NBA Roundtable Discussion

[Timmy8271 0]

Billy won't last. And if things go the way they are, The magic might not be in Orlando for that much longer anyways.

[iggymcfly 0]

Yes, I know those jobs aren't available this year. That's why my point was that he should stay at Florida until one of those jobs becomes available. I guess if you hate college sports and see it as nothing, then maybe you think this is a good move for Donovan, but it's really not remotely true. The Toledo Mud Hens don't get higher attendance figures than major league teams (like some college programs do) and they don't get half of their games on national television. Mike Krysewski and Roy Williams are more well-known than any NBA coaches except for Phil Jackson and maybe Pat Riley.

 

The fact is that this is a move down in prestige for Donovan unless he somehow magically transforms the Magic into a contender and I don't see how he can do that. Besides, a basketball coach can have more impact on the college level than he can in the NBA. With recruiting, training young athletes, and more of a team game, a coach can singlehandedly keep a team in contention year-in and year-out. In the NBA, most coaches have little say over personnel decisions, the players are already trained, and the offenses are vastly simplified due to the 24-second shot clock.

 

I guess I can understand the "looking for a challenge" thing and if Billy Donovan really believes he's one of the very best coaches alive today, this is his chance to prove it. If he wants to avoid a 80%-90% chance of turning into the next Mike Montgomery though or at the very least marring a seemingly legendary career like Rick Pitino, then this probably isn't such a good move.

[Ripper 0]

The fact is that this is a move down in prestige for Donovan unless he somehow magically transforms the Magic into a contender and I don't see how he can do that. Besides, a basketball coach can have more impact on the college level than he can in the NBA. With recruiting, training young athletes, and more of a team game, a coach can singlehandedly keep a team in contention year-in and year-out. In the NBA, most coaches have little say over personnel decisions, the players are already trained, and the offenses are vastly simplified due to the 24-second shot clock.

 

There is just so much wrong with this paragraph. The whole last sentence is completely insane for anyone who knows anything about the sport.

 

How is this a step down in prestige. Thats like saying winning a Oscar is a step down in prestige from winning a golden globe. To coach in the pros is the pinnicle of coaching in basketball. You are saying getting a job where there is only 30 openings is less prestigious than a job where there are like 250 openings.

 

He is getting paid more to work at the top of his profession. He won two years in a row in college because he got a group of guys that all decided to forgo millions of dollars and come back for another season. The chance of that ever happening again is slim to none. There is a reason his back to back was impressive in this day and age. The true talents of the college game smartly get the fuck out the first chance they get.

[Edwin MacPhisto 0]

Pitino went right back to making big bank at Louisville, and Donovan would do the same. Probably even better, as long he doesn't pull a whiny "Larry Bird isn't walking through that door" press conference of his own.

 

I mean, that much guaranteed money? For your first NBA coaching job? Even in a worst-case scenario, I would be perfectly happy with the ruination of my basketball legacy for $30 million more in the bank by my 47th birthday. The Magic haven't won more than 45 games and haven't won a playoff series in the 11 seasons since Shaq left, so he's going to have to bomb pretty hard to be a disaster.

[iggymcfly 0]

Yes, the NBA is more prestigious than the NCAA overall. That doesn't mean that the 2nd best job in all of college basketball is less prestigious than the 14th best job in the NBA though. The NFL's ahead of NCAA football too and the Patriots' coaching job is probably the most prestigious in all of football. That doesn't mean that coaching at USC or Notre Dame is less prestigious than coaching the Houston Texans though.

 

Also, the Gators were offering a heavy contract extension to keep Donovan in Florida. (I think $3 million a year), so it's not like he would have been hurting for money anyway. Again, if it's all about the money or the challenge, I can see it, but as a long-term career move, I think this is going to hurt him.

[Ripper 0]

So making double to go to a team that made the playoffs in the east and has abonifide superstar that is under 24 is less pretigous than returning to a basketball team with no returning starters from their championship team? Really?

