Westhead to Seattle?

Discussion in 'Oklahoma City Thunder' started by Hunter, Sep 17, 2007.

  1. Hunter

    Hunter Administrator Staff Member Administrator

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'></p>

    <span style="font-style: italic">Sep 17</span> - Mercury coach Paul Westhead is still considering a job offer from the Seattle SuperSonics as an assistant to new Sonics coach P.J. Carlesimo. </p>

    </p>

    "I'm going to go home and think it out," Westhead said Sunday after the Mercury won the WNBA championship in his second year with the Phoenix franchise. </p>

    Westhead, who has been a Carlesimo friend for 30 years, confirmed that the Sonics spoke to him a few weeks ago. He said he informed Mercury management and players of the possibility when the Sonics approached him. </p>

    Westhead said he'll make a decision in a couple of days.</p>

    </div></p>

    -- Arizona Republic </p>
     
    Hunter, Sep 17, 2007
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  2. psheehy

    psheehy Beaten down by the "MAN"

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    It has been speculation for a while. My thinking was that if he won the WNBA championship season he would return to the NBA.
     
    psheehy, Sep 17, 2007
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  3. pegs

    pegs My future wife.

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    that'd be cool...has a WNBA coach ever gone from WNBA to the NBA, as a head coach? </p>

    it'd be interesting to see that, if it ever happened.</p>

    and waaait...would this be the first time a WNBA coach has gotten any type of coaching job from an NBA team? </p>
     
    pegs, Sep 17, 2007
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  4. cpawfan

    cpawfan Monsters do exist

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (peg182)</div><div class='quotemain'>

    that'd be cool...has a WNBA coach ever gone from WNBA to the NBA, as a head coach? </p>

    it'd be interesting to see that, if it ever happened.</p>

    and waaait...would this be the first time a WNBA coach has gotten any type of coaching job from an NBA team? </p></div>

    Have you ever heard of Michael Cooper?</p>
     
    cpawfan, Sep 17, 2007
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  5. cpawfan

    cpawfan Monsters do exist

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    Why does PJ want an assistant that has 180 degree different basketball philosophy? </p>

    Why would Westhead want to go work under a coach that would never use his offense?</p>
     
    cpawfan, Sep 17, 2007
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  6. psheehy

    psheehy Beaten down by the "MAN"

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    Other than the fact that they are long time friends, I would imagine that PJ wants an offensive minded coach to insert a different opinion. </p>

    Westhead's system is fairly complex, but he actually adapted it quite a bit for the Mercury and I expect he is more open to how to use the system as he has gotten older. It has been 27years since he coached the Lakers to the title and the Nuggets were a miserable failure. I doubtPJ woulduse the strict Loyala type offense with the Sonics, but rather would look to adopt certain principles for the fast break part of the offense. </p>

    Athleticism and conditioning are the top requirements to start and then the rules are strict from an offensive role POV. Once a defensive rebound is retrieved and the outlet pass is made all five players must get to their assigned spots as fast as humanly possible so the ball handler has the right options to make the best pass before the defense can react. The shooting guard is the first one up the court and the small forward needs to be incredibly fast since they are assigned a rebounding role on defense but must run the opposite wing. The power forward needs to be strong and have a solid midrange jumper and be ready torebound shotsby theshooting guard.. The center is the main outlet rebounder/passer and has to get up the floor incredibly fast as well to act as a trailing shooter and rebounding shots made by the small forward.</p>

    I expect the idea is that Westhead would be like Tex Winter was to the Bulls/Lakers. He would design a system and teach it to the players. </p>

    If done correctly, PJ designs the defense, Westhead designs the break and PJ and the rest of the staff design the half court offense.</p>
     
    psheehy, Sep 17, 2007
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  7. Iron Shiek

    Iron Shiek Maintain and Hold It Down

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    Sam Presti essentially got dumped our two best offensive options and two worst defenders in Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis this offseason. As good as Durant and Green will be I doubt that they are going to average 49 points between them like Ray and Sweet Lew did. Thus we are going to have plenty of nights when our offense sputters.</p>

    Bringing in a coach whose specialty is up tempo basketball at the expense of fundamental defensive principlesis in direct contrast of the vision of this franchise. Obviously P.J. and Westhead are good friends but Westhead is a veteran coach who I highly doubt will be fully bought into the culture that Presti and company are trying to establish in Seattle. I do think that Westhead's philosophies could help our potentially stagnant offense but if Westhead isn't fully committed to changing his own philosophies about defense he'd be better off staying a head coach at whatever level he feels that he can make the most impact. Obviously he has proven that in the WNBA thus far.</p>
     
    Iron Shiek, Sep 17, 2007
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