The Next Coach (SCOTT BROOKS HIRED pg.13)

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Indy fired Frank Vogel. I'd MUCH rather have him than Brooks. Vogel can coach! I think he's one of the 10 best coaches in the league. I can't believe how well he has performed with so little talent.

Wittman's (allegedly) a candidate. Makes sense -- he's a local boy. I hope he gets the job, if only to test out how much better or worse a journeyman like Wittman fares than a highly-regarded coach when given (mostly) the same squad.

I hope Randy gets that job, too.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

I would let Fetty Wap run the team over EG ! Drake/ anna Kendrick/ payton manning/ john cena / vince mcmahon / john mayer / stan lee / drake bell / gary johnson / courtney cox / dane cook / are all on the list of people I would give the team to over EG.

I've been an extra on a movie set with Anna Kendrick being one of the stars. (Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates)

She'd be good at anything she tries. Really nice person from my vantage point as a (lowly) extra.

[Dark Faze]

randy would be great for that job if they were still running the plotting defensive stuff but Bird wants a fast paced offense which would be a disaster with witt as we all saw

[long suffrin' boulez fan]

Indy fired Frank Vogel. I'd MUCH rather have him than Brooks. Vogel can coach! I think he's one of the 10 best coaches in the league. I can't believe how well he has performed with so little talent.

Completely agree. We HAD to have Brooks... But a bit of patience would have landed us an elite coach.

[TheSecretWeapon]

Joerger just got fired. Kinda ridiculous -- he got an old, injured team into the playoffs. They set a league record this season for most players: 28 different guys played for Memphis this year.

[WallToWall]

Joerger just got fired. Kinda ridiculous -- he got an old, injured team into the playoffs. They set a league record this season for most players: 28 different guys played for Memphis this year.

So many choices for assistant coaches, now that one more name is added to the list...

[payitforward]

The sudden availability of guys like Vogel and Joerger only validates all the more Ernie's decision to rush rush rush and sign Brooks for as much $ as he could force down his throat.

Had we waited, the decision would have become more complicated as we'd have had to deal with assessing all the talent that was suddenly available. I'm just thankful we managed to avoid that problem: who needs the distraction when we should be focusing all our efforts on the upcoming draft!

[DCZards]

^^^^...or if EG had waited Brooks might have signed on to coach another team and EG would have had to settle for the Zards' second or third choice as head coach. just another way of looking at it.

[FAH1223]

Joerger just got fired. Kinda ridiculous -- he got an old, injured team into the playoffs. They set a league record this season for most players: 28 different guys played for Memphis this year.

Joerger wanted to leave from what I'm hearing

[TheSecretWeapon]

Joerger just got fired. Kinda ridiculous -- he got an old, injured team into the playoffs. They set a league record this season for most players: 28 different guys played for Memphis this year.

Joerger wanted to leave from what I'm hearing

Yeah, apparently he interviewed for other jobs after last season, and wanted to do it again. I hadn't heard that until after he'd been let go.

[TheSecretWeapon]

^^^^...or if EG had waited Brooks might have signed on to coach another team and EG would have had to settle for the Zards' second or third choice as head coach. just another way of looking at it.

Sure. The thing payitforward and I didn't like was the "process." The Wizards didn't talk to anyone -- they went after Brooks and only Brooks. My preference would have been a process more like Houston's where they're taking their time and interviewing multiple candidates. Brooks very well may have been the choice anyway. I think he's a good coach. But I still would have talked with at least 3-4 candidates before pulling the trigger.

Again, I have no gripe about Brooks. I don't like the process used to hire him, though.

[DCZards]

^^^^...or if EG had waited Brooks might have signed on to coach another team and EG would have had to settle for the Zards' second or third choice as head coach. just another way of looking at it.

Sure. The thing payitforward and I didn't like was the "process." The Wizards didn't talk to anyone -- they went after Brooks and only Brooks. My preference would have been a process more like Houston's where they're taking their time and interviewing multiple candidates. Brooks very well may have been the choice anyway. I think he's a good coach. But I still would have talked with at least 3-4 candidates before pulling the trigger.

Again, I have no gripe about Brooks. I don't like the process used to hire him, though.

Fair enough. Houston is indeed employing a different process. It's been reported that the Rockets plan to interview something like 6-7 candidates. The Zards, as well as Minny and the Lakers, targeted the guys they wanted and went out and signed them.

Hopefully, for Houston the process it's using yields the head coach they really want and not one they have to settle for. I could be wrong, but I'm guessing the coach Houston really wanted is the guy the Zards hired.

