Who do you want as the Bulls next HC?

[Jcool0]

From that list only Ettore Messina.. but why would he come to Bulls,instead of coaching SAS after Pop?!

Why would you want to coach in SA after Pop? Outside of Pop, who obviously wouldn't be there, what is the appeal being in San Antonio?

No state income taxes, warm weather in winter, manageable traffic relative to many places I would guess.

[meekrab]

What about David Blatt? Okay, I'm joking, even though I don't think he's a bad coach (and think he got a raw deal in Cleveland).

I would be on board with this.

[Axolotl]

You’re being naive. It’s fine if you don’t think they should be, but don’t act like these issues wouldn’t exist.

You think I'm naive, I think you are being... how should I put this... overly cautious.

And I'm sure there would be issues. There are plenty of misogynists and social justice warriors out there, and we'd get flak from both. Just to be clear, I'm not thinking the Bulls should consider Hammon because she is a woman, but despite of that fact.

So, why do I think the Bulls should consider Hammon? She had a great career as a player, she is the top assistant of one of the best if not the best coach in the game, the team she is the assistant coach of believes in her.

[Bandit King]

Kirk hinrich

[Bandit King]

No nba player would listen to a women coach period

[cjbulls]

No nba player would listen to a women coach period

And anyone that didn’t would be skewered. Which would put pressure on the front office and owner. Which is why it won’t happen anytime soon.

For the record, I think it could work only in special circumstances. Like with an EXPERIENCED coach on a very veteran, cosmopolitan team like the spurs. As another example, Pat Summit could have coached the men’s Tennessee team. But she is unique in that she dominated women’s coaching for many years, was very popular in the state, and college players more or less pick where they play and it would weed out the jerks.

None of those special type circumstances exist on the Bulls.

[League Circles]

I like women, and working with them, more than men. I voted for Barack Obama mostly because he was black. I have an immigrant wife of many years and several of my close friends and those I respect most and most like to work with are immigrants.

And yet I would not hire a female or a foriegner (non Canadian) as the head coach of an NBA basketball team. I just think the chances are too high that would not be ideal for team culture. Sports are an incredibly emotional and cultural phenomenon. Players want to identify with their coach in a way that I think is too unlikely to happen with a foreigner or woman, or even somebody like Thibbs who didn't play pro ball. Obviously nothing is Flawless so of course I would miss out on some good coaches this way like Brad Stevens and Tibbs. But For Better or For Worse I think the personal component of NBA coaching is more important than schemes and so forth. And for that reason I would try to pick someone who has had the most similar experience and who is most identifiable to as many players as possible. So I would pretty much start and end my search with guys who had been legitimate NBA players. And by the way Fred Hoiberg was not really a legitimate NBA player.

So let me scratch what I said about foreigners and women in a sense. I would definitely consider hiring a foreign player who had played in the NBA for a long time. I would also definitely consider hiring a woman who had been in NBA player for a long time if that ever happens which I doubt.

My choices are Jon Paxson and Kareem Abdul Jabbar, though we surely missed the boat on the later.

I'll settle for somebody like Monty Williams, Adrian Griffin, etc, but I hardly know anything about them.

Hell I'd consider Scottie at this point,but it would probably be a mistake.

[cjbulls]

You’re being naive. It’s fine if you don’t think they should be, but don’t act like these issues wouldn’t exist.

You think I'm naive, I think you are being... how should I put this... overly cautious.

And I'm sure there would be issues. There are plenty of misogynists and social justice warriors out there, and we'd get flak from both. Just to be clear, I'm not thinking the Bulls should consider Hammon because she is a woman, but despite of that fact.

So, why do I think the Bulls should consider Hammon? She had a great career as a player, she is the top assistant of one of the best if not the best coach in the game, the team she is the assistant coach of believes in her.

Your last point (Pops recommendation) is the only one that holds water with me. But that is more than mitigated by the lack of experience and potential issues. Why can’t she be an assistant for 10-20 years like every other non-nba player (and virtually all nba players honestly). Wait her turn and earn it on merits. If nothing else, that will help give her more respect in the locker room when she does take over because she will have done the same process as every other coach.

[Dan Z]

Joakim Noah now has free time. Noah for coach? or Player/Coach? haha.

[ImSlower]

... she’d be the least experienced coach in nba history.

No she wouldn't

What happens if she isn’t a good coach? do the bulls have to keep her employed for at least 4 years or else be labeled unfair.

If she is not a good coach, she'll be fired. Why would the Bulls be labeled unfair if they fire a bad coach?

What happens if the players just don’t buy into her because she’s a woman? Do they get rid of all the players? Do they get rid of the coach? Is that fair? Do the bulls want that attention?

If she is a good coach, the players will buy into it - just like the Spurs team has. If she is not a good coach, she'll be fired.

