Generally agree here. I will point out that not all rookie HC are equal. Some have 10+ years coaching experience on the bench before getting the HC spot. Billups essentially had no coaching experience at all.
Undoubtedly there are people who would take the job. Hell, I'd take the job. The goal isn't to find someone willing to take the job, it's to find someone who is really good. The goal should always be to have at minimum a top 15 coach in the league and I don't see how this job or organization would be attractive to that type of coach.
If the organization doesn't have a good idea of who will be a good coach or not, that's another problem. If our strategy is a blind crap shoot, just randomly picking coaches in hopes they'll be the next Phil, Pop, or Spo, we've got an even bigger problem. Picking multiple bad coaches in a row while not having our house in order may not only hurt us on future coaches searches, but may hurt us regarding player acquisition and retention.
You seem to equate "good" with "experienced." Plenty of good coaches out there today who aren't the retreads who would dismiss this job.
Put Phil Jackson or Pop on their first coaching jobs without MJ/Pippen/Robinson/Duncan history would probably view them quite a bit differently. Until this roster has ONE above average starter to feature there's just no way for even a hall of fame level coach to have a lot of success. Lakers, Phoenix, Warriors, Kings, Clippers, 6ers, Heat, Magic, etc all had superstars or multiple stars and still came up short in the first round. Blazers aren't even close to the first round losers talent level.
I have very little confidence this organization is in a position to identify and obtain a GOOD coach. I'd actually be happy if they hired JJ Redick. He has zero coaching experience and I wouldn't anticipate he'd take the job for the reasons I previously listed. Remember when the Knicks wanted Steve Kerr when he had no experience, but he declined and went for the Warriors job? Same type of deal. So no, it's not just about experience.
100% agree. This is exactly in line with what I've been saying for many years. My main concern has always been largely around building a top 6ish roster.
the Blazers do have above average "offense only" starters. Lot's of fantasy stats. But they're Part-time super shooters. They quit the year early, because Cronin is addicted to his ping pong ball. 40 to 60 games, then Grant & Simons are done. Brogdon & Matisse joined the A team quitters this season. Ayton did not take the Cronin free vacation. Deandre toughed through ouchie knees, and played rather well to finish his season. What sucks the most about real injuries and "Blazer tank" injuries, was seeing Robert Williams in crutches, that guy did get hurt, season ending injury. 5 months months later, we saw Jerami Grant show up to Heat game in a Captain Crunch pimp outfit. Portland's co-captain was excited to hit the clubs in Miami as soon as his "team" was done losing by 60. Cronin started this "cheat to lose" direction. He's got his company men that will play mostly hard, say great things about their coach, then take the bag and quit the year early. Except Ayton, hmmm, that guy's good. Probably get some future draft picks if a playoff team offers a deal for DA.
What player(s) on the Blazer roster is in the top15 at his position? That would be the minimum talent to be considered an "above average" starter. Contenders usually have 3-4, or else two guys who are dominant at their position. Only Blazer I can possibly see having a discussion on being a top15 guy at his position is yes Ayton, even then he might just miss that cut.
Yes, he was the head coach at the time. But he did have an assistant who was in charge of player development.
how the heck are Blazer fans supposed to know what a top 15 starter at 1-5 position even means? We got rookies & G-League guys filling starter spots seemingly more then the regular rotation. All we can say in Portland is "Incomplete". It's near impossible to evaluate anything, because too many opponents lay the smack down on the busted up Blazers. The guys sometimes look fantastic in garbage time... >>Look at these stats<< ... that's not good input.