 

How about going and looking up how that has worked out for past championship winners.

 

He is going to have to REBUILD in Florida right now. They are no longer a powerhouse. He can either rebuild at 3 million a year and the risk of his best players bolting EVERY YEAR or you can go the the NBA, get paid DOUBLE to coach a team where the best player is locked up for 6 years.

 

I am not understanding your logic here.

[Slayer 0]

On the other side, if I was a fan of a team that took this direction, I'd be hesitant at best and miffed at worst, given how past situations have shown that after 2-3 years the team is almost always worse off than it was before and the coach either gets the boot or leaves on their own and returns to college and no one is better off.

[Guest]

Most of these college coaches come to a team that is in shambles. I can't name once in the last 10-15 years to come to a team that had a legitimate superstar and room to add more players.

 

Donovan is going to be in the NBA for a long time (relatively, anyway).

[alfdogg 0]

Jim O'Brien is the new head coach of the Indiana Pacers.

Realistically speaking, probably as good as we're going to get. O'Brien was doing pretty good with the Celtics until Ainge started trading everyone and he walked out. Though I am somewhat intrigued to see what Brian Shaw has should he get a job.

[Precious Roy 0]

Who was it that got pissed because they didn't hire Mark Jackson? Reggie? O'Brien is a solid hire. He's similar to Rick Carlise in the sense that he'll preach defense and actually try to coach his team, but he's a Pitino guy who'll push the tempo on offense and give the green light to the outside shooters. He never had a chance in Philly. It's a safe hire for Bird as he's blowing up the team.

[Guest]

If Brian Shaw gets a job, it's going to be with the Sonics.

 

And Kurt Rambis might go to the Kings. One of those two will come true. That's my gut instinct.

[godthedog 0]

suns to name steve kerr as their new gm/president:

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2888923

 

i have no clue if this is supposed to be a good thing or a bad thing for them.

[Just John 0]

I hope that doesn't take him off the TNT broadcasting crew.

 

Not like they'd be hurting too much with either the Czar or Reggie to fill right in, but I enjoy Kerr on commentary.

[Guest George's Box]

Well, Kerr was just filling in for Czar when he left to coach the Grizzlies, so my guess is that Czar would just go back to working with Marv. I like them. Reggie Miller, not so much, since I'm of the school of thought that people with lisps shouldn't be paid to talk into microphones and describe what they see to millions of people. Kevin Harlan is just an ersatz Marv Albert, and Doug Collins is just there.

[Ripper 0]

Reggie is fucking horrible.

[Vern Gagne 0]

Flip is in trouble.

[Maztinho 0]

Flip is in trouble.

 

More like Dead in the Water.

[Edwin MacPhisto 0]

Why is Flip in trouble? Because the championship starting 5 started to dissipate last year and might lose some more elements this off-season? I know he probably could have done a lot better job coaching the finals and actually doing something about LeBron, but getting to the conference finals two years in a row and losing to young superstars doesn't scream "you're outta here!" to me.

[Guest George's Box]

Flip isn't really a big piece of the Pistons puzzle, which I suppose is an argument for and against his firing. He's admitted that the only real impact he has in games is after a time out, and that the rest of the guys sorta take care of themselves. If you're going to keep Billups, Hamilton, and Rasheed, then there's no point in getting a new coach unless it's a proven difference-maker like Larry Brown, or someone of that ilk. Otherwise, it doesn't really matter which average old retread is coaching.

 

EDIT: Come to think of it, I can see the Laimbeer thing working. If nothing else, they'd respect the guy. Maybe they didn't respect Flip. I can see why; all the guy has done is be Kevin McHale's roommate and fail to get Kevin Garnett and the Timberwolves out of the first round more than one year.

[milliondollarchamp 0]

ESPN is reporting that Billy Donovan is trying to get out of his deal and wants to go back to Florida

[Gert T 0]

Should be interesting to see how this turns out. If I were the Magic I would take some legal action against him, try to get some money. Not that they need it, but it is the principle, every day this drags on they lose out on potential candidates and head coaches input, (which is not a lock, obviously) of who to draft. I think Donovan should have tried it, but if he has doubts, drop him.