What happens if in a heated moment Zach yells at her, will that be perceived as typical player/coach clash or some lack of respect or misogyny? Or if Markkanen mutters she’s a “bitch” as he’s sent to the bench and it’s caught on camera. When that media storm hits, do we have to trade them?

These are silly questions. What does usually happen when a player yells at a coach? About Markkanen, I have known him since he was 5 years old, and he would never mutter that. But, for arguments sake, let's say he would. I guess he would probably have to apologise. What would happen if he'd mutter about Hoiberg "he's a dick"?

Why introduce all of these issues for a coach with the least experience of any coach in history.

These "issues" seem made up to me, based solely on the fact that Becky Hammon is a woman or fear of social justice warriors.

You’re being naive. It’s fine if you don’t think they should be, but don’t act like these issues wouldn’t exist.

My point is proven here in this thread. How about the fact that several of you are blindly supporting her even though she is the least experienced head coach ever. Explain anyone that has less experience, or do you also believe nba experience doesn’t matter (or that WNBA experience is equivalent)

She's proven herself to be a well-respected assistant coach behind the GOAT. If her name were Billy Hammon, you are the one who would be singing a different tune. I agree that it will be an uphill battle for her, because every loss will be over-analyzed, and every win over-ballyhoo'ed by clickbait journalism. But she certainly has the paper credentials to be a candidate. At some point there will be a woman president - I would bet the role of NBA head coach will be achieved earlier. If she has the talent to overcome obstinant negativity like yours (and blind support an inferior female candidate would receive), then a couple years in, her gender will thankfully become irrelevant. Your sole argument has been holding your hands to your ears and shrieking "But she's a girllll!". I don't think she's the best candidate, either, but she is a strong one.

[Jcool0]

No nba player would listen to a women coach period

Wrong

Watch on YouTube

[Red Larrivee]

Right now, I'd lean towards Becky Hammon.

Why?

I explained my reasoning a few posts up. But, I think she's going to be a good head coach. She has very strong basketball IQ and leadership as a player, and I think Popovich is getting her to maximize that as a coach.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

[Red Larrivee]

No nba player would listen to a women coach period

Spurs players do.

Sure, her being a woman is the elephant in the room initially, but eventually that will fade and she'll just be a coach who happens to be a woman.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

[DuckIII]

No nba player would listen to a women coach period

It’s an odd thing to say about Becky Hammon when Becky Hammon herself disproves the statement.

[BigJimFinn]

Its hard to say if she IS that good or not, because of the female thing she is for sure hyped up, fairly or not. With that said, pop's opinion carry's a lot of weight with me, I just tend to be concerned that he has no choice but to be 100% positive with his remarks, in this climate anything even remotely negative would put him in the evil villain role with the media and I think he likes his current situation with the media, weird as it may be. The media would likely turn on him like rabid wolves if he was critical, thats opinion not fact.

You know what makes that not something to worry about. This wasn't someone else forcing him to hire her. This was Pop deciding to give her a job as an assistant, his choice to let her coach the Summer League team (that won a title) and then this year his choice to make her the top assistant.

yes I understand that, completely, but now he's cornered a bit right or wrong, i'm not trying to be a jerk about it, just realistic, this environment in the media can be downright brutal, i'm not saying she's bad, i'm sure she's terrific and my guess is that she replaces pop's when he steps down.

As I said, his opinion carry's weight with me, therefore if we hired her to replace fred, i'd welcome her with zero doubts at least initially.

side note: take Doris Burke for example, if one's opinion of her is that she sux, that opinion can come with strong negative feedback, even if the opinion is right.

Gregg Popovich has had an exceptionally successful 20+ year stretch without ever giving the tiniest regard to PR and media favor. What makes you believe that he would suddenly change, now that he has achieved everything possible, is about to retire soonish and really does not even need to care? To me it is very simple: Pop would never have anyone working on his team who wasn't a smart, hardworking contributor, and he would never recommend someone without an honest reason. I don't know if Becky Hammon will become a successful NBA head coach, because very few people do, but I believe she will earn a chance and get it within the next 5 years. If she fails, it will not be due to lack of balls.

[BigJimFinn]

Also, I find it really weird that people still use NBA playing career as some kind of requirement for coaching success. Pop, Stevens, Budenholzer, Spoelstra and Snyder are IMO among top 8 of NBA head coaches without a single high-level pro game on their resumes, Thibs and the Van Gundy bros have done well, and a handful of others are doing OK. Toronto looks great in a very small sample with Nick Nurse. If anything, the former players seem to be a vanishing breed among the up-and-coming head coaches.