Phil Jackson Early Coaching career CBA and Puerto Rico (1982–1987)[edit] In the years immediately following the end of his playing career, Jackson coached in professional leagues like the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) and Puerto Rico's National Superior Basketball (BSN). While in the CBA, he won his first coaching championship, leading the Albany Patroons to their first title in 1984. Jackson was named the CBA Coach of the Year in 1985.[14] In Puerto Rico, he coached the Piratas de Quebradillas (1984 and 1987) and the Gallitos de Isabela (1984–1986). He regularly sought NBA jobs, but was turned down. Jackson had acquired a reputation for being sympathetic to the counterculture during his playing years, which may have scared off potential NBA employers.[9] Gregg Popovich Early Coaching career[edit] Pomona-Pitzer and early career (1973–1994)[edit] In 1973, Popovich returned to the Air Force Academy as an assistant coach under the school's head basketball coach Hank Egan. Egan later became an assistant coach under Popovich for the San Antonio Spurs. During his time as an assistant coach at the Academy, Popovich earned a master's degree in physical education and sports sciences from the University of Denver. In 1979, Popovich was named the head coach of the Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens, the joint men's basketball team of Pomona College and Pitzer College in Claremont, California. Popovich coached the Pomona-Pitzer men's basketball team from 1979 to 1988, leading the team to its first outright title in 68 years.[21] During his time as head coach at Pomona-Pitzer, Popovich became a disciple and later a close friend of head coach Larry Brown at the University of Kansas. Popovich took off the 1985–86 season at Pomona-Pitzer to become a volunteer assistant at Kansas, where he could study directly under Brown. Popovich returned to Pomona-Pitzer and resumed his duties as head coach the next season. Following the 1987–88 season, Popovich joined Brown as the lead assistant coach for the Spurs. From 1988 to 1992, Popovich was Brown's top assistant, until the entire staff, including R. C. Buford, Alvin Gentry and Ed Manning, were fired by owner Red McCombs. Popovich moved to the Golden State Warriors for a brief stint in 1992, serving as an assistant under future Hall of Famer Don Nelson and bringing with him Avery Johnson, who had been cut by the Spurs. Steve Kerr Executive career[edit] Phoenix Suns (2004–2010)[edit] On April 15, 2004, Kerr was announced as a member of a potential group of buyers that would acquire his old team, the Phoenix Suns, from Jerry Colangelo for $300 million. He became part of Suns management, acting as a consultant.[45][46] During the 2006 NBA All-Star Weekend, he was a member of the San Antonio team that won the Shooting Stars Competition.[47] On June 2, 2007, Kerr announced that he would become the general manager of the Phoenix Suns beginning with the 2007–08 season.[48] In 2008, the Suns traded forward Shawn Marion and guard Marcus Banks to the Miami Heat in exchange for Shaquille O'Neal.[49] The Suns were eliminated by the San Antonio Spurs in five games in the first round of the playoffs. On December 10, 2008, Kerr continued to remake the Suns roster by trading Boris Diaw, Raja Bell, and Sean Singletary to the Charlotte Bobcats in exchange for Jason Richardson, Jared Dudley, and the Bobcats' 2010 second-round draft pick, which was used to draft Gani Lawal of Georgia Tech.[50] On June 25, 2009, he traded O'Neal to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Ben Wallace, Sasha Pavlovic, a future second-round draft pick and cash.[49][51] On May 5, 2010, the Suns wore their "Noche Latina" Los Suns jerseys in Game 2 against the Spurs to be united against the controversial Arizona immigration law. Kerr himself compared the law to Nazi Germany.[52] In 2010, Kerr left the Suns as president of basketball operations and general manager.[53][54] He continued to own less than one percent of the Suns' organization until 2014, when he decided to coach the Golden State Warriors.[citation needed] Erik Spoelstra Early Professional career[edit] TuS Herten (1993–1995)[edit] After college, Spoelstra initially boxed shoes at a Nike warehouse.[17] He had originally planned to play basketball in the Philippines; he had watched their games on VHS tape for years. However, the paperwork to play in the country got delayed.[18] He instead went to Germany, spending two years (1993–1995) in Basketball Bundesliga's second division as a player–assistant coach for TuS Herten, a professional club based in Westphalia.[17][19][20] It was in this setting where Spoelstra got his first coaching job, as coach of the club's local youth team.[13] He began having back problems after the end of his second year with the team, and contemplated having surgery.[12] In 1995, Spoelstra was offered another two-year contract with the club, but the NBA's Miami Heat also offered him a position. Although both offers held appeal, he chose to take the Heat position.[8]
If you follow the NBA you'd have an idea if we had above average starters (top15 at their position). I'll give you the cliff notes - the Blazers don't.
