwolves. "I don't want to get to the playoffs; i want to build a team that can win in the playoffs. Thats what were trying to do. If you're going to try quick fixes just to get there, you might get there but be out of it even sooner. Thats not what our goal is."

I feel the same way about our team

[JerrySloan]

Interesting quote by flip Saunders regarding his goals for Timberwolves. "I don't want to get to the playoffs; i want to build a team that can win in the playoffs. Thats what were trying to do. If you're going to try quick fixes just to get there, you might get there but be out of it even sooner. Thats not what our goal is."

I feel the same way about our team

That's fine but I still find it interesting that nobody here - and I realize that there are not all that many here - can venture an opinion what style of play they would prefer a new Nuggets coach, assumedly with the blessing of the Kroenkes, to bring to the team.

[Lala870]

Laker fan here (I come in peace). I live in the Denver area so naturally I loosely follow the Nuggets.

Despite his tenure in LA, I would personally hire either hire Mike D or see if Billups would be interested in coaching. I would only hire Brooks if Durant followed.

[The Rebel]

Interesting quote by flip Saunders regarding his goals for Timberwolves. "I don't want to get to the playoffs; i want to build a team that can win in the playoffs. Thats what were trying to do. If you're going to try quick fixes just to get there, you might get there but be out of it even sooner. Thats not what our goal is."

I feel the same way about our team

That's fine but I still find it interesting that nobody here - and I realize that there are not all that many here - can venture an opinion what style of play they would prefer a new Nuggets coach, assumedly with the blessing of the Kroenkes, to bring to the team.

Well let's make this simple for you, if the Nugget keep the personnel they have now than it needs to be a running team, as most of the roster is most suited to that type of system. If they trade for a bunch of half court type players than they need to become a half court team.

You see most of us could care less about the system, we just want to win.

to play in your game all of us would have to assume that the team is going to be blown up and they will start from scratch, if that is your theory all I can say is good luck. There have been no indications of the Nuggets being willing to do that, in fact both Kroenke's and Connelly are on record saying that they do not believe in blowing up a roster and starting over. For all the hype of the trade deadline and leading up to it, the Nuggets traded a SG that was half way out the door for a better haul than what they gave for him 6 months prior, and a center where the other team overpaid considerably, and the final deal was giving up a 1st round pick to dump a guy who had a year and a half left on his deal.

Also you are ignoring the facts of Stan Kroenke and the way he operates, he has been quoted many times over the years in saying that he believes that all franchises are businesses 1st, the Nuggets finished in the bottom 5 for attendance this year, and had terrible TV ratings, I do not see Stan being okay with another year of bad attendance last year.

Given those 3 deals and the Shaw firing I would say that the Nuggets are looking to make changes but that they have no intention of blowing it up, so than you have to figure out who they are trading for who, and than you decide what system you want to run. Saying you want a running team or a walk it up half court team is nice, but how do you get there if you realize that the owners and front office are not blowing up the team.


So right now this team needs to run to be effective, that could change though if they go get a Cousins and convince Kevin Love to leave the Cavs. But what are the odds of that happening?

[JerrySloan]

Well let's make this simple for you, if the Nugget keep the personnel they have now than it needs to be a running team, as most of the roster is most suited to that type of system. If they trade for a bunch of half court type players than they need to become a half court team.

You see most of us could care less about the system, we just want to win.

to play in your game all of us would have to assume that the team is going to be blown up and they will start from scratch, if that is your theory all I can say is good luck. There have been no indications of the Nuggets being willing to do that, in fact both Kroenke's and Connelly are on record saying that they do not believe in blowing up a roster and starting over. For all the hype of the trade deadline and leading up to it, the Nuggets traded a SG that was half way out the door for a better haul than what they gave for him 6 months prior, and a center where the other team overpaid considerably, and the final deal was giving up a 1st round pick to dump a guy who had a year and a half left on his deal.

Also you are ignoring the facts of Stan Kroenke and the way he operates, he has been quoted many times over the years in saying that he believes that all franchises are businesses 1st, the Nuggets finished in the bottom 5 for attendance this year, and had terrible TV ratings, I do not see Stan being okay with another year of bad attendance last year.

Given those 3 deals and the Shaw firing I would say that the Nuggets are looking to make changes but that they have no intention of blowing it up, so than you have to figure out who they are trading for who, and than you decide what system you want to run. Saying you want a running team or a walk it up half court team is nice, but how do you get there if you realize that the owners and front office are not blowing up the team.


So right now this team needs to run to be effective, that could change though if they go get a Cousins and convince Kevin Love to leave the Cavs. But what are the odds of that happening?

Gee, thanks, for "making it simple." At least, with all the other pontificating, you did finally make YOUR choice clear, i.e. you "could(n't) care less about the system."

That said, your other opinions, frankly, are short on logic.

Do you really believe that a good FO such as the Spurs or the Bulls, sits around saying to themselves, "let's see who we can pick up in trades and then we'll decide what kind of system we want to play." Of course not. They know exactly what kinds of players they want to play in the system they prefer to play. That includes both on court talent and ability, off court behavior and, yes, team chemistry.

It is difficult enough for a small city never-won-anything team to a attract a really good coach. It much harder to get one who can be highly effective regardless of the types of players the FO gives him, especially if he is a relatively inexperienced guy whom the FO does not give any say in trades.

Finally, given the fact that the Nugs odds are, as you indicate, very long as far as getting any half court dominant big who'd be better than Nurkic projects to be, the idea of scrapping a run-as-much-as-you-can offense here in Denver is almost certainly a bad one.

While it is yet to be fully proven, the uptempo/tough D model currently being displayed by G.S. would seem to be the one to try to emulate. And, yes, I do understand that the possibility of coming up with anything resembling the Curry/Thompson backcourt is much, much more unlikely than getting a Cousins.

[Nuggets18]

we need to become a defensive minded team that also likes to run. ala Spurs, GSW and Atlanta


please dont waste the talent of nurkic and jokic on d'antoni or hunt