[cjbulls]

Also, I find it really weird that people still use NBA playing career as some kind of requirement for coaching success. Pop, Stevens, Budenholzer, Spoelstra and Snyder are IMO among top 8 of NBA head coaches without a single high-level pro game on their resumes, Thibs and the Van Gundy bros have done well, and a handful of others are doing OK. Toronto looks great in a very small sample with Nick Nurse. If anything, the former players seem to be a vanishing breed among the up-and-coming head coaches.

No one is saying it is a prerequisite. All of those non-players had significant coaching experience to offset their lack of nba playing experience. Look at the years put in by the van gundys, nurse, borrego, bud, and spoelstra. You’re pushing Hammon to the front of the line faster than anyone else, and it’s because she’s a woman. Not because she displayed some special coaching talent.

[cjbulls]

You know what makes that not something to worry about. This wasn't someone else forcing him to hire her. This was Pop deciding to give her a job as an assistant, his choice to let her coach the Summer League team (that won a title) and then this year his choice to make her the top assistant.

yes I understand that, completely, but now he's cornered a bit right or wrong, i'm not trying to be a jerk about it, just realistic, this environment in the media can be downright brutal, i'm not saying she's bad, i'm sure she's terrific and my guess is that she replaces pop's when he steps down.

As I said, his opinion carry's weight with me, therefore if we hired her to replace fred, i'd welcome her with zero doubts at least initially.

side note: take Doris Burke for example, if one's opinion of her is that she sux, that opinion can come with strong negative feedback, even if the opinion is right.

Gregg Popovich has had an exceptionally successful 20+ year stretch without ever giving the tiniest regard to PR and media favor. What makes you believe that he would suddenly change, now that he has achieved everything possible, is about to retire soonish and really does not even need to care? To me it is very simple: Pop would never have anyone working on his team who wasn't a smart, hardworking contributor, and he would never recommend someone without an honest reason. I don't know if Becky Hammon will become a successful NBA head coach, because very few people do, but I believe she will earn a chance and get it within the next 5 years. If she fails, it will not be due to lack of balls.

I don’t doubt she’s smart and hard working and has potential as a coach. If anything, she knows the deck is stacked against her and as a result pushes herself even more. I also don’t doubt that Pop likes the idea of being the first coach to bring on a woman and would like to see her promoted as such.

[cjbulls]

No she wouldn't



If she is not a good coach, she'll be fired. Why would the Bulls be labeled unfair if they fire a bad coach?



If she is a good coach, the players will buy into it - just like the Spurs team has. If she is not a good coach, she'll be fired.



These are silly questions. What does usually happen when a player yells at a coach? About Markkanen, I have known him since he was 5 years old, and he would never mutter that. But, for arguments sake, let's say he would. I guess he would probably have to apologise. What would happen if he'd mutter about Hoiberg "he's a dick"?



These "issues" seem made up to me, based solely on the fact that Becky Hammon is a woman or fear of social justice warriors.

You’re being naive. It’s fine if you don’t think they should be, but don’t act like these issues wouldn’t exist.

My point is proven here in this thread. How about the fact that several of you are blindly supporting her even though she is the least experienced head coach ever. Explain anyone that has less experience, or do you also believe nba experience doesn’t matter (or that WNBA experience is equivalent)

She's proven herself to be a well-respected assistant coach behind the GOAT. If her name were Billy Hammon, you are the one who would be singing a different tune. I agree that it will be an uphill battle for her, because every loss will be over-analyzed, and every win over-ballyhoo'ed by clickbait journalism. But she certainly has the paper credentials to be a candidate. At some point there will be a woman president - I would bet the role of NBA head coach will be achieved earlier. If she has the talent to overcome obstinant negativity like yours (and blind support an inferior female candidate would receive), then a couple years in, her gender will thankfully become irrelevant. Your sole argument has been holding your hands to your ears and shrieking "But she's a girllll!". I don't think she's the best candidate, either, but she is a strong one.

Just the opposite is true. If she was a he (Billy Hammon), no one would want him with such limited experience. She is getting a boost on this board because she is a woman. I’m sick of the people here pretending otherwise. Because I could name 2 assistants on every staff with a better resume than her. But suddenly everyone knows she’s secretly got the skills. Give her time. Maybe she’ll make it when she’s put in her time and earned it.

[nomorezorro]

the hammon thing cuts both ways. obviously, that a lot of people are naming her is tied to the fact she's a woman — not necessarily because they think it'd be cool to hire a female coach, but because being a woman gives her way more name recognition than your average assistant coach

that being said, it would not at all be surprising if hammon had to be better than her peers to get a spot as a coach to begin with. popovich is progressive and sets a good culture in san antonio, but even with that in mind, you probably don't become the First Female Assistant Coach by being an average coach. you gotta be doing something well enough to justify deviating from the status quo, to make you confident that any risks associated with the hire are well worth it.

like, there's a reason jackie robinson broke the color barrier in baseball. he wasn't just a good baseball player; he was an mvp, a hall of famer.