[MikeTheKid]

I hate Brooks more and more now and hes done nothing yet

Joerger and Vogel are out there for the taking

[nuposse04]

I hate Brooks more and more now and hes done nothing yet

Joerger and Vogel are out there for the taking

Agreed, I think both of those coaches have done more with less, especially compared to Brooks.

On a side, I think the HOU job could be a good one for either Vogel/Joeger since they can actually seem to lead a team...and while Harden is a top 10 player... he doesn't come off by any stretch of the imagination, a leader.

[long suffrin' boulez fan]

Once Durant doesn't sign with us, can we trade Brooks for Dave Joerger?

Man, he'd have been great.

[doclinkin]

I like Brooks alright, but damn. Three of the coaches I coveted as replacements for Eddie Jordan, years ago.

Dave Joeger -- won with every CBA team he ever ran, with a teaching mindset that inspires players to commit to smart cooperative team defense.

David Blatt -- killed the Euroleague with a ball movement player motion concept, a more functional version of the 'Princeton' offense, similar to the GSW game.

And the penguin Thom Thibodeau. Defense and player motivation mastermind.

plus one I never coveted, Frank Vogel who is a solid solid coach, who surprised me with how much he was able to do with very little with the Pacers.

And other possibilities like Kevin Ollie, maybe Coach Cal. All available. Any of which would infuse the team with buzz and a sense of a new start.

I like Brook's excitement over analytics. Love his history with a team that has committed to analysis and thoughtful moves, good drafting. Love the idea he will have input in shaping this team and maybe in hiring the next front office exec, if GMEG just plays out the final year of his contract. Love his record on player development. I'm skeptical that he'll have any effect on pulling Durant, who at this point in his career will be chasing a ring, not being distracted by the demands of being a local kid turned superstar. Too many hands out. Recall this is the shy kid who went to far away to Texas for college, not UMD for instance. But still Brooks will be an upgrade if he has input in roster selections and team building and draft picks if we ever actually have any.

That said, the above coaches (the Daves, the Penguin) have been proven champions, innovators at thinking through the metagame in how to outclass their opponent despite lesser talent. The answer is not simply: be the Golden State Warriors, but instead find the mismatches in what other teams are not doing. Brooks is decent, solid, an upgrade, helps us maybe build a real team that grows up together instead of relying on retreads cast off veterans and journeymen. But is he a woodshed workshop genius? So far no. Hopefully he recruits one for his bench.

[payitforward]

^^^^...or if EG had waited Brooks might have signed on to coach another team and EG would have had to settle for the Zards' second or third choice as head coach. just another way of looking at it.

Sure. The thing payitforward and I didn't like was the "process." The Wizards didn't talk to anyone -- they went after Brooks and only Brooks. My preference would have been a process more like Houston's where they're taking their time and interviewing multiple candidates. Brooks very well may have been the choice anyway. I think he's a good coach. But I still would have talked with at least 3-4 candidates before pulling the trigger.

Again, I have no gripe about Brooks. I don't like the process used to hire him, though.

Fair enough. Houston is indeed employing a different process. It's been reported that the Rockets plan to interview something like 6-7 candidates. The Zards, as well as Minny and the Lakers, targeted the guys they wanted and went out and signed them.

Hopefully, for Houston the process it's using yields the head coach they really want and not one they have to settle for. I could be wrong, but I'm guessing the coach Houston really wanted is the guy the Zards hired.

I follow you, Zards. My problem with the process is that it mirrors some of our other processes that haven't worked out so well. That doesn't mean Brooks won't be good. Reminds me just a little too much of signing a FA PG on the first day of free agency. Of tunnel vision on Vesely. Etc. etc. etc.

Obviously he was their top choice, you are right. But... was he their top choice among every basketball coach in the universe? Among guys w/ NBA coaching experience? Did they know Joerger would be available? Vogel? Maybe neither of them would have jumped to the top of the list. But we'll never know. And neither will they.

Still, Brooks may turn out to be just the ticket; I'm sure we all hope so.

[queridiculo]

It'll certainly be interesting to see what happens with the Kings now. I can't think of a coach that's done more with less and compared to Brooks $35 million over 5 years Joergers deal seems like an absolute bargain at $16 million over 4 years.

All part of the plan I guess, makes you wonder why the Wizards always come across like a franchise making deals out of desperation.

[pineappleheadindc]

It'll certainly be interesting to see what happens with the Kings now. I can't think of a coach that's done more with less and compared to Brooks $35 million over 5 years Joergers deal seems like an absolute bargain at $16 million over 4 years.

All part of the plan I guess, makes you wonder why the Wizards always come across like a franchise making deals out of desperation.

Grunfeld Proves Doubters Wrong.

[payitforward]

You know what they say: if you are in a hole, just keep digging; that's sure to get you out.