[Just John 0]

Does anyone think the Pistons should look into hiring Jeff Van Gundy if/when they give Flipper the axe? JVG wasn't really the right coach for the Rockets personnel, but if the Detroit team stays relatively in tact, he'd be a good fit there.

 

Another interesting thing I don't know how I missed until just recently is that Chauncey is going to be a FA this offseason. His stock might have dropped some after the Cleveland series, but he's still a competent PG and would be a good pickup for a team that already has a go-to guy. I'd like to see Houston pick him up, but there is like zero chance of that happening. What are some realistic possibilities for him if he doesn't re-sign with the Pistons?

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

Another interesting thing I don't know how I missed until just recently is that Chauncey is going to be a FA this offseason. His stock might have dropped some after the Cleveland series, but he's still a competent PG and would be a good pickup for a team that already has a go-to guy. I'd like to see Houston pick him up, but there is like zero chance of that happening. What are some realistic possibilities for him if he doesn't re-sign with the Pistons?

The Pistons are going to offer Chauncey about $13 million a year. The only teams with interest that the have cap money to sign him would be Milwaukee and Orlando. I'd assume that the Bucks are content with Williams at half the price. That leaves Orlando as a possible suitor and as attractive as it might be to play with Howard, I think he'd choose Detroit in that situation.

 

There is always the possibility of a sign and trade. The Pistons need help in the frontcourt, but they also don't have any internal options to replace Chauncey at the point either. They'd need an excellent offer to do any sort of deal. Re-signing him is probably not as high on the list of priorities as it was six months ago, but as the chips start to fall I can't see him ending up anywhere else.

[bobobrazil1984 0]

Houston definatly can't pick him up straight out, i don't think without the capspace - what cheech says sounds about right.

 

If the Pistons get to a point where they need (or he wants to be) sign and trade, I'd look into Denver. Getting Camby or Nene would be a nice pickup.

[Ripper 0]

Mo Williams is about to get overpaid out the ass. He is a free agent too, and I don't think they could hold on to him for under 8-9 a year. So Chauncey for 13 wouldn't be a killer for them. i don't think its a good idea for either side, but the money between Mo and Chauncey isn't going to be that big.

[Ripper 0]

Houston definatly can't pick him up straight out, i don't think without the capspace - what cheech says sounds about right.

 

If the Pistons get to a point where they need (or he wants to be) sign and trade, I'd look into Denver. Getting Camby or Nene would be a nice pickup.

The last thing the Pistons need is another big. 7 of their roster spots are PF/C. They need backcourt help. And Denver has nothing to offer up there. Except maybe JR Smith.

[Brett Favre 0]

Milwaukee might probably do a sign and trade for Billups. Memphis is interested too.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

I don't think Webber is going to be coming back and Wallace probably booked his ticket out of town with his playoff performance. That doesn't leave them with much in the frontcourt. McDyess? Maxiell? Mohammed? That doesn't create fear in the hearts of the eastern conference.

[Ripper 0]

Two of them should. Jason Maxiell could be a allstar(seriously), and Mcdyess is easily the most valuable big they have. Plus Amir Johnson is a fucking freak of nature. Don't let that 6'8 listing fool you, that guy is all of 6'11 or 7 feet.

 

A starting lineup with Maxiell and Johnson should be their future, and that ain't shabby.

[bobobrazil1984 0]

Yeah I was making that comment about Nene or Camby with the assumption that Detroit's front-line would be thinned considerably. I'm sure Webber is leaving, and Nazr is pure garbage and all indications are the Pistons have been trying to trade him (though if CWebb goes they might keep him just because). It also seems like Dale Davis is probably going to retire.

 

Mad Max is awesome, and Amir will be good but its unclear whether he's going to be a big or a freakish wingman.