Again, that wasn't the point. The point is it doesn't take three years to learn the triangle. Both of those teams INSTANTLY got BETTER. It didn't take three years to see significant improvement. The Blazers won 54 games last season, and probably would have won as many, or a few more this season, if healthy. Phil in the triangle wouldn't guarantee a title in Portland in his first or second year, but I do think it would elevate them (if reasonably healthy) to contender status. BNM
They didn't INSTANTLY get better. Those teasms were already good. Lakers won 61 games prior to the lockout season and were in the WCF. Del Harris just couldn't put them over the top.
Umm... going from a team that couldn't make the finals to winning it all in his first season is pretty much the definition of INSTANTLY getting better. Del Harris couldn't get them over the top, but Phil did in his first season. Again, how is that not INSTANTLY getting better? Is it the same? No. Is it worse? No. Then it must be better. Right? BNM